listen

I sat and listened to the world today
the sounds that whirl through the breeze
birds remind me of summer mornings
and dew on the grass.

I made a really excellent green smoothie this morning, it was way better than the smoothies that I normally make which are usually always the same. This is my new favourite:

2 bananas
1 cup mixed frozen fruit: peach, mango, strawberry
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp hemp seed
1 tbsp ground flaxseed

The Ultimate Spinach Salad!

I made this salad last night and it's officially one of the best I've ever made.

• a large bed of baby spinach on plate
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• shaved carrot
• 3-4 diced dates (honey, medjool)
• 1/4 red onion sliced
• few tsp hemp seeds
• a bunch of broccoli sprouts (or any sprout)
• Dressing: olive oil and apple cider vinegar stirred with salt and pepper, drizzle on top

And, as always, you can add anything or modify it in any way! I would have to say that the dates really give this salad a ton of flavour and sweetness ;-D

Groovy~ness & Blackberry-Banana Mash

Just made this little fruit mash and I wanted to share it! All it is is 1 banana and a few blackberries mashed, a dash of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of ground flax seed. The ground flax seed gives it this super piecrust-esque flavour, so good!

It really has been quite some time since I have been frolicking around through the fields of raw foods. I don't know what happened. Actually yes I do. A little over six months ago I was put on antibiotics for a few weeks which resulted in some problems. And since then I have gone through extensive remedial-trials; everything from cutting out certain foods to probiotics and digestive enzymes. 'Cause essentially it was my intestinal flora that got seriously imbalanced. So through all this craziness I somewhere along the line eliminated bananas and therefore discontinued my daily green smoothie ritual. And trust me, smoothies are an enormously significant aspect to raw foodism (at least for me...!) Plus they are super filling and life-force giving so what comes along with the elimination of such magnificence is the loss of an incredible satiating food source or entire meal! You know?

Well I'm pretty much ecstatic because I made one for the first time in so long this morning, with like 3 massive handfuls of baby spinach! It felt so good to be making them again. Oh how I missed them so.

The very worst part about flopping off raw foods is the lack of life-force and increase in the feelings of disconnection from Self and the universe and nature... 'Cause I'm way more inclined to meditate and do yoga when I feel really connected. Also my creative juices flow like a rainbow.

This all relates to some things I've been thinking deeply of lately - how perfection is totally unattainable and should not be sought after anyway. Besides our divine-beingness that is always perfect, the concept of perfection is an illusion and should not be desired! For we are always evolving, growing, changing and learning along the way through our mysterious odyssey's called life.
I wrote a poem on this. Perhaps I will share.

Kale Ribbon Salad with Sweet Potato

I want to share this yummy kale ribbon salad with warm sweet potato and hemp seed recipe that I made a few days ago. It is really tasty and light yet hearty.
Dice up a sweet potato (with skins!) and bake in oven at around 350F for 20 minutes or so (until soft).
Take several large leaves of kale, stack on top of eachother, roll and slice into ribbons. Put the sliced kale into a bowl, add olive oil and massage the hell out of it until the kale appears dark green and steamed-looking (this makes the kale much more palatable). Squeeze in some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar or your favourite vinegar, mix in the diced yam, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a couple spoonfuls of hemp seeds.

I love yams and this salad was an amazing combo - they go together perfectly with leafy greens.

I tend to keep the recipes that I put together fairly simplistic with only a few ingredients (depending on what foods I have on hand - usually I just throw stuff together) but this salad can certainly be modified by adding red onion, tomato or perhaps julienned zucchini. :-)

Butternut Squash Soup!

This was heavenly.

Last week my class went on a field trip to an organic farm, which was very cool, and we were able to purchase some fresh organic produce before we left. I picked up some leafy greens, kale and a lovely butternut squash in which I have never before cooked with. The soup turned out so awesome and it's so easy and wonderful.

There are many different variations of this soup that include a whole array of fun ingredients but I kept mine simple tonight and it was delicious. I used one butternut squash, one large onion, a couple garlic cloves and two carrots all thrown into a pot and boiled with enough water (pure, of course) to cover all the ingredients. The recipes I read said it should boil/simmer for upwards of half an hour but I probably only did 15 minutes and then blended it all up in my blender. Added some (Himalayan) salt and stirred it around and it becomes so creamy and beautiful. The colour is so vibrant and warm. I could and would have liked to use some rice milk to make it have a heartier consistency but it didn't even need it - the squash is so thick and creamy already and has so much savory flavour so water was perfectly fine.

I wonder if I could make a raw version of this just by soaking the squash for a while instead of boiling it...

Sifting, Sorting, Nurturing & a Desk

I spent yesterday painting this desk. I have been searching for one for the past few months for school. I had this vision in my mind of a simple wooden four-legged desk with a drawer, and that's what I was set on.

But, yesterday I was browsing through a thrift store and came across this desk. I figured the drawers would definitely be useful. It was originally wooden and carved into with pencils from little children. It was $7.00. I took it home. And tried to lug it out of my car by myself but was seriously mistaken when I was left holding it stuck halfway out. A man drove by me, reversed, asked if I needed help, and then saved my life. And then I, jolly as can be, painted it a rusty red.

Since last night I have been rearranging, simplifying, tidying, sifting and sorting through my bedroom (and mySELF). Things are beginning to feel clearer and calmer and more peaceful and steadier.

I had a fairly large list of things that I needed to get done this week and I accomplished them all! I bought some of my books for school, all of which I am eagerly excited about reading. I was reading through a couple of them last night and had to put them down because I'll end up reading the whole thing before school even starts. I think that's a sure sign that what you're studying is of interest...!
I was feeling terribly overwhelmed the past couple of weeks. Just disorderly and imbalanced, because of all the things I had to do and prepare for, such as my final G-class drivers license road test that I was really not wanting to do but I passed it ;-).

I have also been nurturing myself with lots of greens and veggies:



Soup: 3 tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber, few leaves of kale, handful of baby spinach, few stalks celery and carrots and a clove of garlic thrown into a blender then added to a cooked pot of 1/2 cup red lentils/1 cup water. Stirred just to warm up, not to a boil! Some himalayan salt, dash of pepper and a swirl of olive oil on top ~
I seem to post lots of soup recipes, but it's just that they are SO easy and delicious and quick and my blender is pretty much my best friend.

Seriously Awesome Green Soup

I have been posting so many recipes on here lately, but what can I say? I'm in the midst of some healing and cleansing with raw foods and I've been swimming around in some super fun recipes that I simply must share.
I made this soup many, many months ago around the time that I was new to raw foods. I'm sure I used a couple different ingredients back then because today I just used what I had on hand. Though the beauty with not only this recipe but so many raw recipes is that you can modify them very easily.

All there is to do is throw into a blender a few stalks celery, 1/2 cucumber, a tomato, few large kale leaves, some spinach, juice of 1/2 lemon, pinch of salt (I use Himalayan), 2 spoonfuls of light miso paste (fermented soybeans - If you don't have miso you can just use a bit more salt. I'm actually quite sensitive to soy so I don't eat soy products often... in fact next time I think I'll exclude the miso) and lastly 1/2 an avocado. You'll want to blend the avocado last, after everything else is blended, because you want to avoid over-blending it in order to maintain the amazing green colour and proper flavour.

You can also throw in some basil or cayenne pepper or anything else that seems appealing. Afterwards I sprinkled on some nutritional yeast, so that's a flavourful option as well. This soup is honestly very good. The thickness and creaminess that the avocado adds makes it so incredibly savory and just scrumptious... scrumptious indeed. This makes enough for about 2 people, or one giant serving :)

The most important ingredient you'll want to make sure you add in order for this to turn out perfectly is a whole bunch of love and stuff.

I really like the song Sister Golden Hair by America.

LOVE on a hot day

Green juice!

Ello!

I wanted to share some things I made today that was so nice and refreshing for this almost-unbearably hot, humid, sticky 40+ degree weather that is making me feel like I'm made of double-sided tape.

Green juice! ~

• 1 full large bunch of kale
• 4-5 stalks celery
• 6 carrots
• 2 green apples
• small bunch of fresh dill. 

And the best part... raw vegan banana ice cream!

Raw vegan ice-cream!

I have been wanting to try out this magnificent loveliness, and that I did. I have most definitely discovered my new favourite sweet treat that feels like I'm eating the most decadent, thick, creamy dessert except it's just frozen bananas. SoOoOo what you're gonna do is take a couple ripe bananas, peel em' and stick'em in the freezer. Once they're hard as a rock you're gonna throw those bad boys into a blender, maybe splash a bit o' water in there or some almond milk (which I did today, yummo!) and blend those babies right up. And it turns into this thick, icy icy icy delicious scrumptious dreamy creamy texture full of love and delight. You could even add a spoonful of raw cacao to make it chocolatey, or some berries to make it berry-flavoured. Or almond butter or peanut butter or coconut or ANYTHING! Take a walk on the wild side with this one man.

So that is that!

Fresh Fruit & Veg Salad! Yummmmo!

This is a chopped fruit and veg salad I made last night, thought I'd share! I got the recipe from Raw Radiant Health (on Youtube) except she used jicama - a root vegetable that I didn't have.

It was so very tasty! :

• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 pear (in replacement of the jicama)
• 1/4 cucumber
• juice of 1/2 a lemon (or lime)
• Himalayan salt (or whichever salt you have) & pepper
• Drizzle of olive oil

Dice up ingredients, add oil and juice of lemon and mix around in bowl. Add your salt and pepper. You can certainly add in any other ingredients you like - tomatoe would be splendid.

Let us analyze the nutritional value of these delightful foods shall we? Red onions and cucumbers are a lovely source of vitamin C and fibre, bell peppers and lemons are high in antioxidants and in turn destroy free radicals! Yay! As well pears are a good source of copper which also protect the body from free radical damage. Isn't food just awesome?

Pearls and Raw Vegan Cacao Truffles

My dad went to Las Vegas last week and he brought us home a few things. He brought me a box. And in the box was a can, which looked like a can of tuna. And in the can was an oyster. And I was to pry open the oyster. And inside the oyster was... a pearl! Isn't that so neat? The little gift came with a chain and a teensy little wee metal cage to place the pearl. It was instantly very sentimental to me, as I can already invision myself passing this necklace on through my future family generations... how beautiful!

I am very much so enjoying raw foods and veganism, as I feel just splendid. I'm ultra-connected to the Earth and I feel overflowed with joy and peace that flows freely through my life. I'm very in tune with my Divine or Higher Self and veganism is just a beautiful addition to my super eternal being. Want to know what's even cooler about being spiritual and feeling connected to the Universe? You allow your passions to guide you and more easily surrender to life's flow. Which I have done! In one of my previous posts I talked about how I had an epiphany and have decided to follow my dreams NOW rather than LATER! Releasing fear and all that lovely stuff. I am officially enrolled in school to study Holistic Nutrition, and I couldn't be more excited - not only to begin pursuing my dreams and goals, but because I listened to my heart and my intuition, and I am allowing it to flow freely, like releasing sand from your fist, through my life.

Today I made some raw vegan cacao coconut truffles and I would like to share this marvelous recipe. I am not exaggerating when I say that these little guys taste exactly, if not better, than your typical full-butter, sugar-loaded chocolate goodies. The only difference is that these are actually extremely nutritious, and well, a hell of a lot simpler and quicker than baking!:

• 3 cups walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup medjool dates (about 14 or so, these are what make the truffles sweet!)
• 5-6 tbsp raw organic cacao (not cocoa, CACAO - the rawest, purest form of chocolate)
• 1-2 tbsp flaxseeds, hempseeds, goji berries (These are totally optional but are awesome. You can throw in anything that you think would be nice!)
• 1/2 cup water (for blending the nuts and dates together - only if you are using a blender)
• About a cup of shredded organic coconut

I used a blender because I don't have a food processor, but if you have one then by all means go wild.

Place the nuts in the blender and blend them up. Add the water and the dates and puree it all together. Add the flaxseeds or whatever fun ingredients you choose. Add the cacao. (You can add a tbsp or two of the shredded coconut into the mixture if you want it in the truffles) Blend.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer for about 30 mins. The mixture will be on the gooey side so it's just a good idea to firm it up a bit.

Begin rolling the mixture into little balls in the shredded coconut, and you're done! Keep them in the freezer to keep them firm. So quick and absolutely decadent and delicious. Makes 20-25 truffles.

All of these ingredients are highly nutritious. Especially the raw cacao. Cacao, chocolate in it's purest form, is extremely high in antioxidants - moreso than red wine, blueberries and green tea. It's also very rich in zinc, magnesium and beta-carotene. An absolute superfood for sure. It's great to add to a smoothie or anything to make something super duper :)

Hope whoever tries this enjoys it! Well you will for sure.