Chocomole dessert recipe

Jason Mraz's Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe:

How about a chocolate pudding that's good for your heart? This is exactly what you'll create by following Jason Mraz's chocomole recipe, which calls for avocados, dates, chocolate powder, and a touch of vanilla.
The result is a creamy chocolate pudding that's rich in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and flavonoids, making it an excellent choice for promoting a healthy cardiovascular system and good overall health.
Note: The quantities listed below will make a big bowl of chocolate pudding, enough for about four people.

Ingredients:
5 ripe avocados
1.5 cups dates, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained, roughly chopped
1 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup raw carob powder (can substitute with cacao powder)
1 tablespoon vanilla
Agave nectar or raw organic honey (optional)

Directions:
1. Mash avocados until creamy.
2. Add chopped dates and vanilla. Mix well to bring everything together.
3. Add half a cup of cacao/carob powder, mix well, taste, then add another half cup of cacao/carob powder, and repeat until the pudding is chocolate-y enough for you. Be sure to take it in steps like this, as adding too much cacao can make the pudding somewhat bitter.
4. If the dates don't sweeten the pudding to your satisfaction, add a little agave nectar or raw organic honey, and give the pudding another good mix.
For extra style, texture, and flavor, garnish with some raw organic cashews. Yum!
Enjoy this healthy and delicious chocolate pudding, courtesy of Jason Mraz.

O.N.E. coconut water review

Wow, I read about drinking coconut water (not to be confused with coconut milk) in Ani Phyo's Raw Kitchen book. This stuff is amazing! It has more potassium than a banana, no fat, super high electrolytes, and was even found in WW2 to be the same constituants as blood plasma, and could be substituted if necessary! This is the ultimate hydrator after a good workout. (which we should ALL be doing several times a week!) For more info on this precious item look on there website here: http://www.onenaturalexperience.com/ and it also lists their flavors. I first bought the plain, and last night got the pineapple flavor, which is fabulous! I bought them at Kroger natural section. Try some after your next workout!

Probar. the original portable meal

I just have to gush about Probars! They are the only vegan/raw portable meal I have found. They pack in like 30 items into a square bar, have utmost nutrition, and are actually GOOD! They come in flavors like kettle corn, cherry-pretzel, superfoods slam, kona mocha, banana, and many more. I buy them on sale at Krogers for $2.50. Which I also get a Naked Juice green machine smoothie for the same price, so for $5 you have the best possible meal on the go! Try them out, or if you can't find them, you can buy them on their website.

my new vita mix blender!

Won on ebay for $40! can't wait to get this baby!

*postscript* I got it and it sucks! But, vita mix is offering a special trade in on older models for $75-$100 rebate. And they now have a 3 part payment plan, and a brand new model! So, this is the new plan! www.vitamix.com

Metal section plates

This picture is not mine. Its from a fave site http://www.veganfamilyinc/. I am looking everywhere for these plates to feed the kids. She got them at a local Indian store. But alas, I have not found them yet! I have found metal "cafeteria" style plates, but not round. So, If anyone knows where to get them, let me know! (And go visit her site!)

Glass Dharma glass straws

I found these on a my fave site called http://www.veganfamilyinc/. She got them from this site: http://www.glassdharma.com/

Here's what they say about these glass straws:

Glass straws don’t leach toxins into your food as you drink.
Each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill.
One glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws. (How many times will you use a straw the rest of your life?)
Using your glass drinking straw adds a feeling of beauty to your day.
Handmade in the USA.
Covered with their Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage.
Annealed to Corning, Inc. specifications (a process that strengthens the glass).

They even come with a pipe cleaner kinda thing, and a hemp cover for each one.

I will be ordering these VERY soon!

Healthy sunflower seed shake

Sunflower Seed Shake (EF, GF, V, Can be CF and Raw)

A shake full of nutrients, especially Vitamin E!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold water, juice or milk
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 cups frozen fruit of choice
honey, agave nectar or maple syrup to taste (optional)
cinnamon (optional)
aloe vera/spirulina/bee pollen (optional)

Directions:
Using a high powered blender, blend water and nuts in a blender until nuts are well chopped and mixture is creamy. Add remaining ingredients and blend until desired consistency.

Nutritional Info:
Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian; Can be Casein-Free

Comments:
Ditch the overly processed (not to mention expensive) cans of protein powder and use raw nuts or seeds as the base of your healthy breakfast shakes. Sunflower seeds are one of the best food sources of vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant that prevents cellular damage.

Super blue-green smoothie

A Blue-Green Smoothie delivers 7 grams of protein plus more than 20% of your day's supply of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and six B vitamins (folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B6,). Furthermore, it supplies your recommended intake of vitamins C and K and beta-carotene several times over.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups (500-750 mL) coarsely chopped kale, firmly packed
1 1/4 cups (310 mL/180 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
1 large ripe banana, broken into chunks
1 medium-size orange, coarsely chopped
1/2-1 cup (125-250 mL) purified water
Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Add a small amount of purified water, if needed, to achieve the desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info:
EF, CF, GF, V

Comments:
This easy-to-make smoothie for one can be sipped over the course of a morning. If you find the deep blue-green color created by mixing mineral-rich kale and antioxidant-rich blueberries unusual, serve it in a mug rather than a glass.

Home made BBQ sauce recipe

Home made BBQ sauce:

1 tbsp canola oil

2 small onions, diced

4 cloves garlic

1 6oz can tomato paste

18 oz water (fill the can 3 times)

dry mustard to taste.. (I don't measure).. but probably at least 3 tbspabout

2 tbsp molasses (again, to taste)

a tiny bit of Stevia

about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 capful liquid smoke

salt/pepper

Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste

around 2 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce..

basically.. saute the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt in the oil... until nice and fragrant.. then add the tomato paste. Allow it to caramelize for several minutes, then deglaze with the water and vinegar. Add the dry spices and remaining ingredients.

Home made Almond butter

Recipe
Homemade Almond Butter

Makes about ¾ cup.
While almond butter can be made from raw nuts, roasting the nuts just prior to making the butter considerably enhances both flavor and aroma. To roast the almonds, spread them in a thin layer on a baking sheet at 300°F for about 20 minutes. Stir a couple of times to assure even roasting.
1 cup roasted almonds¼ teaspoon sea salt1 tablespoon unrefined vegetable oil
Combine the almonds and salt in a food processor, blender, meat grinder or nut butter machine and process until the nuts are finely ground. Add the oil and continue processing until the almond butter reaches your desired degree of smoothness, adding more oil if necessary. For chunky butter, stir in ¼ cup chopped almonds. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.

Variations: Substitute Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts for the almonds. Or combine two or more of these nuts in any proportion.

Home made almond mylk recipe

Homemade Vanilla Almond MilkCookbook: Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw FoodsRenee Loux UnderkofflerMakes 4 cups."A sweet and delicious fresh milk with the elegant essence of vanilla"
1 cup soaked raw almonds (soaked 4-8 hours)4 cups filtered waterPinch of sun-dried sea salt1 T non-alcohol vanilla extract1/2 vanilla bean (optional)3 T raw honey or maple syrup (or 3 soft dates, pitted)In a blender, at medium, then high speed, blend soaked almonds, water, and sea salt until smooth. Pour through a strainer (or use a nut bag) to separate pulp. Pour liquid back in the the blender and blend in vanilla extract and bean (if using) and sweetener until smooth.Human beings should not drink milk from a cow. It's that simple. So many illnesses and afflictions in children (and adults for that matter) could be cured if they would just cut out milk and milk products. There are tons of doctors, organizations, websites, etc...that will tell you the same thing, so you can do your own research. Here is one to get you started. Almond milk is a delicious alternative to cow's milk. Once you make your own...you'll never go back! It's so creamy and delicious. Perfect for dipping cookies, baking with, or drink it plain. Yum!

Menu plans and lists...

We are taking an inventory today of items on hand, and making a 6 day menu plan to go with it. (payday is next Friday morn.) I am following melo-meals very closely. She is a lovely blogger who because of no work circumstances, is getting by on $100 a month for herself and 2 teenage boys. So, obviously she is very frugal with grocery choices. She cooks up beans, and uses lots of lentils, and makes wonderful vegan meals from this! Her photos are an inspiration also. So, alas, we just won a vita mix blender on ebay, and I'm bidding on a Excalibur dehydrator too. I am researching green smoothie recipes, we will start these as soon as the vita mix shows up. My plan is to start "sneaking" green veggies into our diets, especially the children who never eat too well. I also am looking for bunch of metal section plates if anyone knows of any. Here's a pic of my 8 year old with her beet and berry smoothie mustache!

Pantry items list

Here is a little list of new items we order from co-op since we changed our eating to vegan/ and raw.

Ezekiel bread,tortillas, corn tortillas, pocket bread.

Expeller pressed oils (not hydrogenated or full of chemicals)

mylks (soy,oatmeal,rice ect...) SO delicious coconut milk is our current fave!

Flax seed meal ( i like ground & sprouted)

Brown rices (we like the lundburg farms eco friendly)

lentils, red and brown

beans, dry or canned. (but dry has no sodium) and is MUCH cheaper

fruits: apples (fuji) bananas by the case, fresh on sale organic fruits in season

dry fruits: blueberries, goji berries, bananas, apples, apricots, dates, etc...

raw butters: almond, cashew, tahini (sesame seed),peanut butter

veggies and herbs: eggplant, onion,cilantro, tomato,zucchini,cukes,red and green cabbage,chilis. etc...

frozen fruit for smoothies: blueberries, peaches, melon mix, strawberries, all organic if poss.

nuts: we keep labeled in jars in freezer: almonds,walnuts, pepitas,cashews,pistachios,pine nuts.

frozen veggies: stir fry mix, cubed squash etc...

sweetners:agave nectar, and agave/maple mix (i just found at trader joes!),maple syrup,succinat,stevia pkts. Date sugar is also good.

raw vinegar (Braggs is best) unfiltered

Steel cut oatmeal and oat flour

Anything Bob's red mill!

Cleaning out the pantrys

As this is our first post. I have been cleaning and organizing our pantrys little by little. We have been on our new adventure in life a little over 6 weeks now, but I am really liking the idea of raw dishes more and more. However, convincing hubby and children is another story. I guess I should let you know about our past, so you can get caught up. We have been married 11 years, and have 5 children. My oldest is 18 and has moved out on her own. And together we have 3 girls, 9, 8, 6, and a baby boy, 2. My husband is a police officer that currently works midnights, and I am mostly stay at home, but we own a coffee house, and our daughter works there mostly, but I come in most after noons, and work for a few hours. We have not eaten a good diet as long as we've been married. Hubby likes his steak, potatoes, chips, ice cream,never ate a fruit that I remember! alot of sweets, that kind of thing. And I have a ragin' sweet tooth. My kiddos like usual kiddo stuff, mac and cheese is a favorite, pancakes w/ syrup, no veggies, not much fruit, cheese crackers, cheese on everything, candy out the *ss... you get the idea. So, after putting on much weight on each of the adults, and our oldest at home is on the swim team, but overweight, and the rest so picky they are underweight... We, well I, decided we all needed the better diet and the exercise, and hopefully they are all young enough it will be engrained in them as adults. So, I traded in the sugar for stevia, the white enriched flour for whole wheat and other grains flours, the white rices for brown and other grains and legumes, the milk for coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk. And the meats and cheese for veggies and so on. We also got a family pass to our local Y, and all go regularly. DH goes about 5 days a week and swims for hour and a half, and I go 5 days a week and currently do the stepper for 35 min a day and lift weights and stretch and do crunches and such. We eat LOTS of veggies and fruits, we do at least 1 smoothie a day, and are starting green smoothies next week, (i am researching recipes). We eat snacks of Lara bars, and I home make all meals. We joined the local CO-OP to get these foods cheaper and its been helpful. But I will be sticking to a budget and picking out a few loved recipes to stick to, then add more as I find them and test them.