Showing posts with label raw recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raw recipes. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Super Green Salad Juice

Super Green Salad Juice

Have you thought of drinking your salad? If you're familiar with detoxing, you probably have. This was a great tasting super green boost of a juice.

Ingredients:
1 celery rib
1 lg. cucumber
1/4th head of cabbage
3 pears
1 apple
3 parsley sprigs
4 oz organic spinach leaves
1 lg. Swiss chard leaf 

Cut/slice all ingredients into pieces to fit your juicer and juice!

Inspiration for this recipe comes from a similar recipe in Juices & Smoothies
   

Orange Mango Smoothie

Orange Mango Smoothie

This smoothie is a delight!

Ingredients:
4 oranges (juiced)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 ripe mango
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs brown rice syrup (or 2 pitted dates, or other sweetener)
1 cup frozen banana slices
2 large Fuji apples cut up in chunks

Place the first five ingredients into a high-powered blender (like Vita-Mix).
Blend well. Add the banana and apple pieces and using the tamper, blend well. 
Pour and enjoy!

Friday, January 31, 2014

It's Detox Time! 3-Berry Smoothie


It's Detox Time!

For the past month I've made fresh vegetable/fruit juice just about every day. My husband and I have been trying to replace at least one meal a day with juicing. It's been a precursor to the detox diet that we started 5 days ago, and it's going great!

I liken our detox diet to the Hallelujah Diet of which I am familiar, but without the BarleyMax (I use my own powders/supplements). They promote an 85% raw, 15% cooked diet, made up of vegan choices. And glance at their testimonials and you'll see what a blessing it is to eat this way—for life!

But I'm not espousing a particular diet really, just whole "vegan and gluten-free" foods, mostly raw, and with no meat products for this time of detoxifying. And of course, fresh juicing to maximize our daily nutrient content and give the body something to enable us to heal.

What our detox includes:
Drinking a variety of fresh juiced vegetables and fruits
Healthy fruit and green smoothies
Raw fruits, vegetables and dehydrates
Big green salads
Steamed vegetables (been eating a lot of Brussel sprouts)
Homemade vegetable soups
Herbal tea
Fresh lemon/limeade
Nuts (no more than a handful)
Coconut oil


You're not ready, until you're ready!

Hubby and I both are beyond middle age. We're still young-at-heart, and so it's not fun when health issues interfere with life's enjoyment and our abilities. I feel like if I don't get serious now about true healthy living I might as well give up. I know we'll be making sacrifices—albeit good ones, as we change to better eating habits. I'm determined to—once and for all! I'm ready already.

I'd like to eventually proceed forward and make it a juice only detox, so I'm really preparing myself for when I feel the time is right. I'm inspired by documentaries like Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead and Hungry for Change. I find that a big part of making a lifestyle change or going on any diet for that matter, it takes the right timing, the right mental focus, and the right environment to make it a successful journey. I knew that now was the right time to begin. And having hubby on board makes it much more doable.

Our very first juice on day 1 was:  

Apple-Broccoli Juice
4 Granny Smith apples
1 lime
4 celery ribs
Bunch of cilantro
1 head of broccoli
I had never juiced broccoli before, but since I had plenty in the fridge I wanted to make good use of it, and I saw a recipe for Green Apple Pie Juice that stirred my interest. My Apple-Broccoli juice was so GOOD! I'm getting used to the taste of cilantro and it's useful to draw out heavy metals in the body.

This week I made another awesome smoothie recipe using blueberries (since we got such a great deal on frozen blueberries):


3-Berry Antioxidant Smoothie

This was a great tasting and so-good-for-you breakfast smoothie that utilizes three different berries: blueberries, blackberries and cranberries. One of the best sources of antioxidants, berries help to fight against aging and the chronic disease processes that many of us know about first hand. Even the American Institute for Cancer Research admits that blueberries are “. . .  substances that can slow the aging process and reduce cell damage that can lead to cancer.” Here are 7 Berries You Should Eat Everyday.

Not included in that list of 7 are cranberries, which when consumed in their raw form or juiced, have huge health benefits warding off urinary tract and yeast infections, dental plaque, and helps with blood sugar issues such as insulin resistance. See Cranberry juice benefits made simple.



3-Berry Antioxidant Smoothie
by Kathy's Kitchen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Keywords: juicing raw gluten-free raw vegan


A so-good-for-you antioxidant fruit smoothie that utilizes blueberries, blackberries and cranberries.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup blueberries (raw, frozen or partially thawed)
  • 1 cup blackberries (raw, frozen or partially thawed)
  • 1 cup cranberries (raw, frozen or partially thawed)
  • 1 Tbs. coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 Tbs. lime or lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. spirulina powder (optional)
  • 2 Tbs. green powder supplement (optional)
  • 2 tsp. coconut sugar, maple syrup, or other sweetener
Instructions
  • Add all ingredients into a high powered blender (like VItaMix) and using the tamper, blend until well combined. Pour and serve.

Right now I've got naked kale chips in the dehydrator and when I get some more sunflower seeds I'll make some red hot snackers crackers, but I won't indulge, and now at day five I'm feeling past the terrible late afternoon cravings (thanks to the wonderful nutrients I'm giving my body and cells). I'm not having the sugar and chocolate cravings but hubby is still dealing with it, and at 270 lbs. he requires more food than I do so he eats a tad more. (I don't scold, I'm very glad and proud of him and he's losing weight faster than I am!)

So today, I look forward to feeling good, staying active, and slimming down. How about you?

Linking up with Gluten-Free Cat and  Raw Foods Thursdays 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Blue-Green Smoothie

This Blue-Green Smoothie
tastes WONDERFUL!

I LOVE blueberries, and I love adding greens into smoothies where it doesn't change the taste! For this treat, the greens used were raw spinach and spirulina powder—an antioxidant delight!

We had an excellent buy on large packages of frozen blueberries, so I eagerly threw some into my Vita-Mix and made this delicious blue-green drink. Actually, I spooned each mouthful, relishing the taste like I would an ice cream sundae!

Blue-Green Smoothie
by Kathy's Kitchen
Keywords: gluten-free raw


A raw smoothie to enjoy like a blueberry sundae, but disguised with healthy greens.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups organic apple juice (fresh juice preferred)
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs coconut sugar or preferred sweetener (optional)
  • 2 Tbs hemp seed (optional)
  • 1 tsp spirulina powder
  • 1 Tbs coconut oil
  • 3 cups frozen blueberries (thawed or partly thawed)
  • 2 large handfuls of washed raw spinach leaves
Instructions
  • Combine the first six ingredients into a high speed blender like a Vita-Mix and blend well.
  • Add the blueberries and use the tamper to mix together.
  • Add the spinach and use the tamper to mix while blending.
  • Pour and enjoy!
Not familiar with spirulina powder? Dr. Mercola explains what this ancient plant is—a form of blue-green algae with "miracle" benefits: 
  • detoxifying
  • protein rich
  • immune boosting
  • allergy relief
  • normalizes blood pressure and cholesterol
  • reduces cancer risk
Caution: You may need to be careful with spirulina powder and work your way upward, starting with a small amount (like in this smoothie). Spirulina is safe to consume, but some people may have a reaction to it depending on their state of health.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Raw Strawberry Cream Pie

Raw Strawberries, 
a Nut Crust, and Cashew Cream—
Makes a Perfect Pie! 


Berry season is here and I couldn't be more delighted. We're stocking up, and making room in the freezer too!

I made this raw strawberry treat for my guests on Memorial Day, and they scraped their plates! It's the perfect dessert for a July 4th celebration, summertime entertaining, or a family get-together.
  

The Nut Crust

My pie crust is made with a combination of three different nuts: 
Walnuts
Brazil nuts
Almonds







Line the crust with sliced strawberries

Add the cashew cream center

Raw Strawberry Cream Pie
by Kathy's Kitchen
Keywords: raw dessert gluten-free raw soy-free vegan pie spring summer


Who doesn't LOVE the deliciousness of raw strawberries 'n' cream?
Ingredients
Crust:
  • 2 cups of raw nuts (I used a combination of walnuts, Brazil nuts, and almond flour)
  • 1 cup of date paste cut in pieces (or pitted dates)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
Cashew Cream Filling:
  • 2 cups of raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of coconut butter
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (I used slightly less)
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
Strawberry Topping:
  • 2 cups of fresh strawberries
  • 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs of pure maple syrup
  • Handful of fresh blueberries (optional)
Instructions
  • 1. Combine ingredients for crust in a food processor. Blend well until moist and a little sticky. Press the mixture into a pie plate along the bottom and sides. If you like, you can add a little fine coconut underneath to help keep crust from sticking.
  • 2. Cut the washed strawberries into slices and line the crust in a single layer. Set aside the rest.
  • 3. Make the cashew cream filling by placing all ingredients into a high-powered blender (like a Vita-Mix), being careful to mix, using the tamper, for short spurts of time. It's very thick! You will need to push down the sides several times. Pour cream mixture into the pie plate and spread evenly. *
  • 4. Mix in the lemon juice and maple syrup with the remaining strawberries. Make a pattern along the outward crust with the slices, and then dump the rest into the middle and spread until the top is evenly covered. Dot with blueberries as desired.

* Pop into the freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate for one hour before proceeding to step 4 where you add the topping.

Keep refrigerated and enjoy!

Summer is Sweeter 
with Raw Strawberry Pie

Linking up to Gluten -Free Cat and Raw Foods Thursdays

and Real Food Wednesdays with Kelly the Kitchen Kop

and Foodie Friends Friday Sweet Treats Party!

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Raw Chocolate Avocado-based Pudding

Get Your Chocolate Fix the Healthy Way—
Raw Chocolate Pudding

I've made avocado-based raw puddings before so I know how tasty (and nutritious) they are! I hadn't made a chocolate version yet, so here's what I came up with today.

This is one healthy treat that I would have loved to make and feed to my boys when they were growing up. Well, now I can treat them when they are here to visit, and meanwhile I can treat myself and Hubby.

Raw Chocolate Pudding
by Kathy's Kitchen, Health, & Nutrition
Prep Time: 10 min
Keywords: raw pudding dessert


I added in the coconut sugar after the pudding was already made, as it just needed a bit more sweetener. Most of the time I use stevia in smoothies and drinks, but I love the taste of organic raw coconut sugar and I thought this might be a good use for a bit. It was.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
  • 2 medium size ripe avocados
  • 1 large ripe banana
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
  • 2 Tbsp brown rice syrup
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar
Instructions
  • Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender (like Vita-Mix) and pulse at first. Then blend until very smooth. You many need to stop and stir a few times. Pour into one large or two medium sized dessert cups and refrigerate until cold. Enjoy!

Last year I bought two bags of raw cacao powder before Christmas. I'm still into my first bag so I guess I don't make chocolately things too often. Plus, for a time I was not eating chocolate at all. I missed it! I look on raw cacao a bit differently than other candy bar chocolates or processed cocoa, and I believe in its health benefits. There is a difference between commercial chocolate which has no health benefits and organic dark chocolate, the kind with no added sugar.

Is it just hype, that raw chocolate 
is good for you?  

Do some research and decide for yourself. Eating large amounts of cacao can be detrimental especially if it is not the raw organic kind, and even then I wouldn't overdo it, but certainly the raw version is the healthier choice.

I know of one person who eats chocolate medicinally to help with depression. It works for him. Raw cacao is also high in antioxidant flavanoids, sulfur and magnesium. Its essential fatty acids are believed to help the body to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.

According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale (shown below), raw cocoa powder is tops, even much higher than goji berries and blueberries which we hear about so often. The thing is, you can eat a considerable amount of these berries with no side effects, whereas if you consumed large amounts of chocolate or cocoa you'd expose yourself to the dangers of too much oxalic acid (interferes with calcium absorption), theobromine (affects our nervous system), and of course caffeine. Keep this in mind.

Raw cocoa powder ranks highest of the Top 10 Antioxidant Foods (per 100 grams) 
1) Raw cocoa powder 95,500

2) Raw cacao nibs 62,100

3) Roasted cocoa powder 26,000

4) Organic Goji Berries 25,300

5) Acai Berries 18,500

6) Dark Chocolate 13,120

7) Milk Chocolate 6,740

8) Prunes 5,770

9) Raisins 2,830

10) Blueberries 2,400

Source: US department of Agriculture/Journal of American Chemical Society


References and Related links:

Examining the Properties of Chocolate and Cacao for Health

Nutritional Benefits of Raw Cacao (Raw chocolate) 


Linking up with Wellness Wednesday

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Kale Chips and a New Favorite Raw Cookbook!

Kale Chips—
Where Have You Been All My Life?

Potato chips . . . you are no longer longed for . . .

My friend Lynne, makes some of the best raw food snacks, including her yummy, crunchy kale chips. My cousin, John, who basks (and probably does other things) in Hawaii and grows his own kale among other green beauties, recently posted on Facebook about eating homemade kale chips. Well, instead of admiring them from afar, it was finally time to make my own!

You all know the benefits of eating your greens, and this is a most delightful way to do it—RAW, no less!

I bought two different types of kale, a standard dark green curly type, and a new variety with some pretty purple splashes of color. For this occasion I made two different recipes: Pizza Kale Chips (in the photo above) and Naked Kale Chips (pictured below). 

The recipes were from my new favorite raw food cookbook: Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley. Get this—she devotes a whole chapter to kale chips! After reading those recipes I decided that I could not let another week pass by without making my own.

FYI:  Amber's recipe for Pizza Kale Chips is online so there's no need to share it with you here. I left out the fennel seed and I substituted a tomato for the red bell pepper. I picked a few basil leaves to add as well.
 

Naked Kale Chips!

Practically Raw is a unique cookbook or uncookbook. Let me tell you why I'm so enamored with it. This beautiful book is filled with full-color photos. I love to see the pic of the dish I'm making, don't you? 

The innovative side of this book is that it has instructions for two ways to make each recipe—a raw version and a baked version! I own many raw food prep books and I've never seen this before. Plus, there are recipe variations and ingredient substitutions for every recipe—quite useful, for the way I use recipes these days. Plus it has even more features that I love like health and nutritional information, menus, and a resource list.

 
As I read through the chapters of this book I kept a running list of recipes that I had to try. My list is at around 40 recipes at this point, and I'm not quite finished looking through the book yet! That's not the typical response I've had with many other recipe books I own! So many yummy sounding, stress-free recipes that I'm wanting to make—yippee!

Just a few on my list are raw Graham Crackers, Basic Nut and Mexican Cheddar Cheese, Flaxjacks Pancakes, Brazil Nut Bread, Coconut-Vanilla Kale Chips, Spinach-Walnut Pesto Pasta, Almond Butter Sesame Noodles, Stuffed Peppers and Wild Rice—all RAW of course! But if I want, I can speed up the process and use the cooked version.

Did you notice the Coconut-Vanilla Kale Chips mentioned above? You should see the dessert type kale chips you can make! There are Chocolate and Maple-Pecan also!

Pizza Kale Chips ready for the dehydrator

Naked Kale Chips ready to dehydrate

The Naked Kale Chip recipe was a little simpler to make and less mess. One thing about making the Pizza recipe is that the coating is made in a blender and it is very thick, so thick that some sticks in the blender and you really can't get it all out.

Naked Kale Chips
by Kathy's Kitchen, Health, & Nutrition
Keywords: dehydrates raw vegan snack


For Naked Kale Chips you just stir the following in a large bowl:
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs of olive oil
  • 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp of sea salt
Instructions
  • Then add this mixture with your washed and chopped big bunch of kale leaves (with hard stems removed), massaging into all the leaves. Place on Teflex lined dehydrator sheets and dry for 8 or more hours. I made mine in the evening and let them dry til morning.


Then, like my cousin in Hawaii says: 
"You eat them all in a single sitting." 
And that's pretty much what happened to ours.


Enjoy Kale Chips, your way!

For more kale delights and kale information visit Diana Dyer, MS, RD at 365 Days of Kale, also from where I borrowed this pic:


Linking up with Gluten-Free Cat and  Raw Foods Thursdays!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Juice Your Soup!

Veggie Juice Soup

I'm not a fan of cold V8 juice and similar juices, but I love tomatoes and use them in salads and as an ingredient quite often. For this soup, I thought, why not make the base of the soup a juiced veggie concoction and just warm it (no lengthy process or boiling allowed). 

It was pretty darn good, as well as a healthy replacement for us who are attempting to add in more fresh juices to our daily diet. 

The second time I made this juice soup, I decided to add in a few sautéed vegetables which made it more soup-like and satisfying to us.

Veggie Juice Soup
Keywords: raw juicing soup/stew raw gluten-free low-sodium vegan


Juice your soup!
Ingredients (serves two)
Juice the following Ingredients:
  • 11 large carrots
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 3 celery ribs
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 3 mushrooms
  • sprigs of parsley
Instructions
Saute the following in coconut oil (low—med heat)
  • 1/4 purple onion cut up
  • 2 mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper cut (or red/orange)
Add sautéed veggies to juice with seasonings to your taste. I like: sea salt, pepper, basil, rosemarry, real onion powder, and a dash of hot pepper flakes.Variation: Juice fresh cut corn and or a handful of spinach to add to the juiced items. (This will turn your soup to an olive green color.)Eat at room temperature if you like or just warm and serve! 


Try it sometime and see how you like it!

For more info about our life of juicing and a list of many other juicing and smoothie recipes check out the post: A Juicing Lifestyle

Linking up Wellness Weekends, and with Gluten-Free Cat and Raw Foods Thursdays

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Happy Day Juice

Starting today with a SMILE!

Happy Day Juice
It's gorgeous outside right now on this pretty spring day, so I stepped outdoors to take in the glorious morning. I took my Happy Day Juice with me!

It's easy to get caught up in the horrific happenings that we are facing in this country and personally, my Hubby fills me in on all the gory details on a daily basis . . . but I just can't live my life with the weight of all that on my shoulders. Yeah, there's a time and a place and someone has to be on the front lines, but let me persuade you to think about your health and I don't mean just the physical.

Do something that makes you smile. Go somewhere that you enjoy. Be with those you love. Help someone today. And don't wait to do it tomorrow!
Start the day out right.

Fix up this feisty juice in a flash, like I did this morning. I've talked about fennel before in my post Let's Get Juiced, and it's becoming a favorite juicing ingredient. I only had one apple left this morning so I decided to use the tangelos in this recipe. We loved this one! I hope you do too.

Ingredients:

1/4 fennel bulb
10 carrots
1 Fuji apple
2 tangelos peeled (or oranges)
ginger (small piece peeled)
1/4 cup lemon juice

Cut or slice all ingredients to fit your juicer. Juice all ingredients together but pour in the lemon juice last. Serve in your happiest cup or container and enjoy!

This recipe makes about 2 cups.

For more info about our life of juicing and a list of many other juicing and smoothie recipes check out the post: A Juicing Lifestyle

Linking up with Wellness Weekend

Saturday, April 13, 2013

A Juicing Lifestyle

Ten Days—
A Juicing Fast or Feast?


Almost two weeks ago, I announced to the world (you out there) that I was going on a juice fast. A fast where all I "ate" was fruit and vegetable juice—like in the film Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. At the time that's sort of what I had in mind.

Well, on day two, my mind was flip flopping on what was really the healthy thing to do, and I thought about the fact that what I was honestly after, was a lifestyle change, not a quick fix, nor a deprivation disaster, that when I went off of it and started eating again, that I'd gain all the weight back that I had just lost. (Weight is secondary to health, but I've been there—done that). 

We actually  "juice fasted" for many meals over a ten day period—just not for 24 hours straight. And it was FUN searching for ideas and recipes and making up a lot of my own juice (and a few smoothie) recipes. You'll see, as I'm listing many of them at the end of this post, and I have plans to compile them all into a PDF for quick reference here at some point. I do not want to lose these recipes, and I'd love to share them with you too!

We hadn't really prepared to fast!

It's agreed that eating whole foods (we do that), and a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, contribute to a healthy way of eating. Our family has been involved in getting our act together for a long time as we've made healthier choices every year. With wisdom should come change! And juicing those fresh veggies and fruits makes a lot of keep-out-of-the-doctor's-office sense. So we've been doing that—just not so frequently. 

Hubby was eager to be on this journey with me. We (especially him) had not prepared ourselves to jump into a full-fledged fast—I mean, the day after Easter? That awesome (non-raw) pineapple-walnut carrot cake I made, and nontraditional shrimp and steak kabobs on the grill? I wanted us to be successful, but my will power is only so willing. 

So let me explain that after those first few days of juicing, I decided that what I desired was to claim a juicing lifestyle—one that included juicing every day (if possible) and basically continuing on with what I had already been doing—adding in those wonderful raw dishes, snacks, and desserts (in moderation). That's it! That's what most made sense to me.

I wasn't hungry!

I did find that the nutrition from the juices I drank was satisfying and I wasn't hungry. But I still wanted to feel my teeth bite into something. Raw nuts and some dehydrated fruit were fill-ins. Habits are hard to change.

While these past two weeks have been loaded with a variety of raw juices and soups, we've kind of hit upon what seems to work for us, and I suppose after a period of time, we might make some further changes, but . . . 

 Here's what our eating pattern looks like:

I made two different juices each day, often with some left over for later in the day. We ate one meal that included a hearty amount of a steamed vegetable, or a juice soup with some sauteed veggies added, or a big salad.  We've eaten so many brussel sprouts that I almost feel like we're on the brussel sprout diet (great prices right now). We ate fresh fruit and raw nuts here and there also. And Hubby ate a little extra on his own—he did really good (only one Little Debby Nutty Bar on day 12)!

After one week, I added in a smoothie here and there (I missed those green smoothies) and we designated Sundays to be our treat day (to relax and eat what we want within reason). Hubby had BBQ beef and cheese with his salad on Sunday. And Sunday is the day our older son visits so I will make a nice meal with meat included then, and perhaps a fancy raw dessert. So, we're juicing and eating lots of raw all week, and indulging on Sunday. 

Curb the cravings.

I also wanted to get to the point where the cravings disappeared. I so hate the feeling that food is controlling me! I needed to get to the place where I am in control. Am I there? Much better, but not quite yet. As an emotional eater in the past, it's something I've struggled with. Though the physical desire and cravings to eat were diminished, the emotional craving found it's way there on a few days, especially when I wasn't feeling well. The hardest day so far was day 10, and I didn't feel well for 3 out of 10 days. 

Was it a typical detoxifying reaction that I experienced? Spring-time allergies? Or just my usual self? I had two bad headaches, a runny nose most every day, and a very low BP (for me) a few of those days. The days I felt good though were great! I had a lot of energy and my mood was soaring. Kind of typical for me though—I'm like that song "Moody Woman" sometimes. What could I expect anyway in just 10 days?

Well, I did lose 8 pounds in 10 days! Just water weight maybe? Not sure. I'm losing, and that's icing on my raw cake! Though the last two days I added in some rice and two pounds came back! 

I'm exercising about every other day with either T-Tapp Basic Plus, Tempo Arms, or Jazzercise. I'm convinced that I don't lose an ounce unless I keep moving and exercise. (That's Teresa Tapp on the right.)

So, what about those healthy changes since January?

The biggest change for me has been to cut out the wheat (I do make an occasional dish using small amounts of spelt flour and I'm intrigued in using almond flour). And starting last year I ditched cheese and cow's milk (plain yogurt still allowed, though I haven't added it back in yet on my juice fast), and I consume many less eggs and meat, as well as I cut out many processed foods (of course). For me, it comes down to eliminating the foods that I know I don't agree with or harm me in some way, and sticking to a basic mostly raw, anti-inflammatory diet.

If you have kids or family that live with you, an adjustment would be in order I'm sure. Our youngest son still lives at home but his job takes him on the road and we really don't see him much. When he was here for a few days recently, he ate what we did, but I fixed him a little something else to go with it. To suddenly make huge habit changes in your family won't work, you need to make them gradually.


We miss going out to eat!

We were in the habit of going out to eat  at least twice a week, but my usual fare was a healthy salad anyway. I can still maintain that if we decide to enjoy a restaurant meal. Two of our favorite places have the best salads anyway! I've already conquered this problem but Hubby would have a hard time if we went to a restaurant and he wasn't committed to eating healthy foods. He has switched to the salad, instead of the sandwich at our favorite spot (pictured here) but he likes to get dessert there too. If we go on Sunday, he can have it! (BTW, after two weeks of eating this way, he's lost 15 pounds.)


My list of yummy juices and recipes:

These are just a few of those I've made and many I've posted online. Check back to see when I've completed the PDF that will include recipes for those not yet available plus a few more.

And how many of you noticed our new look and the fact that I changed our name? The blog was named Kathy's Kitchen & Raw Nutrition and now it is what it is! The changes you may find here are slight, but I may throw in a paleo recipe or two, a cooked food dish or dessert that is otherwise healthy too, and perhaps a little more commenting on health concerns and issues.

Thanks for visiting and sticking to the end of this long post! I'd love to hear your comments. Maybe what worked for you, or what you might relate to, or even to share your blog or recipe with me!

Linking up with Wellness Wednesday,
Raw Foods Thursdays, and Thank Your Body Thursday