Energizing Bieler's Broth

 Energizing Bieler's Broth

I love sauntering in the New Year—with the Christmas holiday cheer and snowflakes still kissing my cheek, and it brings a renewed spirit wherein I find the determination and energy to recommit to all those good and healthy resolutions that I aim to keep.

Bieler's Broth can help us pave the way to feeling our best, nourishing our overladen holiday-fare digestive tracts, and energizing our worn-out, depressed, vital organs.

I haven't written in awhile and there are reasons. I had a setback regarding my health mid-October which landed me in the hospital for two days. (It's insanity what they charged me, but that's another topic I'm not delving into at this moment.) Over two months later, after a fall-out of "woe is me" and stress induced adrenal fatigue, I'm kicking-in health-wise, and gearing up for some serious goal setting for 2013. 

Yes, I'm writing up my list of goals and priorities this week and I'm going to be sharing some of my overall and weekly goals here while following the Health Habit linkup and weekly Facebook Party Hop sponsored by Teachers of Good Things starting January 1st, 2013.

Will you join us? Check back after the 1st.

Today's invigorating recipe comes from the politically incorrect, real food bible: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It was created by Henry Bieler, M.D., "for fasting, for energy, and for overall health." While Nourishing Traditions is not a raw-foods-only resource, it's a treasure for anyone seeking honest, healthy living . . . like our grandparents and descendents of old perhaps prepared food, cooked, ate, and lived.

Ready for the Pot.

 Bieler's Broth restores the PH and sodium-potassium balance in our bodies. I needed to recover from stress and adrenal issues as well as musculo-skeletal injuries related to arthritis. This bright green, life-giving concoction was brought to my husband's attention from an acquaintance (though I remembered having read about it years prior). That same day, he bought the ingredients and I gladly set about cooking up our first lovely batch. I wasn't sure I'd like the taste—thinking it might be overly strong because of the raw parsley that's added—but it was actually delicious. Yummy in fact!

I've modified the recipe just a little to my liking. I didn't want the soup overcooked and some people advise to steam the veggies instead of boiling.

Veggies Cooking

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini (sliced)
• 1 pound string beans (cut ends)
• 2 stalks chopped celery (with leaves)
• 1 bunch parsley (stems removed)
• Fresh herbs such as thyme or tarragon tied together with string (optional). I used dried basil, garlic, and tarragon and left it in the soup.
• 1 quart filtered water or organic chicken stock—I like the chicken stock.
• Sea salt to taste

 Ready to Blend

Process:

• Put zucchini, string beans, celery, herbs and water/chicken broth into a large saucepan and boil about 10 minutes until the veggies are bright green.
• Remove from heat and add the parsley.
• Blend using a high powered blender, to your preferred consistency. I like it on the lumpy side and not too processed.  The original recipe says it's optional to add a tablespoon of whey to each cup of soup before serving (I did not do that), and then season with sea salt as desired.

 It Will Energize You!

 Here are two links that will provide you with more information on Bieler's Broth:

http://everything2.com/title/Bieler+broth
http://www.holistickid.com/bieler%E2%80%99s-broth-for-spring-cleansing/

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Pudding Squares

 Pumpkin Pie Pudding Squares

There are 3 layers to this no-bake, creamy, almost-raw treat (even though you can't see the bottom crust in the photo above). It's also gluten free, vegan, and made with healthy ingredients.

It's pumpkin season, and I start to crave its taste somewhere around September. I had a pumpkin cappuccino at the Health Food Store not long ago and I longed for a slice of their gluten free pumpkin spice cake (I figured I'd make my own soon) and I remembered seeing cans of organic pumpkin in the pantry, so . . . I already had cashews and soaked them overnight (used for the topping). This is delicious—and my sons will attest to that.

This recipe is just one of the awesome desserts featured at Sweetly Raw, and I have altered it a bit. After you have made a number of raw desserts and dishes you get a feel for un-cooking and substituting ingredients. Besides, just about all I do has to be customized in some way! It's what chefs do!

Bottom Crust

Crust:

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup almonds (soaked overnight and drained)

1/3 cup date paste (or pitted dates)

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla

In a processor, grind almonds first. Add remaining ingredients and process 'till the consistency holds together well. Pat on the bottom of an 8 x 8 dish.

Middle Layer: Pumpkin Pie Pudding*

Filling:
1/2 cup date paste (or pitted dates)
1/2 cup milk (almond preferred)
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs maple syrup (or honey)
15 oz can organic pumpkin (or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs melted coconut oil

In food processor (or high-powered blender), puree first four ingredients. Add spices. Add oil last, and blend well. Pour into your pan on top of the crust and spread as the middle layer. Refrigerate overnight or do like I did and freeze it for an hour and then refrigerate about 2 hours before putting on the top cream layer.

*This makes a tasty pudding by itself. You could use it in a pretty holiday parfait recipe, mixed with cake, fruit, and cream.

 

The Topping

Cashew Cream Topping:
1 1/2 cups of almond milk (or your choice milk)
1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked at least 6 hours and drained)
4 Tbs maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)

In a blender, blend all ingredients except the last. When mixed well, add in the coconut oil and blend again. Pour mixture into a separate shallow pan and chill in the fridge for at least one-two hours before using as your topping. Spread on top of pudding mixture when it's ready.

Ready for the Freezer/Fridge

You can freeze this for several hours first if you need it in a hurry. It will also help to keep a nice consistency to your bars when cutting them. (The middle layer is soft like pudding remember.)

Cut and Enjoy!

 Today I am linking up with Walking in Faith's 

Holiday Treats Blog Hop

Got a recipe to share? Join in the fun!

Healthy Truffles—for Gifting & Eating

                                   Truffles 

Easy to Make—Naturally Sweet—Great Holiday Gift!

Your family will be delighted to help you make and decorate these sweet little treats for the holidays.

I've made a healthy mostly-raw version of truffles half a dozen times and decided to try a new recipe last week. (See my earlier truffle recipe post here.) I made some goodies for a bake sale to benefit a needy family in our local homeschool group and these were a portion of what I ended up bringing. See the easy instructions below!

Chocolatey Truffles: 

This recipe is like one found in the book Raw Family Signature Dishes by Victoria Boutenko. The basic dough ball is formed from the same mix she uses as her basic chocolate cake (but there's no chocolate in it)!

Yes, it does look like chocolate! But here are the simple ingredients: 

• 2 cups walnuts (soaked, drained and dehydrated)
• 2 cups organic raisins
• 2 Tbs olive oil,
• juice from 1 lemon

Of course—it's the raisins that give it that rich dark color! And it really does have a chocolate taste.

Directions: Place walnuts into a food processor and grind well. Remove walnut mixture to a bowl. Add raisins, lemon and oil to the processor and mix until it's creamy. Combine this mixture in the bowl with the walnuts. Roll by hand and form into one-inch or teaspoon size balls. Set them aside.

Place small dishes of your favorite toppings to dip your truffles in. I chose: 

• shredded unsweetened coconut, 
• sesame seeds, 
• cinnamon, 
• carob chips
• melted dark chocolate

The Toppings

 Dipping

Place dipped truffles in small candy-size papers and arrange in a pretty box and top with a bow. I also arranged a six-count amount in inexpensive plastic storage containers. (You must save some to enjoy for your own family!)

Optional: Decorate with a cherry half, nut, or candy, pressed into the top center of each truffle.

Pretty boxes add some holiday color.

Raw Dessert Posts I Have to Share . . .

Within the next week I'm going to be contributing to a "bake sale" benefit for a needy homeschooling family who recently lost their father to cancer. Perhaps something from this list would be good, but I need something that won't melt.

Anyway, I've come across several scrumptious raw delectable recipes that I must share! Aren't these photos awesome? You can almost taste them! Check these out:

Raw Pumpkin Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

 A walnut based cake that is dehydrated. It uses squash in place of pumpkin. I'll be making this for sure!

Hemp and Acaí Clusters

I may be able to change a few ingredients here and make something similar. I love Reeses Peanut Butter thingies but don't indulge anymore there. Maybe something with an almond butter center? We'll see.

 Raw Nutella Macaroons

 Chocolate and coconut are faves of mine! No, they don't use Nutella, but use a healthy alternative.

 

Face Book: Just Eat Real Food

 

A great after-school snack for the kids - idea & photo by Just Eat Real Food

Hollow out your banana, dip the end in melted cacao (or vegan chocolate chips), roll in nuts (could also use coconut flakes) and fill with almond butter!

I love these ideas and I'm happy to share these new-to-me raw food blogs to get ideas from. Enjoy!

 

 

"Treat Yourself" Trail-mix

Treat Yourself Trail-mix

I purchased a raw, dried fruit and nut trail-mix from my raw-foodie friend Lynn at the Farmer's Market last week. It was crunchy and tasty and hit the spot, inspiring me to make my own just a few days later.

What are you and your family snacking on?

This is an important question. If not prepared, you'll find yourself in the drive-thru of the neighborhood fast food change-your-mood-with-glue chain on a continual basis. And if your fear of calories makes you run and hide from the idea of dried fruits and nuts, don't run off just yet. There is such a thing as setting limits for yourself. If you want a nutrient dense, fiber rich, antioxidant filled, enzyme intact, tasty snack, (instead of Oreos, Snickers, Fries, or the DQ Blizzard of the Month), this is an excellent choice. And when you make it yourself—to treat yourself—it's just perfect!

Bag it.

That's the key—making it yourself. Unlike what you may find in the way of trail-mixes at the Neighborhood Multi-Dollar Store, you can control the amount (or lack) of sugar, salt and less-than-healthy processed ingredients. 

I filled up four quart size bags and brought one on an overnight trip this past weekend to share with my husband. We were busy, busy, busy, as sponsors for our National Galaxie Car Club meet this past weekend, so it worked out great to grab a little treat on the go. Often, after working my 8 AM to 12 Noon schedule, I'm famished for a little treat before lunch. It also works as a breakfast replacement.

The Basic Recipe 

Mix together any combination of your favorite raw nuts and dried fruits. Add in additional ingredients to your liking.

For my particular mix, I dried some fresh sliced peaches and apples dipped in lemon and dusted with cinnamon. I also soaked pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds overnight, then dehydrated them until fairly crunchy. My dehydrator has nine trays and I had something on each tray, drying at the same time. Drying time was approximately 24 hours.

What Else I Added:

Roasted cashews

Raw pumpkin seeds

Organic Thompson Raisins

Dried mango slices (sulfur free)

Banana chips (purchased)

Unsweetened shredded coconut

Dark chocolate covered ginger balls

Mini carob chips

I went heavy on the nuts and fruit and light on the chocolate ginger and carob chips. Next time I'd like to dehydrate pineapple and banana. Treat yourself to a knock-out, trail-mix treat!

Yummy!

Let's get juiced!

Blending, Juicing, & Loving It—

Getting started, from Mimi Kirk's raw food recipe book: Live Raw

(Chapter Five)

Power Greens drink 
(The blueberries were an extra, not an ingredient)

I've been making fruit and green smoothies for several years now, plus juicing here and there—with a few recipes that are very similar to Mimi's in her book. But I tend to make the same few recipes over and over again, so I was happy to experiment this past week with some interesting ideas, different fruits and veggies, and power-plus nutrients from Live Raw. Today I'll share three drinks that I will add to my list of make-again-juices and -smoothies. But first I want to mention something about why I am doing this. 

What motivates me? 

Certainly, it takes some doing to prepare healthy foods. I'm already in the kitchen a lot anyway. In fact, I don't juice as often as I think I should for that very reason—I'm a little lazy sometimes. I like instant! I like fast food! I want to tantalize my taste buds now! 

Well, see? I need motivation to move in a different direction if I want to see a change. And believe me, I need a change. That's why I'm always reading a book or two that is inspiring to my health, both physically and spiritually.

I want to stop the disease processes that are happening in my body from making me feel old. Yes, I am half-past the day I go poof and meet my Maker, to be sure, but I don't like the condition I am in today, or what apparently has already transpired in past years. 

My eating and health practices for most of my life were not the best. In the last ten years great improvements were made, which came from new found knowledge, but there were a few early years when peanut butter, hamburgers and boxed macaroni and cheese were my staples along with sodas and an occasional candy bar. I recently talked to a young woman in college who said she lives on string cheese and Mountain Dew! I'm not familiar with string cheese, but that's scary!

So each year I did something different to improve eating habits and ultimately our health and here I am today. Doing better, but you can't overnight what took many years to acquire in the first place.

So on with some new healthy drinks.

Here was something out of the ordinary . . . The Power Greens drink recipe used 1/2 of a fennel bulb.

I didn't even know what fennel looked like. I had to ask for it at the health food store.

1/2 fennel bulb used in recipe 

I thought perhaps the fennel bulb would have a strong taste and overpower the juice, but I didn't find that to be the case. Yes, the drink tasted green, but I liked it and had no problem drinking it. I added a bit of stevia to sweeten just a bit too. (I still need to find out what to do with the upper herb part of the fennel, the part that reminds me of dill.)

What are the benefits of fennel?  

Here's some of what I found on the web . . .

Fennel contains vitamin C, fiber, manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamin B3. The vitamin C from the bulb of the plant is antibacterial and beneficial to the immune system. The high fiber content reduces cholesterol levels. Fennel can eliminate toxins and potential cancerous substances from the intestines. The high potassium content will help lower high blood pressure. 

So in adding this to your green juice, you are upping some important nutrients to support a healthier and happier body.

The juicing process

I share my green drinks with hubby.

This What a Pear smoothie recipe was my favorite! I love ripe pears which are the basis of this smooth delightful drink. It also has celery which I have never put in a blender before—I've always juiced it. Celery is great to reduce high blood pressure, so it's important for me. BTW, you have to use a high-powered blender for these smoothie recipes. I love my Vita-Mix and I highly suggest you invest in one if you don't already have one!

 What a Pear ingredients ready to blend

This drink includes ginger, a typical ingredient I use when juicing. Ginger, a potent spice, has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and improves digestive health. A 2004 article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (researchers from  Johns Hopkins) showed that a ginger extract has the potential to slow the progression of brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s disease (related to its anti-inflammatory nature). Good stuff for folks with nausea, arthritis, or migraines.

What a Pear Smoothie . . . delicious!

Trip to the Moon called for water from a Thai baby coconut. OK, so lazy me bought canned coconut water from the health food store.

Trip to the Moon ingredients before blending

It's widely known about the benefits of coconut oil, but what about the coconut's water?  

Coconut water is the new sports drink!   

Here is a list of the benefits of coconut water :

• It's full of electrolytes! It contains calcium, magnesium and potassium, and is low in sodium.
• It's low in calories and fat, and contains no cholesterol. 
• It detoxifies. Research finds that it can improve immunity, and increase your metabolism. 
• Helps clear your complexion.
• Helps cleanse and improve intestinal and digestive systems.
• Helps lower blood sugar level (great for diabetics).
• Helps balance PH level.
• Helps balance thyroid.
• Fights infections.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Is an aid to lose weight naturally.
• Replaces fluids lost. (Hydrates and nourishes.)

 Trip to the Moon Smoothie . . .  loved it!

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."

- Napoleon Hill

KathyMarie & Mimi—a New Direction

 Live Raw is my favorite raw recipe book!

I stumbled upon an idea last week that I keep tumbling over and over again in my mind.

I watched the movie Julie & Julia from the library, and something clicked. Maybe I identified with Julie being an aspiring writer and blogger, maybe it was my love for food and enjoyment of preparing it, maybe it was just the characters themselves that I found delightful, but anyway, I loved this movie for all that it was—deliciously cooked foods and all.

If you remember having watched it yourself or have seen the movie trailer, Julie Powell was a real-life blogger who was enamored with Julia Child and her cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She had this phenomenal idea and read here what she says about herself from her blog:

Government drone by day, renegade foodie by night. Too old for theatre, too young for children, and too bitter for anything else, Julie Powell was looking for a challenge. And in the Julie/Julia project she found it. Risking her marriage, her job, and her cats’ well-being, she has signed on for a deranged assignment.

365 days. 536 recipes. One girl and a crappy outer borough kitchen.

In just one year she made all 536 recipes from Julia's French cookbook! It really is amazing.

So I started thinking about my favorite cookbooks and of course I was inspired.

My autographed copy of Mimi's Live Raw - Raw Food Recipes for Good Health and Timeless Beauty is a gorgeous book, with large full color photos, lots of information and tons of nutritious raw food recipes. There are eight chapters that highlight recipes, from Herbs, Spices, and Condiments to Sweets, and many in-between. I thought I would take one chapter to work through at a time, but not on any crazy time limit like Julie. Oh no. I'm not quite that deranged and I do have another life. It's just for fun and to give myself a little direction.

So I'll start with Chapter 5: Smoothies, Juices, Warm Drinks, Mocktails, and More. I urge you to get the book—gee, right now it's on sale at Amazon for only $11.32 and this oversize book has 225 pages! Or visit Mimi at her website and get your own autographed copy for only $16.95 (a great gift) Young On Raw Food.com. Get the book or one of your own choosing and you'll be glad you did. I'm giving myself the option that if I can't find an ingredient (there are a few strange ones here and there) or I can't eat an ingredient listed (I'm on an anti-inflammatory diet remember) I can skip or modify the recipe.

So, check back or join me in your own raw food recipe exploration and be good to yourself!

From Almond Milk to Healthy Treats . . . Almond Pulp Bites

Chocolate Almond Pulp Bites

Ummm . . . I just grabbed one of these tasty little chocolatey treats from the freezer  . . . delightful . . . they hit the spot, plus I'm munching raw nutrients that are good for me!

My husband does pretty good eating nutritious foods and adding in a good amount of raw foods, but he still buys and eats  jalapeno potato chips, ice cream, and has his stash of candy and Little Debby Nutty Bars . . . but I need a healthy treat that I can grab on the run (which helps me to avoid the no-nos). These are good!

I've enjoyed making and drinking my own almond milk but there were baggies of left over almond pulp in the freezer calling me to put them to good use. I thought of almond pancakes or macaroons (see recipe in a previous post), but I came up with my own easy dehydrated cookie.  They are similar to the macaroons which I LOVE, but a bit different. I made a double batch—one plain with cinnamon, and one with a melted chocolate, nutty topping. Here's how:

Ingredients for basic cookie:

2 cups raw almond pulp (left over from almond milk recipe)

1 cup raw almond butter

4 Tbs unsweetened coconut - fine cut

4 Tbs sucanat (or honey or sweetener of your choice)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coconut extract

Options:

3-4 Tbs raw cacao powder (for chocolate version)

1 tsp cinnamon (for plain version)

dark melted chocolate for topping

chopped nuts, for topping or add some to basic cookie mixture before forming

 It makes a stiff dough.

1. Blend the almond pulp with almond butter, coconut, sweetener, salt and extract. You should get a stiff heavy dough that will still be moist and easily hold together.
2. Depending which option you want, add cinnamon, cacao powder, or chopped nuts to the above and mix in.
3. Pinch off a teaspoon-size chunk of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten into a cookie shape with your fingers. Place on a dehydrator sheet. (Makes approx 36 cookies)
4. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 12-18 hours. I made these in the afternoon and let them dry until morning. They were most likely done before then. 
5. If you want to make the chocolate treats, then melt the dark chocolate, spoon some on top, and sprinkle with nuts.
6. Store in a baggie in the fridge, (or freezer like I do).

 Lined up for the dehydrator.

 Before the topping.

I have to admit, the plain, basic cookie I made tasted kind of bland, and that's when I decided to add the chocolate topping and nuts. I think the cinnamon ones would have been better if I had added some chopped nuts to the batter, but then I am thinking they'd be good dipped in chocolate too. Anyway, I'll probably eat a few for a breakfast pick-me-up along with some fruit.

 Ready to enjoy!

P.S. I took some of my plain cinnamon bites and sandwiched a heap of nut butter between two of them. Delicious!

Quote for the day: 

“If you can't get a miracle, become one.” ― Nick Vujicic http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Going Nutty for Almond Milk!

Making my own was easy peasy!

Some things are worth the effort to make from scratch. I've been learning that lesson for years. I was delighted that this was one recipe that didn't take a lot of time and was an easy clean-up. It won't last nearly as long in the fridge, but hey, that's probably a good sign. Makes me think of the McFrenchFry: If it doesn't spoil, don't eat it!

For the last six months, most dairy products (except plain yoghurt) have escaped my lips. I don't really miss the cheese or the sinus congestion and headaches that came with it, but my cow's milk habit needed  a comparable replacement.

At first I tried soy milk, and during my elimination diet I discovered that soy milk and I do not really get along well anyway. Then there's the soy controversy and GMO issues to consider too. (Read Why Soy Milk is Not for Boys or Girls).

I soon discovered almond milk, a superior nutritional choice (see discussion below), which I purchased on a regular basis. After many months, I wondered if I could make my own for less (less money spent and less additives), so  a few weeks ago I decided to try it. The results? Yum!

A chocolatey version

You'll need: 

• A high-powered blender
• A nut milk bag (I purchased mine at Amazon.com)
• To soak your almonds overnight

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked raw almonds (cover in water overnight and drain)
• 3 cups filtered water
• 2-3 Tbs sweetener (agave, honey, pinch of stevia, or 2 dates, etc.—I use sweet granulated coconut nectar)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)

 Squeezing out the milk

Blend the 3 cups of water and almonds until smooth. Over a large bowl, pour blended contents into a nut bag and tie the top. Strain the mixture and squeeze the milk through the bag, by using both hands, until all the milk has drained. Save the remaining pulp to use in a cooky or another recipe. (It will freeze well). Return the milk to the blender and add your sweetener, salt, vanilla or other desired flavorings and blend for about 15 seconds. Pour into a glass container and refrigerate; raw almond milk will keep for four days.

Options: I made chocolate almond milk by adding 3 Tbs. of raw cocoa powder, but it required a bit more sweetener. Try adding nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, or allspice.

Save the remaining almond pulp for macaroons!

What's so superior about almond milk?

Cow's milk is for calves, not humans! It does seem that a lot of people have problems digesting it. Perhaps that's because of pasteurization though. There are some raw milk studies and books written that claim some amazing things, so I'd leave it up to you to investigate. Then there are articles and books about the dangers of milk too. Kind of  two sides to everything I am finding. But . . .

Almond milk is a delicious, creamy dairy substitute and easy on the digestive system. It has a comparable amount of calcium to cow's milk, is high in protein, and it leaves an alkaline ash in the body (as opposed to the acid ash of cow's milk which actually causes weak bones), and it does not cause the lactose intolerance and allergic responses of cow's milk. (read Mad Over Milk). It contains vitamin E, potassium, copper, and magnesium. An 8 oz glass is approximately only 70 calories, lower than dairy milk, containing no saturated fats. You won't find  residual steroids or hormones as you might in store-bought milk. And I think it tastes just as good and better than soy or coconut or rice milks. Besides, I'm enjoying knowing that when I make it myself, I'm getting the healthiest choice available!

Uh-oh! A Double Batch was almost too much. 

One-and-a-half recipe was perfect.

Enjoy your homemade almond milk! I'll probably experiment with different nuts, and as you know, nuts are high priced these days. Buy them in bulk and look for the bargains.

Raw Birthday Pies and No-Bake Munchies

Healthier, Chocolate-topped No-bake Munchies

When you want to eat healthy—no white sugar with a heaping helping of enzymes in your food, what do you make for birthdays? What do you make for special occasion treats or for when company comes?

We had a tradition of making Birthday Pies for many years, after the standard box-mix cake and sugary icing got too boring. Most often it was an ice cream pie with fruit and a cookie crust with homemade whipped cream for the topping and some chocolate candy decorations on top.


So, what raw pies did I make for Jeremie's birthday this year? Blueberry Cheesecake and Apple Pie . . . delicious! We did not miss the sugary cakes or pies from year's past.

This Non-dairy Blueberry Cheesecake recipe is one I mentioned in a previous post and made in our raw foods prep class. This time I made my own. We ate half over the course of a week, and I cut the other half into small wedges that I froze, for a nice little treat when we want it! 

 First, I made the nut crusts.

Soaked cashews, blueberries and other ingredients are ready to blend. 

Be careful—it's thick!

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake—a rich birthday treat!

Here's a raw version of Mom's Famous Apple Pie that really delights the taste buds. This Raw Apple Pie recipe is similar to mine, though I left chunky sliced apples to mix into the main apple mixture base. Yum.

Raw Apple Pie

For many years I used to make a No-Bake Munchie recipe that had a base of butter, honey and peanut butter that was heated on the stove, then you added in oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, cereal, and carob or chocolate powder or whatever you wanted. Well, now I don't eat butter, or peanut butter but I do miss those munchies. So I made a new-fangled, little healthier version today that I can eat . . .

No-Bake Chocolate-Topped Munchies!

Mixing the Munchie batter

For the basic recipe I added the following to 3 cups of oats and mixed all together:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup 
• 4 tsp raw cacao powder (or carob)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil 
• 2-3 Tbs coconut butter 
• 1 cup almond butter

 Then I added in: a few tablespoons of chia seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, raisins, and sesame seeds. You have the option to use what you desire or have on hand: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. If it's not wanting to stick together, add a bit more sweetener or coconut oil till it does.

Smooth mixture into a glass dish that has been coated with a little olive oil. Chill, cut, and eat plain or top with chocolate like I did.

Melting 86% dark cacoa chocolate on the stove-top

Pour over the top and refrigerate

Cut and enjoy!

"To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." -William London