My typical day of eating Raw

As I was sitting down to my meal today, I thought it would be great to just do a simple post on what a typical day of raw eating consists of, for me. When I first started on the raw journey a year ago, I was overwhelmed with the whole idea of how to satisfy the family by just eating raw for a day...it seemed like a real challenge, but over the course of a year or more, I have simplified my raw eating quite a lot. In the beginning I spent many hours searching books and Internet sites for great raw recipe ideas to imitate cooked versions filled with loads of nuts and spent many hours in the kitchen preparing. Today things are a lot simpler and I don't spend much time thinking about the next meal.
Here is what a typical day of eating raw with no fuss is for me.

Breakfast: I usually love to eat a big bowl of chia pudding, filled with nuts, fruit and almond milk. I keep it interesting by changing the fruit to coincide with the seasons and sometimes blend the pudding and add a banana to make a creamy consistency or chia milkshake. I have even lately used blended berries instead of almond milk. I love to start the day with a big breakfast to keep me satisfied until midday or later. I feel better eating a large high nut and seed meal at the beginning of the day so that I have the rest of the day to 'work it off'
Occasionally (generally around the new moon) I wont feel like eating a large breakfast as my appetite is slower, so start the day with a fresh juice or fresh fruit.

Chia breakfast with 'the lot'

Chia banana milkshake

Blended Chia pudding with raspberries

Lunch: I tend to feel like eating lunch around 1 or 2 pm. This meal is generally a large selection of salads. I love to create a smorgasbord of salads with a 'choose your own' salad dressing. Like today, I filled bowls with grated carrot, grated beetroot, homemade sauerkraut, home preserved olives in oil and herbs, a bowl of fresh sprouts with avocado, a salad of diced tomato, fresh basil and garden greens, hemp seeds and then drizzled in lemon juice, cucumber slices in a balsamic vinegar, broccoli bits in a raw sweet and sour dressing. I then left a couple of left over dressings on the table. All these dishes take a minute to create and makes for a real 'family friendly' raw meal time. 
I love salads and there is no limit to what fresh raw ingredients you can use in season and every dish can be made unique by changing the dressings. 

A selection of raw colour

An array of seasonal salad options for all the family

Dinner:  At the end of a day, as we wind our bodies down and prepare for a night of sleeping, the last thing we should be doing is stuffing our bodies with a big meal, so I like to eat a fruit platter for dinner. If I'm extra hungry, I will toss in some seeds or nuts or like tonight, a large scoop of fresh young coconut cream (made by blending flesh of young coconut and a date). Sometimes I will enjoy my fruit as a delicious almond milk smoothie as an alternative. As the kids are growing and use up lots more energy, I will lightly steam some vegetables with quinoa, or a boiled egg for them at night if they request it. 

Delicious mango and strawberry fruit salad

Fresh fruit options for dinner with an added dollop of 'young coconut cream'

Dessert: As an occasional special treat, I love to make a raw dessert - usually something sweet and chocolaty. This will be indulged any time of the day and doesn't last long!

decadent raw caramel slice for a luxurious dessert

Sweet raw balls of chocolate for a sweet treat.

Decadent raw cake for desserts

 Snacks: Snack are always just fresh fruit - I have a constantly full fruit bowl brimming with organic fresh fruit for all day access. I love fruit and find it so easy to snack on.

This is my typical day that I feel is easily achieved. When I am in the mood or have the time, I do like to create a raw masterpiece, or trial a new recipe, but generally this is what I like to maintain daily. By consuming a good portion of fruit, vegetables, greens, seeds and nuts everyday, I feel balanced in mind and body.

My new favourite raw 'fresh and spicy thai' dressing sauce

I had one one of those great moments in the kitchen yesterday when I was making up a simple raw meal last minute, and decided to just invent a salad dressing to compliment the sprouts on the spot.....and it worked! I loved it so much I was licking out the bowl. So here it is: 

In a blender (I used my little personal blender) process the following: (measurements are estimates only)

1/4 cup of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of raw honey
1 garlic clove
1 dried chili
juice of half a lime
and a fresh kefir lime leaf.
(Optional to add a couple of fresh basil leaves, or just add a handful to your salad) I love the taste of fresh basil leaves in a salad or 'raw fry'

I was delighted with this simple dressing and found it complemented my fresh sprout and avocado salad, as well as my kelp noodle raw fry.






kelp noodles, broccoli and basil 'raw fry' with my new 'fresh and spicy thai' dressing.
I served this with a sprinkle of crushed almonds.



My fresh and spicy thai dressing also goes well over a bowl of
fresh sprouts, basil leaves and avocado cubes.

Served with marinated mushrooms

(simply mushrooms soaked in olive oil, nama shoyu and apple cider vinegar..

about a tablespoon of each)

Homemade sauerkraut (fermented cabbage and beetroot version)

Raw tabbouleh (chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion

tossed in olive oil and lemon juice and a handful of hemp seeds)

And of course my beautiful home cured olives

I believe the best meals are always the simplest and serving up a smorgasbord of super simple dishes such as these is sometimes better than a single complicated dish.   

'Delicious Raw Dinners' Workshop.

On Saturday 26th November, I conducted another raw food workshop as a follow up to the successful breakfast workshop from the month before. The day was a great success and the creations made were simple, delicious, and totally amazed a few of the attendees who were new to raw. 

I chose a collection of my favourite raw dinners that I often create which are quick, tasty and can be easily varied to accommodate for the availability of ingredients during the changing of seasons.

The meals included:

Sweet and Sour Vegetable 'stirfry'

Fresh spring rolls

Pasta Pesto with a cheese sauce

 

Spaghetti bolognaise with 'meat balls'

Spicy Phad Thai noodles with a spicy almond sauce

If you would like a copy of the handout from the workshop which has been written in an easy to read, step by step, photographed instructions, format and include all of the above recipes, then it can be purchased for just $5 via paypal which will be emailed to you in pdf form. This will be available within the comming days.

Some more raw creations from this week....

I have been rather busy over the last week in the kitchen, finalising some last minute dishes as I prepare for my Raw 'Delicious Dinners' Workshop happening this weekend. I am very excited to see a full house of expected attendees, some of which have attended previous workshops, but the majority will be new to raw. Its going to be so exciting to share the amazing world of raw to interested people who have never tried it before. I cant wait!

So here is a some delicious raw dishes that has been created in our kitchen this week.

Fresh green 'tacos' with the lot!

This is a great, simple dish that the whole family can help make and will enjoy. I have even had other children visit our house and we make this meal together and everyone always digs in! Even kids who don't normally eat anything green, let alone all raw will devour this!

Start by making the 'mok mince'
Process a couple of handfuls of walnuts or pecans until crumbled with a dash of nama shoyu and cumin powder and any other spices you may wish to add.



Starzi adding her special blend of herbs and spices to the 'mok mince'

Next make the tomato salsa:
Chop up a couple of tomatoes with some finely chopped red onion, add some olive oil, crushed garlic clove, cumin and coriander powder and a dash of lemon juice. Finish with a pinch of salt.

Optional extras are:
Chopped mushrooms in a marinade of olive oil and nama shoyu
mashed avocado with lemon juice, salt and herbs
sunflower seed cheese spread made by blending until smooth 1/2 cup of activated sunflower seeds with a pinch of salt, dash of lemon juice and a Tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

And now the fun bit! Ask you kids to go to the garden and gather bundles of fresh large green leaves to use as tacos.

Assemble: Lay out your leaf, place a dollop of each ingredient into the centre and roll. Enjoy.

We served today's meal with orange wedges and celery sticks just because we had some.



Both kids proud of their inclusion in today's meal.


And here is what we did with the left overs in the next days meal......

Raw Tomato, basil and cheese tarts:

Raw tomato, basil and 'cheese' tarts

Using left over 'Mok mince' from the above meal, press into a small pie tart tin to create a mould, then remove from tin.

Top with left over marinated mushrooms from above meal, chopped fresh tomato, red onion strips, fresh basil leaves, baby spinach leaves and a dollop of left over sunflower 'cheese' from above meal.

This was super fast to create as it was basically made from leftovers.... two very different dishes with very similar ingredients!


And here is another variation from the above meal I created today using similar ingredients.

Tomato, mushroom, spinach, avocado, olive and basil towers (to make 4 towers)

This is just as the name suggests - a tower of raw food to create these delicious, gourmet looking creations. 

I was inspired to make towers after stumbling across a brand new 'stack em kit' for only $5 at the op shop last week. What a bargain..this kit contained 6 stainless steel cylinders with a 'pusher' so towers like this can be achieved without any fuss. I was really impressed with the results.

So I started by making a nut base by processing about a cup each of activated walnuts and almonds a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a sprinkle of  'seasoned salt' . I also added a tablespoon of melted coconut oil to ensure the nuts mix would hold shape when pressed. I pressed this nut mix into the base of each cylinder with the 'pusher' to create a sturdy base. (I think my bases were too thick so make them half the thickness as mine in the picture)

Next I began to invent layers with what I had available. 

First layer was fresh basil leaves placed flat onto the nut base.
Next layer was a slice of fresh tomato
Next layer was chopped mushrooms that had been marinated in olive oil and nama shoyu (or tamari)
Next layer was another slice of fresh tomato
Next layer was fresh garden silverbeet that had been shredded and massaged with olive oil, nutritional yeast and salt until wilted.
Next layer was another slice of fresh tomato
Next I added a few pieces of cubed avocado and sliced raw olives.
I then crumbled left over nut base on the top, but if I had any left over 'sunflower seed cheese' I would have used that instead. 
Garnish with a basil leaf. 

I think this dish can be enjoyed just as much without the nut base for a light summer lunch (just use a slice of tomato for a base) and some raw pesto would work great in amongst the layers also. The options to expand on this dish is endless! If you don't have one of the fancy 'stack em kits' then just try your best to create a stack anyway - I have done without one in the past with great results. 

The freshness of Raw in Spring time.

Hello everyone...I am back and happy to be here. Its been a while since I have posted anything new, as I fumbled, lost through the last month, finding a little more of myself and my 'middle ground' in a raw lifestyle.

Finding that 'middle ground' has been a struggle, as I personally find it quite difficult to allow just 'a little bit' sometimes, as that 'little bit' easily becomes a lot more and lines become very hazy. Not only that, eating just one baked muffin...ok, it wasn't actually just one, I ate 3 in the afternoon, just turns my stomach, literally. I have discovered that eating only truly raw in its whole form, my appetite is content and I feel completely fresh inside with not a need to 'over do it' and want more. My energies are high and I am feeling good. Its only when I enjoy the tastes of processed, baked or cooked foods, my taste buds are in charge and I find myself wanting more, in some cases, even when my stomach is literally about to burst with fullness until it cramps! My energy also plummets, I just want to curl up on the lounge and become a couch potato and I feel crap. 

Anyway, these are all good lessons and just as much as I love raw food and the benefits it provides for my mind and body and my wish to eat it all the time, I have accepted that this will not always be the case as our lives transition from what they are now, to what we are aiming to achieve, maybe only then a 100% raw lifestyle may be achievable. For now it is a very high raw diet as I take it day by day, hoping to end each day on just wholesome pure raw food. 

So today like the last few have been all raw and today like the other days, we have enjoyed simple raw meals to coinside with the glorious season we are in now - Spring, coming into summer and with it, the flow of sweet juicy fruits! 

I absolutely love fruit, tropical fruits and berries particularly. I can eat fruit all day and be totally content. As long as the fruits keep rolling in, my interest in other cooked, baked or processed foods will be all but gone.

Here is our simple Spring lunch today...

Our simple staple salad made by Starzi:

Just throw together some greens, avocado, olives and tomatoes and top with a dressing made from olive oil, crushed garlic, pinch salt and juice of lemon (we used apple cider vinegar today as we were out of lemons) and then for something different and because our garden is thriving with them, a sprig of chopped dill.

  
This salad was served with Moroccan Carrots

Spiral a couple of carrots, toss in olive oil, juice of half an orange, dash of lemon juice, pinch of salt, sprinkle of cumin powder and cinnamon and some cracked pepper with a topping of fresh chopped parsley.

This was followed by the sweet fresh juice of a thai young coconut

And then to top it off...my favourite food in the world! Mangoes! Simply a bowl of diced mangoes with a few left over strawberries for colour. So easy, simple and totally delicious.

Easy raw chocolate fudge cake and raw pesto 'toss up'

My most favourite liquid to drink is that of the pure sweet water of a young coconut. The kids will fight me for a sip once I crack open the shell of one and pour out this glorious nectar. We will indulge in this beneficial drink regularly so I will often have a surplus of young coconut flesh stored. Today I noticed the supply was getting quite high so decided to make a delicious dessert for the family. 

I have made many variations of this cake, but as always, each time I do, the results are usually different

Easy Raw Chocolate fudge cake
Recipe: 
Make a base using about a 1 cup of a combination of nuts (I like to use almonds and macadamias) blend with a couple of dates, dash of coconut oil and cacao powder.
Press into the base of a spring sided cake tin. 
Filling:
Blend until creamy the flesh of as many young coconuts as you have on hand,
with about 1/4 cup of cacao powder
and 1/4 cup of honey
Adjust quantites until desired sweetness is obtained
Spread over base
Top layer:
whisk until combined equal parts melted coconut oil, honey and cacao powder and pour over top of cake.
Let cake cool in freezer until top layer has hardened.

Easy Raw Chocolate fudge cake

And as for tonight's quick meal,
Raw Pesto 'Toss up'
Recipe:
I started by cutting up a mixture of veggies into thin strips and making veggie spirals and added them to a bowl. I used carrot spirals, strips of silverbeet, asparagus, mushroom, sundried tomato and olives.
To this I added kelp noodles.
I then tossed through some left over raw pesto I had made for a previous meal and topped with raw cream cheese from yesterdays celery sticks.
It was made in minutes and tasted fabulous.



Raw pesto 'toss up'

 I made my raw pesto simply by blending a combination of:
1 cup of Activated Pepitas - (I have also used activated almonds or soaked walnuts)
with a big bunch or more of fresh parsley from the garden (basil can also be used)
a good pour of olive oil
1 or more garlic cloves
juice of a lemon
pinch of salt
Nutritional yeast can also be included for a cheesy flavour

This raw pesto will stay fresh in my fridge for a week or more. My kids will eat it by the spoonful making it a fabulous way to get them to enjoy a good dose of green herbs and get a substantial intake of zinc and magnesium if using pepitas.

Raw pilaf and raw vegie stir 'unfry' on todays menu

I had a bowl of wheat grains that had been soaking for a day in preparation for planting in wheat grass trays, but as I looked at the swollen soft berries and tasted one, I thought I would sprout them longer and attempt to eat them instead, so here is my impromptu raw sprouted wheat and mushroom dish that turned out quite tasty.

Raw sprouted Wheat and mushroom pilaf
Recipe:
Start by soaking a preferred grain (I used wheat berries, but any grain should work) for 24 hours and then rinse and sprout for another 2 days until the first sight of sprouts emerge by keeping moist and rinsing twice a day. I kept mine in a colander by the sink.  
Once the grain is soft, plump and nice enough to eat, place in a bowl with sliced mushrooms. Make up the sauce.
Sauce:  
1 teaspoon of Miso or 1/8 cup of Namo shoyu
3 pieces of sundried tomato
garlic clove
pinch of salt
dash of cumin
sprinkle of cracked pepper
fresh oregano
pinch of chili powder
and enough olive oil / water to make a sauce consistency
Blend until smooth and pour through mushroom and sprouted grain.
Garnish with fresh herbs. Let sit for half an hour to allow ingredients to soak in the sauce.

Raw sprouted wheat and mushroom pilaf

I served the pilaf with:

Raw vegetable curry stir 'unfry'
Recipe:
In a bowl add a mixture of chopped vegetables (I used carrot, asparagus, peas, sliced bok choy, broccoli and cauliflower )
Toss through a good splash of olive oil and salt.
Add a sprinkle of curry powder,
juice of half a lemon
crushed garlic clove
crushed ginger
1 Tablespoon of tamarind pulp
(Optional tablespoon of nama shoyu or miso)
and massage through.
Let sit in a warm place, preferably in the sun under a glass lid for half an hour to soften and warm.
Garnish with coriander.

Raw vegetable curry stir 'unfry'

Enjoyed by all.....

Raw 'meaty rissoles' with garden salad and raw blueberry tart for dessert

Here was today's lunch - just as the title suggests "Raw 'meaty rissoles' with garden salad followed by a Raw Blueberry tart for dessert" - so simple, so delicious and so good for you!

I use to make variations of these little raw patties all the time. Its one of those things that I made often, then forgot about for awhile and then when I rediscover them, remember just how simple, versatile and tasty they are.

When I made them in the past, I would always dehydrate them overnight or longer to give them a cooked firmer texture, but as I am on my 'new moon challenge' which I have chosen to eliminate dehydrated foods, I just served them up fresh. And to my surprise and pleasure, both my kids scoffed them down exclaiming how delicious they were!
'They taste just like meat, Mum!' said Starzi helping herself to another.
'I love the food you make us Mum' said Rhody as he stuffs an entire patty into his mouth at once!
After eating all three from her own plate, Starzi then moved onto mine, eating my last one! I don't quite remember my kids enjoying them as much as that last time I made them, but I'm definitely not complaining!  

Recipe: Raw 'meaty rissoles'
Use equal parts left over carrot pulp from juicing and a combination of soaked or activated nuts and blend together to form a base 'meat' (I used activated pecans and almonds) Try to leave texture so dont over blend or you will end up with a pate.
To this 'meat' add what ever you wish to add flavour and then mould into patties. 
Today's patties were flavoured with cut fresh herbs from the garden - chives, oregano, basil and parsley.
I added a sprinkle of seasoned salt, a spoonful of homemade raw pesto and a teaspoon of homemade raw tomato paste.
In the past I have used nutritional yeast for a cheese flavour and dulse flakes for a fishy flavour. 
I season the moulded patties with a sprinkle of paprika, cumin and some cayenne pepper on the adults.

I served them with a dipping sauce from left over tomato dressing and left over tomato paste combined with water to thin.

Raw 'meaty rissoles'

As for a side salad, Starzi and I foraged through the garden to gather fresh greens and collected a bowl full. 

Freshly gathered greens from the garden

After chopping up the leaves we simply added some avocado, mushrooms and raw sprouted quinoa, then dressed with a scoop of my home made raw parsley pesto and sprinkled with activated pepitas and sunflower seeds

Fresh garden salad with raw sprouted quinoa

A quick delicious raw lunch served

Lunch was served and enjoyed outside, under the warm spring sunshine, with all the family.  

Then is was time to whip up a quick dessert, so, using the same principle as the blueberry cream from the other day , I transformed it into a tart.

Raw blueberry tart

   
Recipe: Raw Blueberry tart
Base: Combine about 2 cups of nuts (I used a mixture of macadamia, almonds and pecans) with dates (I used about 5) until mixture holds its shape. press into a cake tin.
Filling: Combine young coconut pulp with frozen blueberries in a high speed blender until smooth. You can add agave, but I didn't as I am eliminating processed sweeteners as a part of my new moon challenge for a month. Instead after the mixture was spread over the base, I drizzled some raw honey on top with a sprinkle of frozen blueberries.

Let the tart set in the freezer before serving. The honey freezes, forming an interesting toffee like addition to the top.

Yummy salad and dessert for the kids while I fast

Even though I have been fasting for the last 4 days, the kids have still been eating. Its during my fasting time that I will put a lot less effort into the kids meals, but I did find inspiration to whip up these 2 great dishes. Though I didn't get to taste them, they were enjoyed by the kids.

Raw Cheesey kale and mushroom salad

Raw cheesey Kale and mushroom salad

Recipe: Raw Cheesey kale and mushroom salad
I started by shredding a couple of kale leaves from the garden and adding a pinch of salt before massaging with the hands to begin the wilting process.
I then added chopped baby spinach, 
a spiraled carrot
an avocado cubed
Strips of sundried tomato that had been soaked for 20 mins
A handful of mushroom strips that had been coated in olive oil and nama shoyu for 5 mins. 
A clove of fresh crushed garlic
extra olive oil
dash of lemon juice
and a good sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
Toss everything.
I then covered the bowl with a glass lid and left to warm and wilt in the sun for half an hour before serving.

Though the kids did take 2 days to get through it all, they did seem to enjoy it.

And this was a quick last minute dessert I created tonight, based on the current extra supply of young coconut flesh on hand, due to my increase in coconut water on my fast.

Raw Blueberry coconut cream

Raw blueberry coconut cream dessert

Recipe: Raw blueberry coconut cream
Simply blend until smooth young coconut flesh and frozen blueberries.
Serve in a bowl and sprinkle with more blueberries, optional honey for a sweeter taste and shreds of coconut flesh.

Devouring the raw blueberry dessert

This dessert didn't take two days to eat, instead was devoured in 2 minutes!

Happy Birthday to my little boy!

Today was a celebration of my sons 3rd birthday.

We woke with the traditional letter reading, which is a tradition I have kept yearly with both my children. On the eve of their birthdays, I will sit and write a letter to them reminiscing, celebrating and expressing my love, thoughts and experiences about them over the past year that we have shared. I then read this letter to the family on the morning of their birthday's. This letter becomes a keepsake in their individual yearly photo albums and will be a forever recollection of memories to forever share. Both my kids love to hear their birthday letters and I hope they become a special part of their journeys through life as we cherish and remember these special early years. 

After our personal letter reading, I whipped up some of my favourite, super fast, flax meal raw breakfast pancakes with an added touch of chocolate for a special day. 

Raw 'instant' flaxmeal pancakes with a hint of chocolate
for a special birthday breakfast

Recipe: Raw flaxmeal pancakes with a touch of chocolate
To 1 cup of freshly ground golden linseed
add 1 large dollop of honey
a tablespoon of cacao powder
and a tablespoon of melted coconut oil.
Stir and add more water until mixture holds, but not too much water as it becomes too sticky.
Mould into pancakes and serve with a drizzle of agave and sliced banana

After breakfast we opened a couple of gifts from the families which always delights everybody. Its so precious to see their amazed and excited little faces light up when they open their gift.

After all the gifts were opened and played with, it was time for the final present, a horse trek through the bush.

A birthday horse ride

And what is a birthday with out a cake? Not a birthday at all, so I whipped up quickly this carrot and coconut cake. I had to make it with my juicer with the flat plate as my magimix food processor spindle got worn flat after I last tried to make a date and cacao fudge!. It still worked out, just a bit slower and messier.  I use to make these cakes all the time at the beginning of the year. It quickly became my husbands favourite cake, but somehow, it got lost amongst the latest sweet rich chocolate cakes of recent, but has made a comeback today.

Recipe: Raw carrot and coconut cake with walnuts
If your food processor is working, simple blend together
about 2 chopped carrots,
a cup of shredded dried coconut,
2 tablespoons of coconut oil,
5 or so dates
a handful of sultanas
and a dash of cinnamon, followed by tiny pinches of nutmeg and powdered ginger.
Add more dates, coconut oil or honey (depending on desired sweetness) if the mixture will not combine and hold its form when pressed together. Add a handful of optional chopped 'activated' walnuts and press mixture into a spring sided cake pan.
Refrigerate to set while preparing icing.

Recipe for frosting for carrot cake
As we have been recently indulging in quite a few young coconuts to drink, I had a good supply of young coconut flesh, so I used about 4 to make the base of the icing.
To the flesh of these four young coconuts, I added a couple of handfuls of macadamias and blended until smooth and whipped. I then added a dash of vanilla, a squeeze of lemon juice and a tiny drizzle of agave. Change the quantities of these ingredients to suit desired taste. I prefer a mild flavoured topping as the cake can be quite sweet.

Spread this whipped raw cream over the cake and decorate with coconut shreds, lemon rind and almonds.

Happy 3rd Birthday Rhody!

Cake was followed by a simple dinner of a 'rawfry' using the warmth of the sun to 'cook' the vegetables rather than the heat of a frypan.
This is a simple method which works with any vegetable.

Recipe: Vegetable 'rawfry'  

Fill a bowl with thin strips of any vegetable you have on hand. We were delighted to be given access to beautiful organic asparagus and bok choy this week in our local organic coop, so I used them in my rawfry with carrot strips, mushrooms and small pieces of broccoli.

In the blender make the marinate with what ever spices and ingredients you like. You can keep it simple and just marinate the vegetables in oil and salt, or make up something spicy as I did today. I simply blended 1/2 cup of olive oil with a clove of garlic, a dash a nama shoyu, juice of half a lemon, 2 dried chili's, dash of apple cider vinegar, and a drizzle of agave. Adjust ingredients quantities to your desired flavour. Pour your marinade over the vegetables and toss. I also added my favourite raw noodle - kelp noodles, and then simply placed in my sun oven to 'cook' for half an hour.

My raw sun oven - a bowl with a glass lid
placed under the warmth of the natural suns radiance.

 The results are delicious and amazing.

And finally for a quick last minute birthday desert, I made chocolate mousse from the left over cake icing and served it on banana boats.

Raw chocolate mousse banana boats - a birthday favourite

Recipe: Chocolate mousse
Using left over coconut and macadamia cream icing from the carrot cake, simply add a couple of tablespoons of cacao powder and some agave until desired sweetness and chocolaty balance is achieved. Yum!

I managed to save just enough left overs for Dad's lunch
before the kids got to it  all!

Happy Birthday beautiful boy...we love you.