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.

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.



  

Breakfast workshop! A wonderful day of raw

What a fulfilling experience to share with enthusiastic people the benefits or a raw lifestyle. Yesterday, I conducted my 5th raw food workshop and had an awesome time. We made nut milks, porridge's, puddings, parfaits, crepes, pancakes and lots more. I really believe raw living is better for not only our wellness, spiritually, emotionally and physically, but it also is better for our majestic mother earth and all that live within it. Raw living connects us back to what is pure and simple and I am thrilled to be able to share my passion and belief with interested people who I think will make a difference. Thank you to those that attended and I hope that I have made a small difference in your lives for the better.

Here is some examples of what we made:

Raw cacao pops

Raw fruit and nut crumble (dehydrated)

Raw fruit and nut crumble (Fresh)

Almond milk

Rolled oat porridge

Oat and macadamia porridge

Raw chia porridge

Buckwheaties mix

Raw pancakes

With pudding

Crepes with cream filling

Apple crumble

Parfaits

Fresh young coconut milk

And a few more things.......

For the first time I am very excited to share my workshop handouts with everyone. I have made them available for just $5AUD. This handout is a comprehensive step by step photo guide to making all of my favourite breakfast recipes. Each recipe has a thorough explanation to making each and also has a lot of alternative ideas if using substituted ingredients. In total there is 19 simple and delicious recipes across 13 pages!

Recipes include:

Nut or Seed Milk
Nut Milk smoothie
Raw Rolled oat porridge
Raw Banana and Macadamia Rolled oats
Raw Chia porridge blended
Raw Chia porridge seeded
Fruit and nut crumble breakfast
Fruit and Nut crumble dry cereal
Buckwheaties
Buckwheaties Mix
Raw Cacao Pops
Young coconut drink (how to open a young coconut)
Raw breakfast pudding - Chocolate mousse
Raw breakfast pudding - Macadamia and coconut cream
Raw fruit and pudding parfaits
Raw breakfast pancakes
Raw banana and nut dehydrated pancakes
Raw fruit crepes
Raw coconut crepes

My workshop handout is available to purchase as a pdf for $5AUD.

You can order through Paypal and I will email it to you.

Some raw yummies from today

I have been busy making final adjustments and testing recipes in preparation for this weekends raw food 'breakfast' workshop. Here is a small 'teaser' of what is to come..

Raw Cream filled crepes

Raw apple and crunchy nut crumble

And here is something Michael made today and thought it was worthy of a photo...so here it is:

Cashews with raw chocolate sauce

Recipe: Cashews with raw chocolate sauce

Mix until combined equal parts of melted coconut oil, cacao powder and honey. Adjust quantities to suit personal preference.

Pour over cashews and enjoy. Chocolate sauce can be set hard in the fridge for a different effect.

Raw chocolate and coconut cream fruit and berry parfaits

Sneek peek at what will be served up at the next raw food demo in a fortnight! Yummy! Cant wait to share!

Another day of deliciously raw

Breakfast: Banana and Brazil nut pancakes
I will share the recipe for these scrumptious raw treats at my next workshop - I love researching new recipes for my workshops!

Raw pancakes - Banana and Brazil nut

Lunch: coconut wrappers with mushroom and cabbage in a hoisin sauce (inspired by Ani Phyo)

Raw coconut wrappers with cabbage and mushrooms in a hoisin sauce

Recipe:
Coconut wrappers:
Blend till smooth the flesh of as many young green coconuts as you have - I used about 5 to make 16 wrappers. Spread onto teflex sheets and dehydrate over night.
Cabbage and mushroom in hoisin sauce:
Shred 1/4 of one cabbage, a small bunch of chopped spring onions and a cup of mushrooms thinly sliced. Place in a bowl. Add 3 crushed garlic and a Tbls of crushed ginger with a dash of sesame oil. Toss.
Make up a hoisin sauce by blending till smooth: 2 Tbls of raw almond butter, 2 Tbls of sesame oil, 1 Tbls agave, 4 Tbls nama shoyu, garlic clove, dash of chili, cracked pepper to taste.  
Add this sauce to the cabbage and mushrooms and let sit for about 1/2 an hour until cabbage has softened.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Assemble:
Scoop cabbage mixture into the centre of a coconut wrapper, roll and eat.

Dinner: Super food fruit salad

Raw super food fruit salad

This was a very simple, yet satisfying dish that I made up as I created.

Recipe:
Super food Fruit Salad: Chop and add to a bowl a mix of what ever fruits you have in season on hand. I used banana, pears, apples, oranges and a few strawberries. To this I just started adding everything: a sprinkle of chia seeds, some activated and dehydrated buckwheaties, shredded coconut, activated and dehydrated almonds, goji berries, currants.... and then finally added the juice of 1 orange. A super charged fruit salad!

Dessert: Chocolate on chocolate slice

Recipe: Chocolate on Chocolate slice
This was another creation that just formed. It went something like this:
Base: A mix of activated almonds, macadamias, cacao powder and a couple of dates blended until mixture holds form. Press into a spring sided cake tin.
Topping: Process until smooth a mix of cacao powder, honey, coconut oil and the pulp of a young coconut. Pour over base and set in fridge for an hour.

I topped ours with blueberries and served with slices of banana - yummy!