Raw Mom Summit Begins TODAY!
I just could not let today go by without posting about the Raw Mom Summit that begins TODAY!! If you have ever been interested in learning more about raw foods or you are eating raw right now…OR you just want to educate yourself on some great topics…sign up for this free telecast. There are SO many fabulous speakers…people I respect and admire for their dedication to health and education. Plus, for me…the best way to get motivated to make changes is to listen to others talk about their experiences. I know I will come away from it feeling excited and refreshed.
There will be 3 calls a day for the next 9 days…you can listen in real time or you also have the chance to get the recorded calls. There will be more topics covered than just food…parenting, sustainability, etc.
Check it out!
- What to do about Fertility, Ovulation and Conscious Conception?
- How to prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy, Labor and Childbirth?
- What is Attachment Parenting?
- Which natural remedies to use when your children are sick?
- How to feed a meat-eating partner if you are vegetarian or vegan?
- What should you feed yourself when you’re overwhelmed with cravings?
- How to get kids excited and involved in their own food-prep?
- What to do when our kids rebel against our healthy diet?
- What is going on with the Bees and why is it so important?
- How to shrink our Carbon Footprint?
- What is Sustainability and Permaculture?
- What Super Foods are BEST for kids?
- Exactly what IS the healthiest diet?
- What are the best ways to Raise Children Naturally?
- What are the lesser-known common pit-falls of a Raw Food Diet?
- Which foods help or hinder our Hormones?
- What are the issues around Veganism, B-12 and Protein?
- What do Raw children eat?
- How to get picky eaters to crave their veggies?
- Which foods help kids transition and stick to a healthier diet?
- What are the other Top Lifestyle Factors besides diet for longevity?
Click here to join me for this free set of seminars. I’m so excited!! 🙂 Woooooo!
Healthy Changes
I’m back! Lucy has arrived, and I’m ready to start eating a high raw diet again! It was so challenging while I was pregnant…because greens were really NOT appealing to me at all until the 3rd trimester. But now…I’ve been loving drinking my entire quart of green smoothie in the morning…woo!! It feels great to be eating less breads/carbs.
I’m not concerned with being super strict right now. In fact, being too strict is my downfall with the raw diet. I am just aiming to eat as much raw as I can all day. What does that look like? I start out with 1 quart of green smoothie. For lunch, I’ll make a huge salad with nuts, hemp seeds, avocado, etc. I snack throughout the day on watermelon, apples, berries, nuts, etc. I’m hoping to get a dehydrator so I can start making flax crackers, raw pizza, and raw burgers again. Yay! For supper, we will usually have a low-fat vegan meal. Right now, our favorite is roasted asparagus, sweet potato and red pepper over herbed quinoa. So yummy! We are not totally vegan because we do eat farm fresh eggs from a local farm. My main goal is to eat as many greens as I can all day…greens = good milk production for nursing (think about the cows!). I should add that Matt is joining me in the raw food goodness as well 🙂 It’s always helpful when your spouse or significant other is on board with your foody adventures.
Eating cleaner helps me to feel so much more “clear” and I have a lot more energy. I cut out dairy in my 3rd trimester, and have continued that now. Dairy is a common allergen, especially in breastfed babies…and it’s just not that great for my body either. I feel good without it! I’m also cutting out as much processed soy as possible. Processed soy includes soy milk, tofu, etc. We’ve switched to homemade almond milk (or prepared almond milk, depending on how I’m feeling!).
This week’s raw meal line up includees: walnut tacos, pad thai, caesar salad, collard wraps, and more! The most common question I get from readers is what my favorite green smoothie is. So, here it is:
- 1 cup of fresh pineapple
- Frozen fruit (I buy the Spectrum blend from Costco)
- 1 peeled orange
- 2 frozen bananas (I freeze with peel and then soak in warm water for a minute to get the peel off)
- Filtered water to blend
- Organic baby spinach (Costco has the best deal by far!)
So there it is…the totally random update on eating and life. Be sure to check out the next post about the Raw Mom Summit. I’m super excited to listen to those calls! Have a healthy day…
Food Matters
I can’t wait to see this awesome documentary! Click here to read further.
Apple Pie Crumb Cake Muffins
We’re on a muffin kick. Probably because it just SNOWED (ok, sleeted…but it’s supposed to snow) and we needed something warm to have with our hot tea in the middle of May in Montana. This recipe is another goody from Isa Chandra Moskowitz of the Post Punk Kitchen. You can find it in Vegan with a Vengeance. Yummy. Just be careful…you’ll want to eat them all at once!
Apple Pie Crumb Cake Muffins
For Muffins:
1 1/2 cups flour (we used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 cup plus 2 T raw (turbinado) sugar (we forgot the extra and they still tasted great!)
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground allspice
1/8 t ground cloves
1/4 t salt
3/4 cup apple cider (we didn’t have any and used applesauce instead…which made them a bit milder)
1/3 cup canola or olive oil
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup grated apple
1/2 cup chopped apple (1/4 inch pieces)
For topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground allspice
Pinch of salt
3 T canola or olive oil
Prepare the topping by mixing all the dry topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle the oil while mixing with your fingertips until crumbs form. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 12 – muffin tin.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry muffin ingredients. Create a well in the center and add the apple cider, oil, and vanilla. Mix, then fold in the grated and chopped apple.
Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Sprinkle the crumb topping over each muffin. Bake for 22 minutes.
Applesauce and Vita-Mix Love
This morning when Bella and I were making those delicious Apple Hemp Muffins…I realized that I had no applesauce. But I did have a bowl of “almost going bad” apples and a Vita-Mix! 🙂 I peeled and cored them all…threw them in the Vita-Mix and within about 20 seconds, I had delicious homemade applesauce (so much more delicious than any grocery store variety). I LOVE this machine!
There are many of you who have ordered a Vita-Mix from this site lately…and I’d love to hear what your favorite recipe/concoction is. If you’ve been waiting to buy one…now is a great time! With summer approaching, it’s only natural to start a green smoothie addiction! 🙂
Click here to order your very own and also to get free ground shipping.
Apple Hemp Muffins
We love muffins around our house…but I’m kind of a one recipe girl 🙂 I LOVE my banana nut muffins and rarely stray away from them…but this morning I didn’t have all the ingredients so I went looking for an alternative. I knew Dreena Burton wouldn’t let me down. This recipe is from her fantastic cookbook, Vive le Vegan. These muffins are very flavorful and hearty…similar to her Stork Muffins. You’ll love these too!
Apple Hemp Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup ground oats (blend quick oats in food processor until flour consistency)
1/2 hemp seed nuts
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground is best!)
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (we made our own in the Vita-Mix)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
3/4 cup soy milk, almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Mix together gently and fold until blended (do not over mix). Bake for 25-30 minutes (I used 21-22 minutes for smaller muffins).
Makes 8 medium-large muffins or 12 small muffins.
High Fructose Corn Syrup = Bad
So…you might have heard that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you. And it is. But do you know why? I hope to clear that up for you today.
Almost Fit has a good series detailing why we shouldn’t eat HFCS.
More reasons from the Washington Post to abstain.
But even more importantly, a new study came out this week with yet ANOTHER reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup…it contains mercury! Mercury is a toxic metal that can exist as a pure element or in a variety of inorganic and organic forms and can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions similar to traits defining or associated with autism (autism.com).
Minneapolis – Mercury was found in nearly 50 percent of tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to a new article published today in the scientific journal, Environmental Health. A separate study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brandname food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient-including products by Quaker, Hershey’s, Kraft and Smucker’s.
HFCS use has skyrocketed in recent decades as the sweetener has replaced sugar in many processed foods. HFCS is found in sweetened beverages, breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS. Consumption by teenagers and other high consumers can be up to 80 percent above average levels.
Read that last line. This is truly disturbing to me. And I know it’s true…I’ve seen how much Mountain Dew my brother drinks. And the stat about an “average” American consuming 12 teaspoons a day? Blech.
Oooh but Sara! I just saw a commercial that said it’s not bad for me! It’s just like honey! Oh my friends…don’t believe those insane commercials paid for by the Corn Refiners of America (aka…the people that profit from HFCS sales)…their claims are downright lies in my opinion. If you haven’t seen it, here you go:
My favorite part is when they say it’s “fine in moderation”…which is a very trendy thing to say these days. However, if you are eating the standard American diet, you are getting much more than “moderation” with your HFCS intake. It’s in EVERYTHING. It’s in your bread. Your vitamins. Your ketchup. Your cereal. Your energy bars. Your “natural” strawberry jelly. (FYI…the word “natural” is not regulated). Your canned goods. And pretty much everything you’re feeding your kids…which is even more disturbing now that they’ve tested it for mercury.
Oh, and my other favorite part of the commericals? When the moms are talking about HFCS being so safe, and then they are giving their kids red juice on top of it. Red #40 is my arch enemy 🙂 Stay away from it mamas! Bella doesn’t have a strong reaction to it like some children do…but just the fact that red dye #40 has been banned for use in children’s products in some countries, yet it has been allowed as “safe” for use here in America is not very comforting. I choose to avoid it whenever possible. Here is a little article about why women should avoid it as well.
Anywhoo…this is the end of my rant. But please, please be aware of what you are putting into your bodies (and into your little one’s bodies). Sometimes, it’s unavoidable…when you’re at a restaurant and you can’t be sure of what is in everything…but you do have a choice when you’re at home. I challenge you to go through your cupboards and your fridge and get rid of everything that has it. Eat clean and your body will thank you for it!
Homemade Pizza Night
Tonight we made supper for our small group and we decided to make homemade pizza. We don’t normally make a lot of pizza…I don’t think I’ve made it for 2 years! But tonight was a special night. Bella and I made the dough in the bread machine during the day, and then assembled the pizzas right before everyone arrived. The crust was soooooo tasty, that I just had to share the recipe. It’s super easy to make pizza dough in a bread machine, just set it to “dough” and you’re good to go. Our machine takes 90 minutes for the dough cycle.
* 2 teaspoons dried granulated yeast
* 3 cups bread flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons water (warm / 80 deg)
After I pulled it out of the machine, I put it in a bowl greased with olive oil and covered it with a wet towel. This kept it moist for a couple of hours until we were ready to make them.
Our toppings were pretty simple…just sauce, mushrooms, and cheese. Well, rice cheese. I’ve gone dairy free again (and feel soooo much better), so I picked up some rice cheese yesterday with the hopes that it would melt a little and remind me of the oooey gooey mucous-forming cow’s cheese that I’ve grown to love. I was pleasantly surprised…it did melt quite well and tasted really good! Yay. Don’t worry, I didn’t subject our small group to the rice cheese. I even added pepperoni to their pizza 🙂 We made some romaine salad with homemade balsamic dressing and it was a perfect meal.
Side notes:
- My favorite homemade pizza topping combination is artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, and feta.
- The best vegan pizza I’ve ever had at a restaurant was in Boulder, CO at Playgrounds Cafe. It consisted of roasted yams, roasted red peppers, tofu, pesto, and tomatoes. Yum!
- My favorite frozen pizza is Amy’s Roasted Vegetable No Cheese Pizza: shitake mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sweet caramelized onions, and marinated artichoke hearts. So, so, so good.
- I sent Matt on a mission to find me a bread machine awhile back, and he brought home a really nice one for $6.00. Thank you thrift store!
Herbal Love
I have been making one quart of red raspberry leaf tea every day to tone my uterus for labor…woooooo hoooo! 🙂 This particular blend is from The Compleat Mother. It took me awhile to figure out the best way to make a large batch of it…but this is working perfectly for me now. I fill a tea bag with the leaves, tape it to a skewer, and let it sit for 2-4 hours. Then I put into the fridge to chill it. I tend to drink a lot more of it if it’s cold…I drink it with all of my meals and in between for refreshment.
So what’s the big deal about RRL tea? Here is why I love it so much…
Red Raspberry Leaf: the best known and quintessential herb for pregnancy. Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, it contains fragrine, an alkaloid, which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvis and uterus. The benefits of this toning action include: prevention of miscarriage and false labor, reduction of pain during and after birth, production of more effective contractions during labor and therefore a faster birth, and prevention of postpartum hemorrhage or bleeding. Red Raspberry is also an rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and E, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients make it an excellent prevention and treatment for anemia and leg cramps, as well as a beneficial remedy for the reduction of morning sickness. The high mineral content also assists in the production of breast milk. (info from Birth Junkie)
Yay for herbs!
Quick Coconut Curry Stir-Fry
I’m always looking for a relatively quick and healthy lunch option…and this one was definitely a hit. The sauce is really simple to throw together, and yet is very flavorful. Yum!
Quick Coconut Curry Stir-Fry
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2-3 cups broccoli, snap peas, peppers, mushrooms…you choose!
Salt and pepper to taste
Stir-Fry Sauce:
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon (about a thumb size) minced fresh ginger
Saute the onion in olive oil until soft. While that is cooking, stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Add all of your veggies to the onions and saute for a few minutes. Pour the stir-fry sauce over the mixture and cook through until veggies are soft. You could throw in a couple handfuls of spinach until just wilted if you like (right before you serve it). Serve over quinoa or brown rice. Top with some sweet thai chili sauce for a little extra kick! 🙂
Happy Foody 