Simple Pleasures

I spend a lot of time in my happy raw kitchen, but it isn't always making something to eat!

Most raw food meals are actually quite simple, like today's breakfast, a coconut. It was especially enjoyable because I had a beautiful glass straw to drink from.

Such a simple pleasure! A coconut has never tasted so good.

My sweet hubby gifted me with a couple of new books, and a set of Glass Dharma straws for Valentine's Day. It wasn't a surprise, I picked them out..lol!

You may have noticed the pretty little box in the picture above. That is the reason I was in the kitchen today, crafting!

I may want to start carrying one of my lovely new glass straws with me when we go out, to use in place of the disposable plastic ones, so I made a pretty covered box for it.

It is so easy to do.

If you would like to re-purpose any box, here is what you need:

A cardboard box, I used the box the glass straw came in:)
Fusible webbing or fabric glue
Fabric, or an old shirt with a pretty pattern, cotton is best for fusing.
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Iron and ironing board
small buttons or beads
needle and thread

Step 1: Carefully open the box at the seam. For this project, you can cut off the little fold-in tabs(marked with a "X"), because they are not needed. A couple of the following pictures were the first box I made, and they still have the little tabs:) Flatten out the box as much as possible.

Step 2: Cut a piece of fabric and fusible web twice the size of the opened box, and about 1 inch bigger, all around. For this box, the piece was approx 11 inches on all sides. This piece will be cut in half, as you will need one piece of fabric to cover the inside, and one for the outside.

Step 3: Following manufacturers directions, iron fusible web to the back of the fabric. You can use fabric glue to cover the box, if you prefer.

Step 4: Iron or glue fabric to the outside side of the opened box. Trim fabric to a little less than 1/2 an inch all around.


Step 5: Clip into fabric where it has to go into a corner, or around the tab.

Step 6: With the inside of the box up, iron the excess fabric down all around the edge of the box,

Step 7: Cut the remaining fabric slightly smaller than the inside of the box. Save the scraps for step 10. You don't need to cover the inside of the tabs for this project. Iron or glue this fabric to the inside of the opened box.



Step 8: Refold the box making a sharp crease along the lines of the original box shape. Apply hot glue, or other strong glue to the inside edge of the box, and hold for a minute. See which end looks nicest for the top, and glue the other end closed.

Step 9: Add a little button or bead to the top of the open end so you know which end to open:) I sewed it on with strong upholstery thread.

Step 10: Iron on a small piece of saved fabric to the inside of the tab to cover stitches.

That's it! All done:)

I have been using my new straws all week, and I must say...

Glass Dharma straws are so beautiful, I just love them.


I hope you didn't mind my little green craft project today. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I absolutely love making craft projects, it's one of my simple pleasures. And of course, my favorite projects are ones that recycle things that might normally be discarded.

I must have made hundreds of recycled projects over the 12 years when I had my daycare. One reason was because I needed to find frugal, aka cheap:) ways to make projects with the little ones.

We made so many recycled projects that one day, one of my little angels arrived with an armful of...ummm...garbage, yelling "Look what my Mom almost threw away!!!" He actually took the stuff out of his garbage pail. Too cute:) Of course we made something out of it, I just don't remember what...haha!

I remembered that story today while making my little fabric covered boxes.

Thanks for visiting my crafty raw kitchen today:)

I would love to know what your simple pleasures are!

BTW, if you want a chance to win an awesome 25 Piece Cutlery and Gadget Pro Set with Wood Block for your kitchen, click this link to visit my girl Pam's blog!

Cinnamon Roll Soft-Serve:)

Inspired by yesterday's Cinnamon Roll Smoothie:)

Cinnamon Roll Soft-Serve:)


For the banana soft-serve:
3 frozen bananas
6 Brazil nuts, finely ground
1"(inch) vanilla bean, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, more or less, to taste
grab a few pecans, too:)

For topping:
1 tablespoon yacon syrup, or liquid sweetener like agave, date, or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
chopped pecans
currants, or raisins
extra cinnamon to sprinkle

1. Pulse frozen bananas in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until chopped.
Process until the consistency of soft ice cream, stopping and scraping sides several times. Click here for some scary:) pictures of making banana soft serve.

2. Add ground Brazil nuts, ground vanilla bean, pecans, and ground cinnamon, and pulse until mixed.

3. Shape into a cinnamon roll...lol! I just used the back of a spoon and possibly a clean finger(around the edge) to create a round shape with a deep swirl on top. If making for guests, I would pipe it out using a pastry bag with a large plain tip. You may freeze the shapes firm, if desired.

4. For topping, mix cinnamon into yacon syrup. Drizzle into swirl of cinnamon roll, and sprinkle with chopped pecans and currants, and extra cinnamon if desired.


~ETA~If you would like a chance to win an awesome ice cream maker, click this link to enter the giveaway at HiHoRosie's Place!

I will try to catch up with my lovely blogging friends very soon. Our electric had been out most of today due to the weather, and I may have to turn off the computer if the power starts blinking:)

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope to see you all soon!

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

This morning I made a wonderful recipe inspired by the lovely Joanna, of one of my favorite blogs Promoting the Raw Food Diet while De-bunking the Myths.

Click here for the Cinnamon Roll Smoothie recipe
another broken recipe link above...so sorry here is the recipe: Ingredients: - 2 cups Brazil nut milk (blend 2/3 c. Brazil nuts and a little vanilla bean with 2 cups water and 2 T agave nectar. Strain.) - 1 piece vanilla bean (about 1 inch) - 2 T agave nectar - 1 t cinnamon - 3 small frozen bananas - Dark syrup such as agave nectar or yacon syrup. Directions: - Blend all the ingredients together except for the dark syrup, which you will use to drizzle the inside of the smoothie glasses (optional but pretty!) - Pour the liquid into the decorated glasses, and sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top.
I took a little short-cut, and simply put the frozen bananas, a few Brazil nuts, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and a little water in the blender all at once:)

I drizzled some yacon syrup in the glass to decorate, as Joanna did. Next time, I want to try a swirl on the top:) I thought this looked so pretty when I first saw her post, I knew I would have to make it:)

Thank you so much, Joanna, for this wonderful recipe! It really does have all the yummy flavor of cinnamon rolls:)

You may want to check out this post at Joanna's blog for an awesome giveaway for Purely Delicious Magazine, a publication focusing on the raw food diet! How awesome is that?!!! This giveaway has ended~Congratulations to Tale of Two Vegans

ETA~Raw Juice Girl at Healing with (Raw) Juices is having a Glass Dharma giveaway!

Quickie post today...looks like I may have to shovel some snow:)

Raw Food Gone Rawng:)

Every once in a while I make something that just isn't what I expected.

Several years ago, I heard that sweet brown rice was the only rice that would sprout. I envisioned all kinds of fantastic raw sprouted rice dishes, sushi, un-fried rice, raw rice pilaf, and so on:)

I bought some organic, sweet brown rice in the bulk bins at the co-op. I excitedly brought it home, soaked, and sprouted it!

OK... now to sample my sweet, beautiful, sprouted raw brown rice....

um...not so good, lol!

It was really not sweet, as the name implies, but rather bitter, and still quite hard. Could I mask the taste with some intense ingredients like NamaShoyu or something...

uh...not happening, and of course, still hard.

So, my lovely sprouted brown rice went straight into the dehydrator, and was ground into powder. I knew there was some nutritional benefit to it, as some protein powders are made with rice.

Now I sprout sweet brown rice just to make this healthy raw sprout powder:)

I also do this at the end of the week with any leftover sprouts, like mung bean, that I am unable to use before they go bad. Simply dehydrate, and grind in the Blendtec:)

I have hidden:) this powder in smoothies, soups, crackers, and today, banana soft-serve:)

Strawberry Stracciatella Soft-Serve


4 frozen bananas
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/8-1/4 cup rice powder, or other sprout powder of choice, optional:)
1/4 cup raw chocolate, still melted
chocolate covered strawberries, chopped fresh berries, optional

1. Pulse frozen bananas in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until well chopped. Add strawberries and rice powder, and continue to process until mixture is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. You may have to stop and scrape the sides occasionally.

2. With the machine running, drizzle in the raw melted chocolate. This will form thin, crispy chocolate chips, known as "Stracciatella". So delish!

3. Serve with additional chopped strawberries and top with a chocolate covered strawberry:)

So this is what I did with a raw food gone rawng:) I would love to know if you have anything you have done to "save" an inedible raw food.

Chocolate Banana Pudding Cake

I found myself with a few too many ripe avocados today...hmmm, what's a raw, chocolate lovin' girl to do:)

Chocolate-Banana Pudding Cake


Crust:
1 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup dates, I used medjool
1 cup coconut flakes, I used fine shred
2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
pinch of cinnamon, optional

Filling:
4 medium avocados, soft and ripe
1 banana, spotty:)
1 cup raw cacao powder
¼-½ cup agave, to taste
¼ cup maple syrup, I used grade B
¼ cup coconut oil, softened, increase amount to 1/2 cup or sub cacao butter for firmer filling
½ whole vanilla bean, ground

1. Process all crust ingredients in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until crumbly and sticky. Press into 7" spring-form pan, or pan of choice. Chill while preparing filling.

2. Process all filling ingredients in food processor fitted with the "S" blade until thick and smooth. Pour into chilled crust.The filling is a variation of one of the most surprising recipes(IMHO) in the raw food world.

When I first tried this recipe on Gone Raw, I could not believe that avocado, sweetener, and cacao could turn into chocolate pudding (or mousse), but it did! There are countless variations of this avocado pudding:)

3. Top with large coconut flakes and cacao nibs as desired. I also added some raw choccie hearts from v-day:)

Click here to see my raw chocolate recipe, suitable for molding:)

This page has the chocolate heart mold I used, #VO24

4. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours before serving, small pies or tarts will take less time.

This recipe is adapted from one posted in the current edition of Better Nutrition. Thanks for the inspiration BN!

Anyone wanna piece?

Sweet Sunshine!

Today is a very sunny day. Well, not outside, but inside for sure!

I was so honored to be given the Sunshine Award by Julia, bitt, and Joanna.

ETA~I was also given this award by Cathy of Eating Clouds and Sunshine! Thank you so much!!!:)

I find myself at a loss for words...except to say thank you:) You have all filled my heart with such gratitude. Thank you my sweet friends. {{{HUGS}}}

The rules for accepting this award are simple, link to the person who gave it to you, and pass it on to 12 other people who bring you sunshine.

It is my pleasure to pass this award to some of my favorite bloggers, in random order:)

Heathy~Adventures of Raw Goddess Heathy

kelli~Animal-Friendly Eating

Antony~Living Raw Food UK

Christopher~Berry Boy:)

Melissa~Contagious Health

Cathy M~Eating Clouds and Sunshine

Michal~Earth Muffin

Isle Dance~Isle Dance

Leslie~Recycle your Day

Aimee aka bitt~A Bitt of Raw

Pam~A love For New Recipes

Fayinagirl, Julie:)~Gluten-Free Vegan Family

Julia~Easy Eco to Go

Joanna~Promoting the Raw Food Diet While De-bunking the Myths

Nikki~Yummy Raw Kitchen

Here is a little more sunshine for all of you. My Orange Sunshine Soup:)

This was one of the recipes that got me through my first year of eating raw. It is sweet, simple, and filling. Loaded with vitamin C, too!

Orange Sunshine Soup

Ingredients:

1 avocado
2 small organic oranges
1 small orange bell pepper, remove seeds, stem and tear or cut into pieces
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon orange zest
nutmeg and cinnamon for garnish
sweetener of choice, optional
Preparation:

1. Wash and zest oranges (reserve zest), then peel them, put in blender first.

2. Cut avocado in half and scoop out one half and add to blender.

3. Score other half into cubes and scoop into serving bowl.

4. Add pepper and spices and blend till creamy. Add sweetener if desired, to taste.

5. Pour into bowl and sprinkle (through stencil, if desired:) with cinnamon, nutmeg and reserved zest.

I sometimes add a little agave if I am in a sweet mood:)

I would also like to share something you can to do with the mesh bag that produce comes in.

I sometimes buy avocados, oranges, onions, and other items in a large bag. Since I am very much into living green:), I make a scrubbie that can be used for cleaning around the house.

All you need to do is make a ball with the mesh bags. Make sure to remove any metal rings or tags that are sometimes used on the mesh. Use as many as you like, two or three is a good size for me. They make great pot-scrubbers if you still do any cooking...haha!

Pull any loose ends around to the back of the ball, and sew several stitches to hold it together. I use upholstery thread so it withstands heavy scrubbing, but any thread should be fine. If you want, these can be cleaned in the dishwasher and reused again and again.

The mesh actually comes in different varieties. The green bags that the avocados come in is soft compared to the red onion bags. The black mesh is sort of harsh, but still won't scratch tubs or things like that:)

I would love to know if you have found other ideas for using these bags! I have wanted to try sewing bags together for a larger bag to bring shopping, but haven't tried that yet.

Thanks for visiting my blog today, I am giving everyone reading this a 'Thanks for Reading My Blog Today Award'...haha!

Lovely Orange-Fennel Salad

This salad was inspired from the first course offered by Sarma on thePure Food and Wine Valentine's Day Menu posted here.

The combination of fennel, avocado, and pomegranate sounded so good. To keep it on the light side for my lunch today, I did not add avocado, but will when I make this again:) I used the orange flavor from Sarma's dressing, and added orange segments to my salad instead.


For the Salad
1 small bulb fennel(aka anise), sliced thin
1 orange, supremed*
1 small avocado, cubed
2-3 Tablespoons pomegranate arils
strawberry hearts:), optional for garnish

1. Combine fennel, orange segments, avocado if using, and pomegranate arils.

2. Pile on a plate, and decorate with strawberry hearts:)

3. Serve with a sweet dressing. I used the one that follows.

*supremed is just a fancy word for segmented:) Simply cut off both ends of the unpeeled orange, and slice off the rest of the peel while resting a cut end on the cutting board. Once the peel is removed, cut between the membranes of the segments and remove the orange segments:)

For the dressing:(a variation of my sweet orange dressing)

1/2 orange, peeled (can use zest, if desired)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon raw coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons agave, or a soft, pitted medjool date
pinch of salt and pepper, optional

Combine all dressing ingredients in magic bullet or blender until creamy.

I was inspired to use the coconut vinegar from this post by Fayinagirl of the incredible Gluten-Free Vegan Family blog. I made her awesome avocado timbale yesterday for dinner, and loved it! Thanks Julie:)!!
* sorry had to post a screen shot of my saved recipe since Julie's blog is gone. So sorry for all the broken links from other blogs. I never posted the actual recipes from other blogs, and many have now sadly disappeared. Thanks to everyone who contacted me about broken recipe links. 

I immediately fell in love with the coconut vinegar:) It was the first time I used this lovely raw vinegar. I loved the subtle sweet coconut flavor. It made a delightful difference in the dressing:)


Hope you all did not mind my daily postings this week! I guess I was making up for lost time while I was away:)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Valentine's Day.

{{{BIG HUGE VALENTINE HUGS TO ALL!!!}}}