Making Raw Nut Butter

Hi everyone! Another busy week has flown by for me...hope you are all staying well and happy:)

This week has been a scorcher in the Adirondacks. How hot has it been? Just look!

I actually have not been on the computer much because it is in the direct flow of the air conditioner!!! I am very grateful to have one in this heat, but... {{{BRRRRRRRR}}}...Once in a while I have to go outside for a few minutes and warm up.

To my blogging buddies: I hope to catch up on some much missed blog reading very soon:)

While I was staying cool inside, it was the perfect time to experiment with new recipes, and prepare some raw staples like nut butter.

The following pictures are of making raw almond butter, but any nuts, seeds, or even shredded coconut(for homemade coconut butter, of course!) can be used. One of my favorites is a "rawtella", using hazelnuts, cacao powder and coconut sugar :)

Every once in a while, I treat myself to raw almonds from Spain, but not today:)

I used organic almonds from the bulk bins at the co-op.


Here are some step-by-step pictures of making raw nut butters:

1. Soak your nuts:) Tip: Only soak them if you can dehydrate them!

Haha...the camera fogged up going from the air conditioned house to the heat outside! This was about 4 cups of almonds. For my size processor bowl(11 cups) four cups is the least amount that will blend properly.

It is up to you if you want to soak your nuts/seeds. If using dry, un-soaked nuts, you should be able to omit the oil, and it may take a bit longer.

~ETA~ For best results, use DRY nuts, either soaked and dehydrated, or un-soaked.
Wet nuts, or trying to add water instead of oil gives a pasty, rather than creamy result, and the nut butter will spoil quicker.

After soaking about 8 hours, almonds may be peeled by "popping" them out of their skins. Just pinch them between your thumb and first finger. The butter will be light in color, and taste a bit different if you peel them.

2. Dehydrate your nuts or seeds if you soaked them about 8-12 hours or more depending on nuts used:

3. Place your nuts in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade.

Tip: Process just until crumbs form to make nut flour used for recipes:)

Nuts will begin to stick to the sides of the container and you may need to stop and scrape the sides.

4. Add a tablespoon of oil, and continue processing. I like to use the matching oil, but any neutral, light oil will work. The natural oils in the nuts will start breaking down as well, so I always start with 1 tablespoon of oil. You can also add a little salt to taste if desired. It is also good with a touch of sweetener, or even cacao powder for a treat.

Soon a ball will form, and you can use it like this in recipes like nut butter cups:)

Continue processing and add a bit more oil if needed. All nuts are different, so I like to add the oil 1 tablespoon at a time (usually 3T, no more than 4T) until a smooth, creamy butter forms.

It does get warm, but not too warm:)

That's it! Homemade raw nut butter in about 12 minutes, not counting the soaking or the dehydrating time haha:) You may have to let it go a bit longer, depending on your processor. It will keep for several weeks in a glass jar in the fridge. And remember, you can make a quick nut milk by blending about a tablespoonful of nut butter with a cup of water:)

Until a few years ago, I would never have thought of making my own nut butters, but now I love it! Have you ever made your own nut butters? What is your favorite?

Well, my hands are freeezzzing now...lol! Thanks so much for dropping by today and I hope you all have a great weekend!

ETA~ Click here for making nut butter in a Vitamix:)

Watermelon Basket

Hi everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the summer so far (if it is summer where you are!) Our summers are short and sweet here in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York, so I have been enjoying it while it lasts!

Thank you all so much for the great response to my last post, Raw Sprouted Bagels. They hit the spot for me when I am craving something "bready" :)

In today's post, I would like to share with you one of my favorite summertime treats, a watermelon basket. It is the perfect thing to bring to a party, BBQ, or potluck. It is naturally raw, and vegan!

Here are some step-by-step pictures to show you how easy it is to create this lovely basket:)

1.) Pick a melon that has a nice shape, and will sit flat. You can remove a sliver off the bottom to level it if needed.

2.) Make two parallel cuts in the center of the melon about 1 1/2 inches apart, going about halfway down the melon. The melon between the cuts will form the handle of the basket.

3.) Starting on either side of the handle, make a horizontal cut around the melon to the other side of the handle cut.

Be careful not to cut through the handle part. I had a "V" shaped knife, but a straight knife will work as well. You can make a scallop or zig-zag edge, or just leave it straight. If you have a serrated cutter used for pumpkins at Halloween, it works well for watermelon:)

4.) Repeat the cut on the other side of the handle, removing both cut-outs.

5.) Cut the melon around the inside of the handle,

and remove the juicy melon.

6.) Scoop out the melon. I used a large serving spoon.

My mini melon was thin skinned, so I left a little flesh to keep it sturdy. Larger melons can be scraped closer to the green part.

7.) Cut up the removed watermelon and mix it with your favorite fruits. If you follow food combining rules, just use other melons, like cantaloupe or honeydew.

8.) Fill the empty watermelon basket with the fresh fruit mixture. Depending on the amount of other fruit, you should have enough to fill the basket two times. Skewered fruit can be used if you prefer, and looks really pretty. I added some little flag toothpicks, for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday:)


Here is a picture of a straight cut basket:


If you would like a few more ideas for the upcoming weekend, please check out my Fourth of July post from last year,

or my Memorial Day post for more watermelon ideas:)












Thanks so much for stopping by my happy raw kitchen today, and I hope you all have a very happy and safe weekend!

Raw Sprouted Bagels :)

Whoa baby...is it Friday already? Time really does fly when you're havin' fun:)

I have been spending lots of time outside, enjoying the sun(finally) and of course playing in my happy raw kitchie!

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my last post, Real Cream Cheese. Of course the real credit goes to Poemomm for creating the recipes and posting them for everyone to enjoy:)

I appreciate everyone who wished me well about my computer problems. A few hours after I complained...I mean mentioned it in my post, my hubby came home with a shopping bag with a road runner on it. Beep, Beep!! What a great surprise:) He hooked me up with a new internet connection. He said something about me suffering long enough...lol! Actually I think it was because he needed to use the computer the other night and realized how terrible the dial-up connection was:)

I was finally able to watch some of the videos I have always just scrolled past. I got a chance to see how cute you all are:) I remembered a video I really wished I could see a few days earlier by amazing raw Chef Russell James. Although his cheese in the video totally blew me away, I used his suggestions to make a little cheese plate of my own.

Thank you Russell, my mouth was very happy!

So, back to the topic of this post...Raw Bagels

After making the lovely cream cheese earlier in the week, my thoughts immediately went to wishing for a bagel to go with it. You can use any thick bread recipe you like to make bagels, but I had a jar of sprouted soft white wheat on hand so I used a simple Essene dough. I added a drizzle of agave and olive oil with a pinch of salt to taste. The amount of wheat I had made 8 mini-bagels:)

Here are a few pictures to show how simple it is to shape a raw bagel:

Process sprouted wheat with agave, oil and salt until a ball forms. Remove from processor and knead the dough by hand for a minute if needed.

Shape dough into a round, and cut into 8 pie shaped pieces

Roll each segment into a ball

Flatten each ball slightly and poke a hole in the middle, use a spoon handle, dowel, or clean finger:)

Place on mesh sheets to dry, and brush with water and sprinkle with desired toppings. Dry at 112 degrees for about 6-8 hours until the outside is crisp and dry and inside is slightly moist. I like to make small bagels so the inside is less likely to sour. Also, I get to eat two or three if they are little!

Since the cream cheese was only a sweet memory by the time I made the bagels, I enjoyed them as a BLT.

So good!

I also made a 2-bite bagel with sprouted rye topped with caraway seeds:)

Click here to see an earlier post about Essene bread:)

Well, the sun is calling to me again...have a great weekend everyone, especially all you wonderful fathers out there!

Making Beautiful Raw Breads and Crackers

One of my favorite things to create are raw breads and crackers. I find it very satisfying, and very much like preparing conventional crackers or cookies, with the exception of baking in the oven:)

Raw breads are great for sandwiches.

Even the tiniest crouton can make a big difference in a salad. These are 1" and 1/4" rosemary crackers on my adaptation of Sarma's S&M salad:)

Most bread and cracker doughs are prepared quickly and easily in the food processor.
Here are some pictures to show how I shape my raw breads, crackers, and chips.

I like to work with the teflex sheet directly on a clean counter. If you place the sheet on a freshly washed and still damp counter, it won't slide around.

Spread dough onto teflex using an offset spatula.

If you want a rustic looking cracker, you can stop at this step. Just spread the batter, dehydrate, and break into pieces:)

...but if you want a fancy cracker:)...

Cover with cling film, and roll out to desired thickness. I like to use a rolling pin that is long enough to straddle the teflex sheet, and roll over the entire dough very easily. The rubber rings fit on the ends of the rolling pins, and roll the dough to the exact even thickness desired:) If any dough squishes out past the sheet just put it back in the bowl, or use it to fill in the corners. After doing it a few times you can judge how much dough will fit on the sheet.





Score using a long, thin, ruler. This is a metal yardstick from the fabric department.

Since I am not sure about the food safety of the ruler, I score while the dough is still covered with the wrap. I score around all four sides first to make a neat edge, then score the rest. I usually remove the dough that is trimmed off, but they make good "test pieces" if you don't:) The largest pieces I usually make are made by scoring into 9 pieces(like a tic-tac-toe board, two lines down, two lines across). The smallest are 1/4 inch croutons!

Or use a crust cutter to make bread shaped bread:)


Special shapes can also be created by using any cookie or fondant cutter. It helps to wiggle the cutter slightly to insure a neat score in the dough. I leave the scraps in place, and dry at least halfway(after flipping) to remove the cut out shapes and finish drying. I always like to nibble on the scraps, or use them in a salad.

....now you can stop here, or before dehydrating....

Stencil if desired using crushed herbs and spices. Simply lay the stencil on the dough after scoring, sprinkle a small amount of herbs into the opening of the stencil, and sweep the herbs inside the opening with a brush or clean finger:).

I usually try to match the flavors in the dough.

Even when I don't stencil, I like the look of extra spices or herbs sprinkled randomly on the dough.



I also use the lid of a sandwich keeper to shape some breads. The bottom can be used as a cutter. This is my crazy carrot bread:)


The tray below is now ready to dry. I find setting the thermostat at 112 degrees works best for most items. If a special recipe calls for a higher temperature for the first hour or so, I go with that.

Flip halfway through by placing a mesh sheet and an empty tray upside-down on top of the crackers. Quickly turn over while holding the edges of the trays tightly together. Remove the original tray and mesh sheet.


Peel away teflex sheet. You can see the crackers automatically start to separate on score lines:) Separate pieces at this point and continue dehydrating on mesh sheets.

Here are several other options when making raw chips and wraps:
If using a thicker batter for chips, you can make different shapes.
Triangle chips can be made by scoring as pictured below. I used the long ruler to make the horizontal lines, then scored the angled lines with the end of a small straight edged spatula.

Some chip or tortilla recipes are made in the blender, and produce a runny batter. For these, simply pour, or spoon out the batter directly onto the teflex sheet. Small chips can be spooned onto the teflex and spread out slightly using the back of the spoon in a circular motion.


Large tortillas (or ice cream cones) can be spread out using an offset spatula. I have a large and small offset spatula. I like to sprinkle seeds or herbs on the dough before dehydrating. This wrap also has a flower pattern made with cut out spinach leaves. Sprinkle the seeds and place the flowers on the rolled out dough, then replace the cling wrap and roll again gently to set the decorations.


If the dough is not too sticky, you can make shaped breads by rolling long rope-like shapes and forming pretty bread-sticks. Three ropes can be braided together. The other shapes are single ropes, twisted or curled:)

Here are the links for the rolling pins and rubber rings:
The white roller pictured is a fondant roller made by Wilton. The rings I use were purchased separately.


I hope you find these tips helpful the next time you makes some yummy breads, crackers or chips!