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!

Fall for Soup!

Since Fall has arrived in the Adirondacks, I love to have nice warming soups for lunch.

Today I made a quick and easy soup from Gena of Choosing Raw. Please click here for the recipe for Red Pepper and Hemp Soup.

Gena's soup is warming because it has curry and turmeric in it. I loved the use of hemp seeds in this soup. I sometimes substitute hemp seeds in recipes in place of nuts, so it was nice to find a recipe that already used hemp:) Since I like my soups on the creamy side, I used 1/4 cup of water and it was just right for me:) It was light, yet filling and perfectly seasoned.

Thank you Gena for your awesome recipe!

Now, a few words about being a raw foodie in the winter, since some raw foodies find it harder to stay raw when it is cold out.

Using hot spices is one way to beat the cold. This post has a partial list of warming foods.

If the air is feeling very crisp, I warm my serving bowl by filling it with very hot water while preparing the soup. I simply fill my bowl with hot or even boiling water for several minutes, and discard the water (or use it to make tea) before using.

I find it so comforting to hold a warm bowl of soup in my hand while eating it:) This little warming trick works well for cups of raw hot chocolate too:)

The Blendtec 'soup setting" also warms soup ingredients to around 110 degrees most times, which feels quite warm compared to a crisp, cold salad!

Serving plates and bowls may also be warmed in the dehydrator for about 1 hour if it happens to be on:)

Since I am not 100% raw, I drink hot tea in the fall and winter. If the tea has ginger in it, it's extra warming:) Most of the teas I use are herbal, and I enjoy them whenever I feel chilly.

My favorite way to really warm up when I am cold is to get moving! Getting outside is always my first choice, to walk or bike. Adirondack winters can be fierce, and the roads get really dangerous so...

Sometimes I will just run up and down the two flights of stairs in my house until I can't run any more...lol!

House cleaning such as vacuuming or scrubbing a floor is also a favorite way to get going, and freshen up the house too:)

If I can't get out in the winter, I have a few small pieces of exercise equipment like a mini-trampoline, stair stepper, small weights, and stretchy bands. I love the exercise on demand channel, too!

I still have to force myself to exercise sometimes, but I am always glad when I do!

I would love to hear about your favorite ways to stay raw, or warm up in the colder months!

Starting to Eat Raw

Welcome!
You may have found this blog because you have decided to make a change in your eating habits.A change for the better! Raw food is quickly becoming a popular way for people to regain health, lose weight ,increase energy, and feel amazing.
To start eating raw, you don't need any special equipment. Most likely, you already have everything you need.The following recipes require a blender or magic bullet,a knife and a bowl! Here is a sample of what I eat on a typical day. I hope you will enjoy these simple favorite recipes.

What do you eat for breakfast on a raw food diet?
This is easy!The best thing for me to eat for breakfast is summed up in one word.
FRUIT!
Your breakfast can be as simple as peeling a banana(or two , or three!) or grabbing a piece of your favorite fruit. Fruit smoothies are also a wonderful way to start the day, if you have a blender. All morning long, I eat as much fruit as I desire.It is easy to digest fruit.
Here is a fast and easy favorite:

banana and currants













Ingredients:
1 or 2 bananas
2 tablespoons currants
optional:
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
2 tablespoons orange juice

Preparation:
1. slice banana into a bowl
2. sprinkle with currants, and optional coconut and orange juice.

Here is a picture of a fancy fruit plate, special enough for...you!













What can I eat for lunch as a raw foodist?
The easiest thing for me to have for lunch is a veggie salad. These sometimes include fruit, as well.Many salads contain mostly raw ingredients already. Here is the salad I enjoyed for lunch yesterday, with a tasty raspberry vinaigrette, based on this recipe.
Thanks to ray at gone raw:)

Berry yummy salad














Ingredients:
for salad:
3 cups baby greens
1/2 mango, cubed
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries

for dressing:
1 cup raspberries
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave, optional
pinch of salt and pepper

Preparation:
1.In bowl, combine greens, mango, and berries.
2.In blender or magic bullet, blend dressing ingredients until smooth.
3.Pour dressing over salad and dig in!

Dinner can also be as simple as another salad, with veggies added in an unlimited amount.Raw soups are simple and satisfying.If you have a blender, it only takes a few minutes and several simple ingredients to make a delicious soup.Here is a quick soup recipe:

Warm tomato soup














Ingredients: 
6 plum tomatoes
1-2 limes, juice only
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, or cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
pinch salt

Preparation: 
1.warm serving bowl by filling with very hot water while preparing soup. Discard water before filling with soup.
2.place tomato, juice of limes, parsley,(or cilantro), garlic, oil, and spices in blender.
3.blend until smooth
4.garnish , if desired, with rose made from tomato peel ,chive stem, and parsley leaves and a drizzle of balsamic glaze:)

If you have access to raw crackers or breads, those will add bulk to your dinner, helping you feel more satisfied.As you become more involved with the preparation of raw foods, you may invest in a dehydrator, so you can make you own raw breads and crackers. My first year raw was without a dehydrator, as I was saving for the 9 tray excalibur model I had heard so much about.

Here is my personal favorite recipe.It can be served over greens, as a bruschetta or pizza topping, or just have a bowl of it! I love this so much, I have actually eaten it for breakfast. It keeps well, so you can always have a bowlful in the fridge.

Raw Eggplant Caponata













Servings:
makes about 6 cups

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant,peeled, 1/4"dice approx 4 cups
1 cup tomato, 1/4" dice
1 sweet bell pepper,I used orange, 1/4" dice
1 celery stalk, 1/4" dice
¼ cup red onion,or more to taste, 1/4" dice
¼ cup olives of choice,I used a mix of green and black, 1/4" dice
2 tablespoon capers,optional, not raw
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dressing:
½ cup sundried tomato, soaked
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons agave, or 2 soaked medjool dates
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, or more to taste
all organic if possible

Preparation:
1.prepare dressing ingredients in magic bullet or blender.
2.combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and mix well with dressing.

If you would like to reduce the amount of oil, replace with equal amount of tomato soak liquid:)

good right away or can be marinated several days in fridge.