meg's raw food journal

getting back in the habit

2011-08-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

dear friends,
i have been a bad blogger. i haven't updated this in a very, very long time. i would like to get back into it, at least on a semi monthly basis. a lot has been going on - i've moved twice in the past year, finished up my masters degree, and i am starting a new job. but, i have been still cooking & baking - although not raw, and not completely vegetarian either. it's a rare occasion when i do eat animals, but i did start again. i recently made a very delicious dish - ginger, lime & peanut chicken with a very healthy potato salad. thank you clean eating magazine. i do not have pictures, but i will share the recipes here. normally i am not a big fan of potato salad, but this one is light & fresh.

something things that i really would like to try making by the end of september are: homemade bread (not in a bread maker, but actually letting it rise & baking it in the oven), artichokes, and tofu. when i go out & get tofu, it is always so delicious - this includes the new starbucks vegan sesame noodles & tofu. but i have not yet mastered how to make it just as yummy. (& i've never even attempted artichokes or bread) if anyone has any recipes & is willing to share they would be greatly appreciated!

ginger, lime & peanut chicken
1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 lime

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a mini food processor, grind peanuts until fine (I actually put the peanuts in a bag and crushed them with my rolling pin)
In a small bowl, combine peanuts, garlic powder and ginger.
Place chicken on a cookie sheet and squeeze juice from lime overtop.
Then roll chicken in peanut mixture until well coated.
(I actually used the lime mixed with the peanuts & drizzled over the top & it made the chicken very juicy)
Bake chicken in oven for 25 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

healthy potato salad
5 russet potatoes
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup low fat/fat free/vegan mayo
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 sweet onion
2 tablespoons of dill

peel & cut potatoes, into small cubes. boil over high heat until tender. strain & put in refrigerator until cool
while potatoes are boiling, also boil the eggs. once eggs are boiled, also put in refrigerator until cool
once eggs have cooled, chop finely.
once potatoes have cooled, combine celery, onion, dill, mayo, vinegar & eggs

eat slightly warm or cool until cold in the refrigerator.

summer strawberry rhubarb pie

2010-07-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

i've recently been cooking (& baking) up a storm. funny how that happens when you have someone else to cook for! i always feel less inclined to spend the time on cooking just for myself, but enjoy spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking for others. (sometimes i wonder if maybe i should have done something in culinary arts/nutrition). anyways, the gentleman i'm seeing has a strong affinity for rhubarb pie. having never tried it before, i did a little research & found out that it's season is very short lived! (june only!) rhubarb is very tart & only the stem is edible (the leaf is actually poisonous). so i thought i'd jump on the chance to treat him to a night of favorites - steak, potatoes & pie!

i also made homemade crust! (which i do not have a photo of, but here is the great recipe i found). note: the colder the crust, the flakier that it will be once it's baked!
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold

mash together (much easier with something electronic). best if it sits in the refrigerator for one to two hours.

3 1/2 cups rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices
3 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

before

after

preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured counter, roll half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

stir together rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, salt and tapioca in a large bowl. mound filling inside bottom pie crust and dot with bits of unsalted butter. mix one large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze to make the pie gel together better). roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle and cut decorative slits in it (this is the recipe i used, but i liked cutting strips better to make a design). trim top and bottom pie dough so that their overhang beyond the pie plate lip is only 1/2-inch. tuck rim of dough underneath itself and crimp it decoratively.

transfer pie to a baking sheet and brush egg yolk mixture over dough. bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly.

Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. When full cool (several hours later) the juices gel.

asian edamame noodle dish (& asian dumplings)

2010-05-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i whipped up an asian dinner delight. i used this recipe from a previous post

& used this recipe that i modified a little bit from yoga journal magazine.

Dressing

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil

Noodles

8 oz. egg noodles (or really any noodles you find in the asian section of the super market)
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
2 cups grated carrots
6 oz watercress coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of green onions, chopped
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

saute sesame seeds in a pan with a little bit of sesame oil.
boil the egg noodles in water.
mix the edamame, carrots, water cress, green onions together.
add sesame seeds & noodles.
make dressing & sift in through noodles.
enjoy!

raw veggie stir fry

2010-05-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

hello fellow bloggers. sorry it's been so long... i recently tried this great recipe. it's so good (& great for the summer!) enjoy!

raw veggie stir fry

'Rice':

2 cups chopped parsnips
2 carrots
1/2 cups pine nuts
3/4 cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup pepper, sliced (any color, though i love red)

chop parsnips, carrots, and pine nuts and place in bowl. if you are using a food processor to do this, you will want to do each separately. combine with chopped broccoli & sliced mushrooms & sliced peppers.

Sauce:

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili peppers (dried)
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon nama shoyu
1 tablespoon agave nectar (optional, depending on if you like sweet or not)

Combine all ingredients in food processor, process until well combined. stir into “rice mixture”.

great quinoa & bee pollen

2010-04-10T16:29:00.001-07:00

i haven't posted in a while because i haven't made anything new! i've mostly been doing the juicing stuff, eating raw when i can. i did start adding bee pollen to my smoothies, which definitely gives me a little extra zing. its known to slow down the aging process, help with weight loss, reduce allergies, lower cholesterol, contains vitamin C, D, E, and K. it is also known to help strengthen the body, and help with endurance, stamina & mental clarity. all that in a tablespoon of bee pollen! and, as i did further research, i found out it takes one bee eight hours each day, for a month to make a tablespoon of this stuff! pretty crazy!

i've also been making this quinoa (a great alternative to rice) dish lately. i don't have a photo, but it is so delicious, and especially with the summer season coming up and fresh herbs readily available, courtesy of giada delaurentis (of the food network) but with some of my own tweaking.

cook the quinoa: 2 cups of water (or veggie stock) to 1 cup of quinoa

Dressing:

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* salt and black pepper to taste

For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add quinoa & water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Good stuff, enjoy!

banana nut muffins

2010-03-28T19:52:00.001-07:00

i had a few in the process of going bad bananas so i thought i'd make some muffins. found a recipe online that had coffee in it: so good. these are my new favorite!

3 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup butter (vegan earth balance)
3/4 cup sugar (florida crystals, organic & raw)
1 egg (or the equivalency of one egg replacer)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tbsp coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour (whole wheat)
1 cup chopped walnuts (raw)

mix bananas and sugar
then add butter, egg, vanilla, coffee, salt, baking soda & mix
add flour, mix
add walnuts, mix

put in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes! perfect muffins! (i think the secret ingredient is the coffee, gives it an extra zing!)

nut butter bliss

2010-03-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

i am obsessed with almond butter... i might actually have to have an english muffin with some of it right now... anyways, i am a big fan of two brands: justin's, and mara natha.

however, i was in chamberlain's (my local health food store here) today, and mara natha just started making almond butter nutella! this is such exciting news! now i can enjoy a new flavor with my english muffin, fruit or veggies.

great vegetarian cookbook

2010-03-17T18:07:00.001-07:00

if anyone is thinking about transitioning into vegetarianism, or just wants to eat a little bit healthier, i picked up this cookbook at williams sonoma a few weeks ago. it's got a lot of great, easy recipes (grilled portobello mushroom burgers, red pepper & goat cheese frittata, lentil salad with feta just to name a few). i highly recommend it!

red cabbage taco wraps

2010-03-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

today i completed my duathlon! as a non-competitor (just wanted to finish) i actually placed 2nd in my age group! very exciting! i rode with my hybrid bike, but i found it definitely pays to get a road bike. even pedaling super fast, people double my age were flying by me. unfortunately, i don't have the funds for that right now - a good road bike on sale can cost over $700. the race did consist of me running through knee high water from the previous days torrential downpours. let me tell you - running with very heavy & wet sneakers is not all that fun, especially when it happens the first five minutes of the race (i still had a great time nonetheless). i also took a big digger in T2 (that's transition 2, for all of you people who have no idea what i'm talking about, don't worry, i didn't about two months ago). as i was coming off of my bike, with wet sneakers & wet pavement, i slipped & fell on my left knee. everyone got quiet & looked at me as if they had never seen someone fall before (pretty funny stuff). i had to get up & yell "i'm okay! don't worry!" subsequently, my left knee has been bothering me for about a month, but only after spinning class, so i haven't thought much of it until the past few hours when it started throbbing - there's also a pretty good gash there that was under my pants that i was not aware of until after i got home to take a shower. either way, i finished & i'm totally hooked. we had beautiful weather & i had SO much fun!

that being said, afterwards i stopped for coffee, came home & went back out to the farmers market, also cleaned & vacuumed my car, did all my laundry & tidied up little bit. needless to say, when i went to go read a book out by the pool around 2:30, i couldn't keep my eyes open! had to nap.

i did, however, make a WONDERFUL dinner. i was in the mood for tacos, so i made these:

they are red cabbage taco wraps - i found the recipe on raw nation, & was inspired by it, but did my own variation.

head of red cabbage (i only used 2 leaves though)
avocado slices
organic/raw salsa (i used black bean)
fresh cilantro (chopped)
fresh green onion (chopped)
tomato slices
lettuce (chopped)
red onion (chopped)

to be honest i just chopped up a little bit of everything & threw it all in there. i suppose a couple of tablespoons of everything would be sufficient though. these are totally raw, but you could definitely make them & then add fake meat, cheese, etc. either way, they totally satiated the craving i was having!

go raw chocolate super cookies!

2010-03-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

i might have mentioned these before(or this company) but everyone would love these cookies, raw foodist or not. they are sweet & totally satisfying. i highly recommend them! yum!

teeccino

2010-03-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

i've been wanting to kick my caffeine habit for quite some time, but working at starbucks makes it a little difficult (although I did do it for about 8 months some years ago). anyways, i've been hearing the buzz (no pun intended) about teeccino, a non-coffee coffee.

Teeccino Caffeine-free Herbal Coffee is a delicious blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts (carob, dates, figs, almonds, and chicory) that are roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee.

Coffee lovers are attracted to Teeccino’s full-bodied, dark roasted flavor and its nutritious health benefits. Teeccino allows coffee drinkers to keep their cherished coffee ritual with all the enjoyment and satisfaction of a freshly brewed cup!

Teeccino offers a number of health benefits to help coffee drinkers achieve optimal health:

* Naturally caffeine-free - no processing, no chemical residues
* High in heart-healthy potassium
* Natural energy boost - from nutrients, not stimulants
* Alkaline - helps reduce acidity and restore alkaline balance
* A soluble fiber in chicory root, that helps improve digestion and elimination plus increases the absorption of calcium and minerals

so, tomorrow at work, i'm going to buy a nice french press & start doing half caffeine (ironically enough, i've always been horrible at making a good cup of coffee at home, whether that be with a perculator, or regular coffee pot, but the ratio of hot water to coffee in a french press is much easier). i will then slowly go no caffeine (hopefully). this seems to be a good solution to the problem of drinking coffee, even if i have limited myself to just one 12 ounce cup with a little bit of soy. definitely would recommend this to anyone also trying to kick it!

duathlon

2010-03-09T18:25:00.001-08:00

i haven't been keeping up with any good recipes to share lately! with my monday night get togethers over (at least for the moment) i have some goat cheese & a lot of veggies in the refrigerator, but i've been out to eat almost every night for the past week with friends (gasp!) i'd never thought i would make as many as I have - & as many fabulous ones at that. (which is also sort of bad, because it's left me almost no time to do school work this week).

i've also been busy training for my first duathlon! it's on saturday & i'm really excited! (part of a triathlon series, i just had no time to practice swimming!) 5K run, 20K bike, 5K run!

i've also signed up with some friends from florida to run the ragner relay, which is in may, over my birthday weekend! it's a run from yale to harvard, with 12 people, each taking 3 legs of the race. we run for 24+ hours straight, with 2 or 3 different people driving us in a van. i'm so excited to have met so many amazing people while getting healthy & fit! i'm also signed up for an 8K in april & i want to do a 15K in a month or so in the tampa area. this stuff is so addicting!

hopefully next time i post it will be with a delicious recipe or fun update!

onion, artichoke & cauliflower quiche

2010-03-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

every monday night, i go over my friend heather's house for a pot luck dinner. ~~(secretly watching the bachelor)~~ this past monday night was the last night - so i went all out & tried these very super fabulous quiche (usually made as a pie, but i made them in muffin form as to feed everyone... they were a hit & gobbled up in an instant!) note: this is pretty lengthy recipe - it is definitely a time commitment!

for inside the tart:
1 head of cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chipotle mustard
3 medium eggs, or 2 large ones (or 3 egg replacers as a substitute)
8 ounces of sour cream (i used non-fat)
1/2 cup of any kind of milk (i also used non-fat here)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 cup grated swiss cheese (non-fat)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (low fat)

homemade crust:
1 1/4 cups of wheat flour
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons earth balance butter
1 egg (or egg replacer)

note: this will make one large 12 inch tart or 12 small muffin tarts

to caramelize the onions:
heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with salt & pepper & cook until onion is a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. (this took me about 25 minutes)

while i was caramelizing the onions, i made the dough for the tart. in a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch & salt. you can chop up butter, or because i bought my earth balance in a tub, i used a tablespoon & scooped it out to add to the mix. Add one egg (note: i use vegan egg replacer as a substitute, even though the dish is obviously not vegan). mix with a fork until a dough forms. if this does not happen easily, toss it out onto a counter and knead it together. it may be a little tough - especially if you use wheat flour like i do. don't be afraid to knead, knead, knead!

to get the right fit for the muffin tin, i used the bottom of my one cup measurement & cut a circle around it(a little on the thicker side), then i used my rolling pin & rolled it out a little more to get a nice, thin crust.

whew. as if that wasn't a lot of work(!) preheat your oven to 350, & start chopping up your cauliflower! mix with two tablespoons of olive oil, a little bit of salt & pepper, and roast away! (15 minutes, turn, shuffle around the cauliflower, & then another 15 minutes)

& here's something good to know - you can do all of this up to a DAY beforehand! (i did all this in the morning, & then actually baked in the afternoon) so for all of you who like to plan ahead (which is typically not me).

the last part:
use a knife or brush (or like me, your finger) to spread the bottom and sides of crust with mustard. then put down the caramelized onions, the cauliflower over the onion, & one artichoke heart on top (if you have extra, the more, the merrier). whisk eggs (or egg replacer), sour cream, milk & pepper in a bowl. once mixed, pour in the swiss cheese & pinch of cinnamon & mix together. pour mixture over the onion, cauliflower & artichoke, & sprinkle with parmesan. bake until tart is golden & center is set (40 minutes).

voila! you have a really scrumptious, healthy meal! the smell in the kitchen alone will make your mouth water!

vegan cranberry orange scones

2010-02-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

tonight i was feeling a little adventurous - despite the day i had of a physical therapist telling me my back is totally messed up & that i may need months of PT to correct it. i was also sent for x-ray's to make sure that i don't have any fractures (which i do doubt). regardless, i have a bad florida driver who rear ended me to thank for that. i don't know what i am going to do with exercising seeing as i was planning to do a duathlon in 4 weeks, & want to train for a full marathon over the summer. yoga seems to be the only form of exercise on the doctor's agenda, but that certainly is not the amount of physical exertion i'm used to.

anyways... i made vegan cranberry orange scones tonight. my mom makes the most fabulous scones i've ever eaten, but she's on vacation in the caribbean right now with my dad, so i just used a recipe i found online & modified it. when she gets back, i'll have to snag her recipe & make a new batch (but i don't know if she'll be willing to share her secrets!)

* 3 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup florida crystals sugar (organic)
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup earth balance butter
* 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
* 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
* 1/2 cup soy yogurt
* juice of one hand squeezed orange

mix all ingredients together in a bowl (i know most recipes say to mix these parts, mix those parts & then mix together, but i just don't bake that way, which might be why i'm not the most successful baker). baking is certainly less forgiving than cooking, which i am MUCH better at, but working on it.

i rolled mine into a big ball, then put it onto a cookie sheet, then cut like a pizza into 12 pieces & sprinkled a little sugar on each scone. keep in mind, if you haven't eaten scones before (or it's been a while, or haven't made your own) scones are pretty dry! don't freak out if they are dry when you pull them out of the oven - they are to be enjoyed with a cup of tea!

raw falafel, tahini & hummus

2010-02-25T19:22:00.001-08:00

if anyone knows me at all, they know that one of my favorite foods, that i could eat anytime or anywhere, is falafel. today, instead of doing school work, which i dreadfully needed to catch up on due to working 5 days in a row, i made homemade raw falafel, tahini and hummus. here are the recipes:

falafel:
2 cups almonds
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup parsley
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons raw tahini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup water

blend in a food processor, and make into small patties. i don't have a dehydrator, so i put the oven on 100 (raw is considered anything under 118 degrees) and then i leave the oven door open. watch until the patties start to get hard. if you do have a dehydrator, i'm not sure of how long you would put them in there for...

tahini
1/2 large cucumber (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup raw tahini
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 lemon, juiced (or if you are lazy like me, you buy lemon juice in a bottle, in which case, you can use 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

blend in the food processor.

hummus recipe
the only difference between the recipe from before and the one that i made today is that i added 2 tablespoons of pine nuts. totally worth the splurge of the pine nuts - which can be pretty expensive.

this meal was fabulous: the only splurge was a very high fiber wrap & a small sprinkle of feta cheese. i also added lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and onions to the inside. voila! one of my favorite meals of all time!

enjoy!

banana bliss balls

2010-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

been slacking in the work out department, but on a more positive note, i have gone back to eating pretty much 100% raw(i would say i'm at 90%). i really need to up my intake of wheat grass, which has virtually been none the past month or so.

i made a really great raw dessert tonight, with a little bit of modification from some raw food websites i've looked at. i did this on my own, & they actually turned out to be quite decadent! you were never know they were raw.

2 bananas
1 cup of walnuts (raw)
2 tablespoons of agave syrup (or honey, raw)
1 cup of mixed dried berries (or raisins will do)
2 tablespoons raw carob chips

pulse in food processor until chopped up - but not a gooey mush. use a tablespoon to create each ball, put on wax paper in the freezer for an hour. after they come out, heat up 2 cups of raw carob chocolate syrup (I put a cup in for one minute, just enough to make it more liquidy, which also probably made it unraw). dip each ball into the bowl of chocolate sauce & place back in the freezer. shouldn't take long to freeze. yum! dipping in raw shredded coconut is also an option.

(the raw chocolate is a little expensive, so melted regular chocolate can be substituted. great treat with little calories and when you need something for that craving!

other blog fun

2010-02-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

as i become more involved in the blogging world, i've been finding friends & others who blog about their health, nutrition, and also desserts. i thought i would share them here.

a friend from high school, catie, is blogging about her exercising & changing her life not to lose weight but to just feel better in general, find her here: catie gets healthy

& a recent friend, stephanie, who owns her a very cool apron conversion business, also blogs about all of her amazing, delicious desserts. i told her she needs to list modifiers to those of us trying to watch calories can still indulge, but she claims her husband-to-be loves butter too much! i will keep bothering her about it! find her decadent desserts here: ice cream for dinner maybe she'll make some raw desserts? (hint, hint)

& speaking of friends, a friend of mine from high school recently hit her 50 pound mark after trying to lose weight for 9+ months. i'm so impressed & inspired by keri & am striving to do the same. slowly but surely. i think little by little is the only way to keep it off. size 10 pants are only a little tight! probably another 10 pounds or so until they fit comfortably. thank you everyone for all of your support along the way. it helps me along this journey so much!

cottage cheese & oatmeal

2010-02-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

essentially i am trying to keep up with this, but truth is, i'm so much more busy this semester than last. FINALLY gotten used to eating cottage cheese, thank you to breakstone's.

i do eat it with blackberries or pineapple though. either way, it's growing on me. also, i was religiously eating ocean spray's oatmeal with pomegranate, but they stopped carrying it(or discontinued it?) at publix. seriously. i almost had a meltdown in the cereal aisle.

seems they headed in a different direction, so i've replaced it with this, which is almost just as good. i will be on a continuous search for it though. maybe target, walmart, or alberson's.

my life is terribly exciting, isn't it? a post about oatmeal?...

fabulous vegetable dumplings

2010-02-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

i made these for dinner tonight. they were sooo good.

1/2 pound firm tofu
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
2 minced cloves garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
wonton wrappers

Mix all of the ingredients together. put a tablespoon of the mix in a wonton wrapper - fold over, and wet the edges to mend together. put a small amount of sesame oil in a pan, and at low-medium heat, sear the wonton wrappers on each side.

There are some really good sesame sauces out there (i love the iron chef sesame ginger), but if you're feeling super ambitious, you can make this one:

Sesame Dressing

1 (1/2-inch-thick) slice peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup Asian sesame paste or smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Asian chile paste with garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.

hummus recipe

2010-02-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

normally, on a monday night, you'll find me gorging myself at my friend heather's house watching the bachelor. tonight, however, the arugula or the salad dressing gave me quite the stomach ache & i opted to stay home in bed & eat a sleeve of saltines with my reheatable heating pad (which is amazing & smells like ginger, from origins).

& finally, i have someone to hold me accountable again. my friend trish & i are checking in with each other once a week on weight loss & waist size. this should help. i've done really well with eating & working out yesterday & today: and i'm running ANOTHER half marathon on saturday! woohoo!

also, hummus (store bought) bothers my stomach, but for some reason, when i make my own, it doesn't. i think this is because of all the preservatives. anyways, here is a GREAT recipe i've been using to make my own. enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
* 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas (take it or leave it, i leave it out)
* 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed (i love garlic, so i add 3)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

cookies & yoga

2010-02-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

a lot of work on my plate today, yet again; but i made time for yoga, much needed. lots of toning & reminded me why it is so important to make time for it - besides the fact that it calms & relaxes.

on another note, i found this great cookie like cracker at my local health food store the other day, and they are AWESOME. 130 calories per bag & 6 grams of fiber. and very satisfying if you're craving something sweet.

still rawsome?

2010-02-03T16:28:00.001-08:00

alright. so despite my lack of posting, because of a mind boggling amount of school and work, i've been trying to be healthy. trying being the operative word. this has been difficult.

while i'm not training for a marathon anymore (though i am signed up to do another half NEXT weekend, which maybe is a mistake), and have done hardly any running since disney, i'm slowly feeling myself crumble away. is all this hard work slipping? school and work have proven to be incredibly overwhelming, yet i do not have the means to support myself without a job, and this job, as crazy as my early mornings are, does provide a sense of stress relief(or maybe more stress, i don't know) just to keep my mind off of other things.

while i'm going to spinning class, and trying to catch a yoga class here and there (which is what i really need), i'm having a really hard time managing my time... and therefore, having a hard time managing what i eat. i fear that most of my sheer exhaustion comes from the fact that i'm not eating raw, or totally raw due to just going for what's 'easy' instead of really thinking about what i'm shoveling in my mouth. most mornings and lunches i start off great, but come 2 or 3pm when i've been up since 4 in the morning i start to crash and that's when i lose it.

my stomach, which i think is mostly from anxiety, has still been bothering me lately. stress will do that to you. after keeping a pretty religious food journal, tracking how i'm feeling after i eat, dates
seem to be the one thing that really bothers my stomach (besides what i create myself). this does cause a problem, as dates are a base for almost all raw food bars, dips, etc. in a raw food diet. but i'm trying to work my way around it. i've ruled out nuts, and also the issue i was having with hummus: now i make it at home and my stomach is okay: just a forewarning, be careful with new blades on the food processor, i probably should have gone to the hospital for a stitch or two on my thumb.

i have joined the jillian michaels website (affordable, something like $10 a month), which is great for weightlifting training for my not so strong arms, and i have lost another 2 pounds, still teetering on that 20 pound mark. i keep going back and forth between 17/19 pounds. all i can try to do is take it day by day, and really try to stick with it. sometimes, it's hard with no live in support system. this blogging outlet keeps me somewhat sane.

okay, okay...

2010-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

alright. i have not been very good since i've been back... an ulcer & stomach issues have proven to be quite detrimental to eating almost anything but bread & saltines. i also have not been running or working out quite as frequently due to the severity of my school work & working full time & actually needing to sleep.

so, today i started again. my stomach seems to be back in working order, and hopefully i'll be back with the raw diet, or at least mostly raw, starting now. i do miss all my crazy smoothies & juices & all that good stuff. this morning i had oatmeal & a coffee, and i'm drinking juice for lunch: 2 carrots, 2 cucumbers, 3 key limes & an orange. A friend suggested JUST cucumbers & carrots, but to be totally honest with you, I just couldn't drink it. The key limes make it quite tart(left over from a key lime pie I made the other day), but it was better than carrots...

to be continued..

disney weekend

2010-01-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

disney weekend went pretty well, despite snow, sleet & freezing rain (which virtually never happens in florida). the weather ran me down, and i finished in 3:12:07. not too shabby for my first try, a half marathon in february(maybe 2?), a triathlon in may, and a FULL marathon in october.. i'm hooked.

i'm still dealing with this ulcer/food allergy thing - i think i may have developed an allergy to NUTS and the worst possible allergy of all, HUMMUS (only one of my favorite foods). i'm trying to eat no dairy, no soy, no gluten, etc. to sort of purge my system : but to continue with my raw diet, nuts is a large part, so i'm not sure where this will go. i'm hoping if i just lay off certain foods for a little while, they will correct themselves.

disney weekend is here!!

2010-01-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

The weekend I have been training for since August is here! I'm leaving tomorrow at 1pm to go to Disney World in Orlando for the weekend to run my first half marathon. I went to go pick up my race packet today & really started to feel the magic(cheesy, I know). I am SO excited!!

On another note, I got what I think is an ulcer(I was in the hospital last year over night because of one). It hurts when I eat anything, which poses a problem because I do need to eat before I run without being doubled over in , pain like I normally am about 30 minutes after ingestion. I went to the doctor today to get checked out, picked up a prescription, and next week I will having some minor surgery(an endoscopy) to find out what's going on in there. Hopefully, nothing that serious...

Either way, not going to let it stop me from running, and again, thank you so much to everyone for donating!! I will be thinking of you all when I'm running on Saturday. Oh, and I've decided to run the FULL nike women's marathon in San Francisco in October!! Looking forward to updating everyone about my weekend on Monday!!

new years

2010-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

happy new year everyone. my friend, tym, shared this with me, & i thought i'd share it here:

"a new years benediction" by neil gaiman

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books, and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art. Write, or draw, or build, or sing, or live, as only you can.

May your coming year be a wonderful thing, in which you dream both dangerously and outrageously. I hope you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it; that you will be loved, and you will be liked; and you will have people to love and to like in return. And most importantly, because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now, I hope that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind. And I hope that somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

on another note, i have not eaten raw, or well, for that matter, over the holidays, and have put on a few pounds(not something i'm pleased with). nor have i really been keeping up with my running(thank you snow). i'm a little nervous about being able to run my 13 miles next saturday at the big race(only a week away!!!) because of lack of keeping up with it. i'll do a little training when i get home, but nothing too strenuous so i don't hurt myself. i'll be back on board my regular eating habits & lifestyle once i land in florida monday night.

day thirty/thirty one

2009-12-19T10:27:00.001-08:00

it's been hard to be raw since i've been home. if & when i move back to the northeast, i don't know how easy it will be to keep up with something like this. all i want to eat is soup & warm things!

since i've been home, i've been trying to be pretty good. but i've still been sick, so honestly haven't been eating that much. i've been sticking to tea, soup, and fruit. i know that this is going to be hard over the holidays, but i'm really just going to try to stay away from meat. i figure if i can at least be a vegetarian until i get back to florida, that's okay.

i also haven't worked out since i ran 14 miles last week. this is not good for keeping up. i'm going to get a 14 day pass at my sister's gym so that i can at least work out. temperatures have been below zero, and i just can't bring myself to go out & run in something like that!

day twenty nine

2009-12-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

i haven't blogged in a few days because i've been sick, which i probably got from all of my glorious gift wrapping hours at the mall. i'm sure i picked up something somewhere.

anyways, needless to say, i've been ingesting pretty much juice/smoothie's and i still haven't been able to kick this. my nose is raw and i can't smell anything. its crappy.

i did, however, make these AWESOME veggie manicotti last night(not raw)... & i thought i would share the recipe here:

* 12 oz box large pasta shells
* 10 oz package spinach
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, crushed
* 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
* 1 package of extra firm Tofu, drained
* 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice
* 3.8 oz can sliced black olives, drained
* 1/2 cup basil, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
* 2 1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
* 4 Tablespoons pine nuts

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta shells al dente(usually 12 minutes.)

In a non-stick skillet with a lid, heat olive oil on medium. Saute onion for 2 minutes, until brown on edges. Reduce heat to low. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and spinach. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes(which reduces the spinach).

Place tofu in a medium-size mixing bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over tofu and stir with a fork, crumbling tofu into small curds that resemble ricotta cheese. Once mushrooms have sauteed 10 minutes, stir in tofu, spinach, olives, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat another 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375.

Spread spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 12x8" baking dish. Gently spoon vegetable-tofu filling into the shells. Arrange in tight rows on top of the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Raise oven heat to broil. Sprinkle shells with pine nuts and broil (still on middle rack) for 5 minutes.

day twenty five & twenty six

2009-12-12T07:30:00.001-08:00

it's amazing, now that i've detoxed all the bad food out of my system, how horrible i feel when i actually do eat crappy food. i had a good morning/lunch but was gift wrapping at the mall last night and ate a piece of pizza and a brownie for dinner and about 30 minutes afterwards my stomach started to lurch. i'll just leave it at that. i did thirteen miles this morning with my T(train)E(endurance)A(achieve)M(matter)(GO LLS!) and at 6 or 7 miles was really starting to feel that pizza working it's way through my system (what didn't work it's way through last night).

one of our team members, Doug, is now out of remission, showed up to give our mission moment, and i couldn't help but cry. he has a family and cannot work and not only is he on new treatments because his old one stopped working, but his bills are over $8,000 a month. i'm donating whatever i make over my gift wrapping to his family & i'm going to put together a starbucks basket. this seems like peanuts, but i can't swing anything financially to give. at least i can donate my time to try to give money that way, and some coffee and tea. if you feel like donating to such a worthy cause, you can here! the more i get donated (i have $289 left) the more that i make from wrapping will go to Doug to pay for his treatments.

that being said, i have to really thank my mentor this year, Lisa. i was pretty miserable when i moved to Orlando, & didn't know if i was going to last. joining the Leukemia & Lymphoma society's running team is my new family down here. we cheer each other on, trade emails, share stories, and we're doing it for a great cause. Lisa, my mentor, is an angel. she works full time, has a family, runs all these crazy miles every week(she's doing the GOOFY challenge, both the half marathon AND the marathon, god bless her), AND she runs SO many fundraisers for us, including gift wrapping at TWO malls, which is an insane amount of work. she is always there to pick up my phone call, answer an email, and is incredibly easy to talk to. i would have not made it through this season of running, or even this semester of school, had it not been for her. Lisa has had an unbelievable impact on me & i hope that she can take some time for herself & rest over the holidays. I hope I can be just like her when i grow up!!

today i had a english muffin with almond butter before my run(no time for a smoothie)
lunch:fruit smoothie
dinner: salad & a lara bar
and i had a coffee on the way home, too.

can't wait to go home next week!

twenty four

2009-12-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

i had a weird day... work, nap, hair cut, gift wrapping, blind date.

breakfast:
coffee
oatmeal (i cheated; i overslept & forgot to bring something with me)

lunch:
left over veggie stirfry

dinner:
raw dinner @ cafe 118. i had the veggie stir fry there as well and it was AMAZING. and i also had the raw chocolate hazelnut tart, which I think i might be able to live off of for the rest of my life.

i'm on a mad hunt for canistel/egg fruit, something native to FL and used as a substitute for raw foodist for pumpkin to make pumpkin pie. only native to FL and Hawaii. I might have to venture farther south for one, though, like Miami.

Counting down the days until I fly home...

twenty two & twenty three

2009-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

I did not post yesterday due to an insane amount of work I needed to get done. I turned in a 45 page paper yesterday, and completed a seven hour exam today online. but it's all done, phew. my first semester of grad school is over.

yesterday i munched on a lot of veggies & hummus, and had a raw sandwich for dinner. (with left over fruit smoothie for breakfast from the night before).

today i had coffee, a salad, and a blanched stir fry with marinated(ginger teriyaki) tofu. and some raw dark chocolate for dessert.

now that school is over, I'm hoping i can step up my game with this and really start experimenting(despite my crazy work schedule and gift wrapping hours before i leave next thursday for home).

also gearing up to run another 14 miles on saturday morning!!!

day twenty one

2009-12-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

3 weeks i've been on this diet. i haven't been exactly REGIMENT about it, but i've been pretty good. today i was on a mostly liquid diet. although the diet requires no cooking, it actually requires a lot more work prepping than i thought!!

breakfast:
lara bar
coffee

lunch & dinner:
smoothie:
one banana
1/2 mango
two blood red oranges
one apple
2 tablespoons of coconut
1 tablespoon of wheat grass
eight ounces of odwalla superfood juice

smoothies like this are actually pretty sustaining!

i also ordered these 2 books from borders (because they were having a huge sale) and got them the other day. I've briefly looked over them, but will get more in depth once i finish my final exams on wednesday.

day twenty

2009-12-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

breakfast:
coffee
lara bar

lunch:
a few turkey meatballs

dinner:
a piece of fish
blanched asparagus

dessert:
raw chocolate & almonds

day eighteen & nineteen

2009-12-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

okay, i didn't post yesterday. i worked, i gift wrapped, & then i went to bed early in anticipation for my big first half marathon race. well, unfortunately for me, i did not go. i was really bummed out, but there was flooding in effect for the race, and it was torrentially down pouring when i got up this morning. being so close to the disney race, i didn't want to risk an injury (i was advised from my coach to do this).

friday, the 4th:
breakfast
lara bar
coffee

napped through lunch

dinner:
kombucha
raw lettuce wraps filled with squash, carrots, more lettuce & other good stuff from whole foods
carob/almond milk hot chocolate(pretty interesting)

today, the 5th:
breakfast
coffee
go raw bar

lunch:
more coffee (it's just one of those raining, feeling tired, days)
crispy raw spring rolls

i'm not really that hungry, so i don't think im going to eat dinner (and seeing as it's already 8pm & i have to get up at 4am to work tomorrow)

oh, and i also went shopping today - i got a pant size smaller than i normally wear. that was exciting.

day seventeen

2009-12-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

last push through finals & gift wrapping

breakfast:
think fruit bar
coffee

lunch:
salad

dinner:
vegan pad thai (raw veggies & spelt noodles)
raw blonde brownie

(& then regular chocolate chips cookies my roommate ate & now i feel sick. blah.)

slowing learning my lessons as I am not eating so much junk anymore!

day sixteen

2009-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

ugh. i was reminded today why i don't drink soda anymore. it tastes GROSS!

breakfast:
coffee
apple

lunch:
awesome fruit smoothie!
(same one I made a few days ago)

dinner:
soy latte (gotta love finals)
a piece of chicken
cheese & crackers

it's been a really long few weeks & i can't wait until finals are over & i'm home for the holidays.

day fifteen

2009-12-01T18:57:00.001-08:00

it's hard to believe yesterday was 2 weeks since i started this raw food blog. i've since lost another 2 pounds (making it 16 pounds total, i hope to hit 20 before christmas). i haven't gone totally raw yet, but i'm out of oatmeal, and only have a few pieces of chicken & fish left in the freezer. then i'll be golden.

some other life changes: cutting down hours to one shift a week at starbucks & substituting instead. & hopefully, once i'm sleeping on a more normal pattern, i can quit coffee. i feel better about where things are headed... i've had to cut some ties that have been really hard on me to let go of, but i suppose it's all for the better in the end.

breakfast:
think bar
coffee with soy

lunch:
raw sushi
edamame

dinner:
decaf tall soy latte
a few pieces of raw chocolate

day fourteen

2009-11-30T17:02:00.000-08:00

still feeling under the weather... slept most of the day..

breakfast:
fruit smoothie:
one banana
one apple
1/2 mango
2 blood red oranges
8 ounces of naked 'probiotic' juice
one tablespoon of ginger
juice of one fresh squeezed lime

lunch:
one piece of tilapia

dinner:
amy's vegetable soup

day thirteen

2009-11-29T17:54:00.001-08:00

i am trying to get myself prepped for saturday. FIRST REAL MARATHON! i'm both really nervous & really excited at the same time.

funny, extreme makeover home edition was not only about a boy with leukemia, but also from new hampshire, so it really hit home. (& definitely did not stop me from having a little sob fest while writing my papers).

i have yet to really dig into juliano's raw food uncook book. i'm hoping once finals are done (next week), i'll be able to really start experimenting.

breakfast:
think bar
coffee with soy (oatmeal is gone)

lunch:
raw cashews with pomegranate & vanilla bean

dinner:
blue corn chips with raw salsa & raw guacamole
salad

dessert:
banana balls from whole foods

day twelve

2009-11-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

breakfast:
coffee with soy
organic (but not raw) berry coffee cake

lunch:
left over cafe 118
(crispy spring rolls/bean burrito)

snack:
raw banana balls from whole foods
i have got to figure out how to make these, they are frozen banana, walnuts & dates covered in carob chocolate & they are amazing!

dinner:
blue corn chips & raw salsa & guacamole

day eleven

2009-11-27T17:43:00.001-08:00

mmm i ate so good today. & i feel so good. this is definitely why i started doing this.

breakfast:
coffee with soy
think organic bar

lunch:
marinated tofu & chick peas (the tofu was cold, but i'm not really sure if that counts for raw or not?)

dinner:
strawberry/banana/pear/lime/ginger fruit smoothie
crispy veggie rolls
spicy 'bean' burrito
all raw pumpkin pie

(of course dinner was at cafe 118 in winter park, i just can't get enough of that place, even if it is mega expensive, it's totally worth it). the pumpkin pie tastes like the real deal, and the bean burrito was a dehydrated corn flour tortilla, with avocado, corn, romaine lettuce, cashew sour cream. i have no idea what else was in it. but it was soooo good. i had them split the portions so i can eat the same exact thing for lunch/dinner tomorrow!

i also ran 5 miles today. i paced myself & did not have to stop at all to walk. i didn't time myself (one of these days i need to buy a watch, i asked for one that counts distance, calories and heart rate for christmas) so that i can actually figure out how long its taking me to run. the only time i keep track is when i'm running with my group on saturday mornings. but i'll bet that i've cut down on my mile time since i've started!

day ten

2009-11-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

should i even bother with an update today? i was totally bad.

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy

snack:
a few pieces of apple, pineapple, mango & kiwi

dinner:
turkey
stuffing
mashed potatoes
string beans
piece of pumpkin pie

ehhhh & my body hates me right now.

day nine

2009-11-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

i finally had a chance to sleep in today. very exciting. i also went to the gym for an hour, in anticipation of knowing that i was going to be sitting all day writing a 15 page paper on art education policies in public schools(snooze).

i have been doing school work since noon, & i will keep working until glee is on. then i'm calling it a night.

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy

lunch:
salad

snack:
pumpkin muffin

dinner:
one piece of chicken
zucchini, broccoli, string beans and peppers

day eight

2009-11-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

i have been really lazy since i've run my 'practice' half marathon on saturday. i was so sore sunday and monday, i did not work out, and today i was planning on going to spinning class but got wrapped up in writing a paper and didn't make it(at least i was using my time to do something productive).

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy

lunch:
think bar
piece of fish
a raw sliced up pepper

dinner:
pumpkin cheesecake

i blame that last one on my roommate. you cannot put me in a room with anything pumpkin and expect me not to eat it. i have a feeling the next few weeks of eating will be hard with my crazy work schedule, writing 3 very large papers with supplement presentations, and also gift wrapping to make my last few couple hundred fundraising dollars for LLS for my marathon. I'll make it through. hopefully, with a lot of shakes!

day seven

2009-11-23T18:51:00.001-08:00

today was a long day! work & a lot of errands & class. i've been really good about eating today & feel great about it.

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy(will i ever be able to give up coffee? i don't know!)

lunch:
think fruit bar(peanut gogi glow is my favorite, but i couldn't find a photo of that one) they also have think thin, think organic, think thin bites, etc. they are all raw and natural(and filling and amazing!)

dinner:
sushi
edamame
raw pumpkin seeds

dessert:
raw dark chocolate

i also wanted to let everyone know about these GREAT shoes I bought last weekend. they are vegan, and are incredibly comfortable. instead of biking to school in flip flops, i use these now. i highly recommend them: J-41 is the company, this model is the Gladiator. I have the turquoise ones. & they have a map in the bottom.

day six

2009-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

today i am just trying to recover from my run yesterday. it hurt to get out of bed this morning. i denied myself a nap today(worked from 5:30am to 11:30am), and now, at 7:45pm, my bed is calling my name. This, in turn, has also caused me to be incredibly lazy about eating... trying to not steer myself down that road, but i wasn't exactly good today.

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy

lunch:
half an avocado
2 pieces of provolone cheese
4 squares of dark chocolate

dinner:
pad thai(vegetables?)

i guess that's not so bad. i'm a little worried about thanksgiving.

day five

2009-11-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

today i ran THIRTEEN miles. the full mileage of the half marathon... i did it in 3 hours(+ a little but i stopped to go to the bathroom 2 times, which will most likely not happen on race day, i don't think, due to excitement/momentum/etc.) my legs are pretty sore & the last couple of miles were actually the hardest.

i have not lost any weight this week, despite my eating & exercise habits. i know this is because i rarely get sleep, which is a huge contributing factor. this is really disappointing to see on the scale when i'm working so hard for it to come off. i'm trying not to let this discourage me too much.

i was totally wiped when i was done running. took a nice long nap. (when i probably should have been doing school work). i also made crispy spring rolls again for dinner(left over collard greens & cabbage i did not want to go bad). I documented them this time!

breakfast:
a bagel with almond butter

lunch:
banana
2 pieces of provolone cheese

dinner:
a piece of grilled chicken
crispy spring rolls

& i'll probably have some raw dark chocolate for a little bit of dessert later

here are the photos from dinner, in order:

all of the ingredients(minus the date dipping sauce, because i had leftovers from the last time i made it)

cutting the collard greens & spreading on the almond butter

filling them with the ingredients

all wrapped up & ready to eat(the date sauce on the side). some of my collard greens were getting a little flimsy, so they broke.

day four

2009-11-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

i was feeling a little under the weather today... today was a 'rest day' as i'm gearing up to run a 'practice' half marathon tomorrow. i need to keep my time under 3.5 hours(which is a 15 minute mile). when i ran a 5 mile race about 2 months ago, i did it in an hour, and have been averaging 10 miles in a little over 2 hours. we'll see how tomorrow goes. i have mountains of school work piling up that i haven't really started.. so this post will be short & sweet

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy milk

lunch:
raw sushi(with spelt rice) not really a big fan, so i don't think i'll be eating this again

dinner:
a honey wheat bagel left over from my mom's visit

oh, on an exciting note though, i did pick up juliano's raw uncook book today, & i'm excited to start using recipes from it!

day three

2009-11-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

a weird thing happened to me today... i went to the doctor & i got on the scale & they told me i was 10 pounds lighter than what i was weighing myself at home... then i went to walmart. i weighed myself on three different scales, and theirs what definitely wrong. how weird... isn't a doctor supposed to have one of those big clunky medal ones where you shift the weight back and forth? they had a digital one on a CARPET. something tells me this might be the reason why.

today i had:
oatmeal
coffee with soy milk
chocolate lara bar

a falafel pita from the hummus house: HH is my FAVORITE. it was their one year anniversary so i got a pita for 3 bucks. SCORE!

another coffee(black).

has anyone ever eaten a green & black chocolate bar? i picked one up at whole foods the other day & it was soooo good. all raw ingredients, too. (dark chocolate with raw almonds). fabulous snack.

day two/crispy spring rolls recipe

2009-11-18T16:42:00.001-08:00

unfortunately i am back into the bad habit of getting up really early because of work(4am) and coming home & trying not to take a nap is very difficult. i've been good so far about sticking to this, i'm hoping that my energy levels rise as i continue this diet.

last night i worked out for 2 hours(spinning & kickboxing) & today i ran 6 miles, and biked 6 miles. let's see those pounds drop!

breakfast:
oatmeal
coffee with soy milk

lunch:
(thank you cafe 118 in winter park for divulging enough ingredients for me to figure this amazing recipe out)
crispy spring rolls

dinner
roasted eggplant & zucchini
one piece of salmon

alright, so dinner tonight was not raw... but like i said, i want to slowly integrate this eating permanently.

oh, & here's that recipe for the awesome spring rolls!

ingredients:

cabbage
carrots
mango
almond butter
collard greens
dates
lemon

shred one cup of carrots, one cups of cabbage & one cup of mango(i like to use a large cheese grater)

cut up one cup of fresh dates - blend in the food processor adding fresh lemon juice until it is smooth

cut one large leaf of collard green in half(i just cut out the vein, and i have two equal halves) - spread almond butter on the leaves - as much or as little as you would like.

layer the mango, carrots & cabbage: roll like a burrito: dip in amazing date spread: ENJOY! these is a great sweet & sour combo that you will love!

day one

2009-11-17T10:19:00.001-08:00

this morning i started my raw diet... they say it's best not to go cold turkey unless you're just doing a detox, so i'm slowly integrating it into how i'm eating(& i do not want to waste things like oatmeal, soy milk, and the salmon that's in my freezer)

for breakfast:
oatmeal with raw almonds
coffee with soy milk

lunch:
key lime lara bar & a shake:

1 scoop carob powder
1 scoop super food
1 scoop wheat grass
1 whole banana
1/2 mango
1 whole apple
1 whole orange
1 cup of soy milk
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon noni juice

for dinner i plan on eating baked zucchini & eggplant, and probably a piece of fish.

my head is pounding, by the way. i don't know if it's the lack of sleep or the detoxing i'm experiencing from the shake i just finished.

starting raw

2009-11-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

a recent trip to montana sparked an interest in training for a marathon; so i joined up with the leukemia & lymphoma society & i've been running since august. with that, i also started watching what i ate, and i have lost 13 pounds. i think it would be more if i actually got some sleep every once in a while, but working at 5am, and being a graduate student tends to take up most of my day.

i recently started to look into raw food diets after seeing a special about it on TLC. so, last week i took the plunge and spent almost $300 on a blender, a food processor, and things like wheat grass, carob powder, super food, etc. with the help of a friend who's done it before, i knew i really wanted to do this.

over the weekend, my mom was here & we went to this amazing restaurant called cafe 118. gourmet raw food. it was unbelievable. i knew i was hooked & could do it after that. we even made some of the stuff the next day that we ate & it was pretty easy.

so, here i will document my beginning days of being a 'raw foodist'.