Today’s Observations
I recently participated in a marketing meeting at an organization I’m involved with.  To get at our core message, we asked ourselves these questions – What is the promise? and What are the reasons to believe that promise? Great questions.

I was thinking about these questions as they relate to raw foods.  What is the promise of raw foods? And what are the reasons to believe?  Without question, for me the promise of raw foods is simple -  Ridiculous energy that fuels a life of outrageous joy.

What are the reasons to believe? Simple again.  The stories of transformation I hear every week, provide plenty of reasons to believe. Here are some of the stories I have heard this week.

• Today I spoke with someone who was in one of my raw food classes in February.  Since then she has been about 90% raw and, in addition to losing 35 pounds and participating in a triathlon, her lifelong digestive problems have completely gone away, and she’s got that giddy thing going on – like unexplainable kinda happy :)  Just another side effect of raw foods…

• A participant in our Raw for the Holidays class, shared this week that, since coming to our raw food class and changing her diet back in July, she has dropped from a size 24 to 16, and her daughter has also dropped 4 sizes.  She feels better than ever,  her skin has completely cleared up, and she is brighter and more vibrant than ever.

• Finally, I received an email from someone today who was a vegetarian before coming to my raw food class this summer.  She said simply, “Thanks for the classes, they’ve been life changing.”

These stories inspire me, and they remind me of the power of raw foods.  Raw foods are not the end, but rather, they are a powerful means to the end of  living a life of Outrageous Joy.  They open the door to joy by clearing the fog and the toxins and the blocks that stand in the way and by providing a foundation of absolute boundless energy.  The past 64 days have convinced me even more of this, and so I’ve decided to extend my 30 day 100% raw experiment for an entire year.  I can’t wait to see what more is in store along this amazing journey.

Today’s Menu
Today’s menu was simple, I had Asian Pear Salad for lunch and dinner.  (Check out day 23.)

Today’s Recipe – Date Poppers
These are a super simple, festive, holiday little treat.  They are elegant enough to put out for guests, and simple enough to eat every day.  These come curtesey of Jessica deStephano.

Date Poppers (4 Yums)
20 Majool Dates
20 mint leaves
About a cup of pomegranate seeds

Slice half way through the dates carefully and remove the seed.  It should now open sort of like a hot dog bun.  Stack the mint leaves on top of each other (about 5 at a time) roll them up, and slice through them.  This will make little ribbons of mint.  Drop 3 or 4 ribbons into each date (more or less to taste).  Then finish off by adding a line of pomegranate seeds on top of the mint.  Now you have beautiful red and green holiday treats.  Pop one and enjoy :)

Today’s Affirmation
I make choices every day that support a life of outrageous joy.

Today’s Observations
My yoga teacher (Kori Flechtner) is celebrating her 34th birthday and invited her students to join her tonight for a special yoga practice.  The core of the practice was 34 sun salutations in honor of each year of her life. It had been a looong time since I had been in a yoga class and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous going into this one.  As we sat in meditation at the beginning of the class, and I thought about my intention for the two hours that lie ahead, I realized that this was also my 34th day of being 100% raw.  Wow! The Universe blows me away with this stuff.  And how appropriate it was that I was celebrating it doing yoga with Kori because it was in January 2008, when I participated in a small intention group with Kori and a few of her students, that I first went raw and set an intention for my journey…

I honor the Divine within me
By making extraordinary decisions every single day
That support the exquisite care of my body, mind, and soul
In such a way that it’s contagious.

By way of reflection, I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at this intention and see how it has manifested in the past 34 days.

ex-traor-din-ar-y – beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular or established, as in extraordinary decisions.
People talk about how long it takes to form a new habit or make a shift in behavior – 3 weeks? 30 days? 3 months?  I suppose that’s why I set out for 30 days raw… to give myself enough time to build a new way of being.  But what I realize is that the shift that happened in me didn’t take 30 days… it took a moment.   The moment I made the decision to eat 100% raw for 30 days, a shift happened in my mind and my heart and my being… and everything changed.  Of course it is true that with time, eating raw has become easier and more of a habit, but that is secondary to the shift that happened when I made a decision to do things differently.  The moment of that decision opened up a whole new universe of possibilities.  If there was just one lesson I could take away from this experience, this would be it – be bold, be fearless, don’t be so ‘mayo’, make extraordinary decisions… every single day.

ex-quis-ite – of rare excellence of production or execution, as works of art or workmanship, as in exquisite care.
I love this idea of treating my body, mind and soul as a precious work of art.  I think the thing that has surprised me the most in this 34 day journey, has been the impact on my mind and soul.  Not to minimize the changes to my body – I’ve lost weight, my joints flow more freely, my hot flashes have been significantly reduced, my skin is softer and brighter, and my energy continues to skyrocket.  But it is the changes to my mind and soul that took me by surprise.  I feel incredible clarity of mind.  It’s difficult to describe this, as one almost has to experience it juxtapose to not having clarity of mind.  In any case,  with that, I am able to think more clearly and have been able to make decisions about my life and my business that have expanded both in new and exciting directions.  Also unexpected have been the changes in my spiritual life.  Implementing a 5:30 morning routine of yoga, meditation, gratitude, and intention has deepened my spiritual connection and I feel  it has opened a channel for Spirit to flow more freely.   I’ve come to understand and experience that everything starts with energy, and when I infuse my body with living energy, my mind and my soul are also more alive.  Bottom line,  BIG energy = BIG life.

con-ta-gious – tending to spread from person to person, as in in such a way that it’s contagious.
I love educating people about raw foods, and I love preparing it for my friends, but it has never been my style to try to convert people to raw.  And yet, in the past 34 days, my mom and brother asked for seconds of my watermelon gazpacho, my nephew’s wife started her own 30 day raw challenge, my friends from Texas hosted their own raw dinner party, and my colleagues with whom I serve on a non-profit board, decided that our next meeting will be a raw potluck.  I’m blown away by how contagious this stuff is and it’s fun to see how the deliciousness of the food, and the energy you get from it, and the joy it brings all speak for themselves.

So lets run the numbers…
days raw – 34
pounds lost – 8
recipes tried – 23
energy found – immeasurable :)

My intention is to continue 100% raw as long as it feels right.  I’ve had so much fun discovering new recipes and writing this blog, that I plan to continue trying new recipes, revisiting my old favorites, and writing at least twice a week.  I’ve also been thinking about my next 30 day challenge – perhaps 30 days of yoga classes, or 30 days of waste reduction…  I’m still thinking on this one, but whatever it turns out to be, i hope you will join me for the journey.  By the way, I made it through the 34 sun salutations, and like going 100% raw, the more I did, the easier it got. :)

Today’s Recipe – Orange Cilantro Green Smoothie
This recipe is a favorite of mine. I like it because it is simple and delicious, and I usually have the ingredients in my fridge.  I typically have it as a morning or lunch smoothie.  If you want, you can leave the avocado out to make it less thick or you can add another avocado to it to make it into more of a soup.  I just made this smoothie for The Green Chick.  You can check out the video blog here.

Orange Cilantro Green Smoothie (4+ Yums)
2 cups orange juice – fresh squeezed is best if possible
1 english cucumber, unpeeled
1 healthy handful Cilantro
1 avocado

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Today’s Affirmation
I breath in all the Universe has to offer me today, I breath out gratitude.

Today’s Observations
For the past three days, I have had the pleasure of taking care of my friend Charisse’s Shih Tzu – Phoebe.  Besides being just about the cutest darn thing you’ve ever seen, she is an example of a life lived with joy and confidence and ease.  She’s a bit of a sleepy head, so while I did my morning yoga routine, she slept in.  But then after all, she wrote the book on ‘Downward Facing Dog’.  Once she wakes up though, she is so excited to go outside for our morning walk and see what the world has to offer.   She runs everywhere she goes. And whether she is running down the street, or chasing the birds on the beach, she literally leaps with joy and runs so fast that it blows her ears back as if she were a model on a set with a special effects fan.  And though she’s only ten pounds, she approaches much larger dogs with a kind of canine confidence that says, I know who I am and I know what I want… and right now I want to sniff you.  Filled with joy and confidence, Phoebe glides through life effortlessly.  Even her work (hunting for squirrels) seems like play.  For her there is no separation between the two.

Some might say that’s a dog’s life, but I like to think it is a people life too, and the kind of life I want to live.  I want my life to be characterized by that same kind of joy and excitement in greeting the day, a confidence that comes from knowing who I am and what I have to offer, and an ease in moving through life where the lines between work and play are blurred.  I think living with this kind of joy and confidence and ease is the way it was meant to be for all of us, canine and homosapien alike, and I for one am grateful for my ten pound role model.

Today’s Menu
Fruit Salad for breakfast
Asian Pear Salad for lunch
Snacks – LARA bar, pears, pecans
Guacamole for dinner :)

Today’s New Recipe(s)
I’ve missed writing my blog for a couple days, and I’ve also missed making a new recipe each day, but I have tried two new ones which were excellent – Watermelon Wow! and Greenmarket Salad with Macadamia Nuts.  The Watermelon Wow is the name I gave it after I tried this recipe for a watermelon granita shared with me by my friend Laura Taylor.  It is totally fun and refreshing.  Granita is typically served with a spoon in a bowl, but I like it a bit thinner as a drink.  A cool drink to share with guests.  The Greenmarket Salad from Raw Food Real World is another winner – especially the dressing.  Both will become part of my regular weekly menu.  Enjoy.

Watermelon Wow (4+ Yums)
1/2 petite watermelon (about 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon agave
Juice from 1 lemon
About 6 medium mint leaves, sliced
Ice

Place everything in blender except the ice, blend, and then add enough ice to get to the consistency you want.  Thinner for a beautiful pink drink (garnish with mint) or thicker for a refreshing desert you can eat with a spoon.

Greenmarket Salad (4 Yums)
Dressing
1 small avocado
1 cup OJ
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 handful cilantro
2 green onions
1/2 small jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Blend everything except olive oil and pepper.  Then, with the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil until creamy and smooth.  Season with pepper.

Salad
1 large bowl of mixed greens
1 large handful of sprouted sunflower seeds
2 radishes
1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
I also added more avocado and some other stuff I had in the fridge – celery and red pepper

In large bowl, mix salad ingredients and dressing to taste.

Today’s Affirmation
I live a contagious life of joy and confidence and ease.

Today’s Observations
I’ve just completed day 25 and I am still feeling really good with really high energy.  My mental clarity is one of the biggest changes I have noticed.  Live foods just make be feel more alive, plain and simple.  Making a new recipe everyday is getting to be a bit of a challenge, I’m not sure how Julie Powell did it for 365 days!  Kudos to her.  I realized I haven’t run the numbers lately, so here they are:

25 days raw
22 new recipes
6 pounds lost
1 80th birthday party survived

Today’s Menu
Coconut, Mango, Raspberry smoothie
Snacks – pears, apples, LARA bar
Cucumber noodles with cream sauce and capers for dinner (check out day 6)
Lime Mousse with pineapple for dessert

Today’s New Recipe
I was a little short on time, so instead of making this whole Lime Mouse Tart recipe from Raw Food Real Word, I just made the mouse and served it with fresh pineapple wedges, and it was really good.  This recipe serves 4-6.  Enjoy.

Lime Mousse (4 Yums)
5 ripe avocados
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup packed lime zest (6-8 limes) – this was a challenge with my zester
1/4 cup agave
2 tablespoons coconut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 packets stevia (I did not add this because I don’t like the after taste from Stevia.  I just added a bit more agave.

Mix everything except Stevia in a blender until smooth.  Add Stevia or agave to taste if needed.

Today’s Affirmation
I’m living a contagious life of outrageous joy, unimaginable abundance, and pure Divine love.

Today’s Observations
I flew back home to Laguna Beach today from my parent’s house in Castle Rock.  As it turned out, the most challenging part of my visit was not eating raw, but dealing with my parent’s dial-up internet connection, which moves at the speed of molasses… on a cold, bitterly cold, winter day.  Just trying to get my mom set up on Facebook was painful.  After waiting 5 minutes for her picture to load, we finally bailed out.   Is it bad that I’ve learned to expect things to move at the speed 12.5 megabytes per second?  Not only do I expect it, but in fact, my daily life has come to depend on it – Skype, Facebook, GoToMeeting, google searches – this is where I live.  I love technology, and I happen to think it makes our lives better, more productive, and more efficient.  But theirs is a different kind of life in Castle Rock.  Its simpler and slower paced.  Focused less on technology and more on tradition.  The fact is, they love their life, and I love mine.  Neither is better, just different.  And I suppose that’s not a bad lesson to learn… even if it did take 28 kilobits per second to learn it.

Today’s Menu
Apples and pears for breakfast
Coconut, mango, raspberry smoothie for lunch
Cucumber Mint Gazpacho for dinner
Apples and avocado for snacks

Today’s New Recipe
I wanted to give this recipe from Raw Living Foods a try… but I didn’t really like it :(  A little too bland for me and a little too hot (from the Jalapeno).  But I kept it and will try to doctor it up a bit with Pineapple (it needs some sweetness) and some cilantro – which makes anything better :).  This version of the recipe is for 1-2 people.

Cucumber Mint Gazpacho (2 Yums)
2 english cucumbers peeled and cubed
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 jalapeno
1/4 red pepper
10-12 mint leaves, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend the cucumber and lime until smooth.  Place in a bowl and add the other ingredients.  Mix and serve.

Today’s Affirmation
I am grateful for the growth that is available through difference.

Today’s Observations
I’ve had that Whitney Houston song stuck in my head all day…

The greatest love of all is happening to me.
I found the greatest love of all inside of me…..
If I should fail, if I succeed,
At least I’ll live as I believe….
Because the greatest love of all…

I don’t know why it is that songs get stuck in our heads.  But as long as this one kept showing up, it made me wonder why I was singing this song out of the millions of songs I could get stuck with… and it made me wonder if eating raw foods for the past 23 days has anything to do with it.  Raw foods do clear the toxins, and do raise your energy and do raise your vibration – all of which might cause anyone to bust out singing, even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket.  But I rather like to think the reason is pretty simple – It makes me happy to belt out that song, not caring if I’m in tune or on key.  It makes me happy to sing the words – “the greatest love of all inside of me”.   It makes me happy.  That’s it.  Pretty simple.  And I like being happy.  So I think I’ll just keep on singing…

I found the greatest love of all…

Today’s Menu
Fruit Salad with banana
Simple Apple Cobler
Pear and 2 LARA bars for lunch
Asian Pear Salad for Dinner
Bowl of Watermelon

Today’s New Recipe
I saw an Asian Pear, Celery, Dill salad listed on a menu in the local Castle Rock paper.  I thought it sounded good and I set out to create my own recipe.  I think it turned out pretty good and is definitely something I will make again.  Feel free to adjust the amounts to your own taste as I just kind of throw things together and try to figure out amounts aftarwards :)

Asian Pear, Celery and Dill Salad with Cashews (4 Yums)
2 cups of Asian Pear, diced
1/2 cup celery diced
1/4-1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons dill, minced
Juice of one lime
Just a few sprinkles of toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl.  Toss together and enjoy.

Today’s Affirmation
Today I joyously sing like no one’s listening and dance, like no one’s watching.

Today’s Observations
I find that some people are downright dumbfounded by my “diet”.  My aunt who was visiting for my Dad’s birthday, kept commenting on all the things I couldn’t eat – “You mean you can’t eat bread?  How do you live without bread?…  The birthday cake was delicious.  Oh, but I guess you can’t have that…. You can’t have yogurt?  But isn’t that supposed to be good for you?”  I don’t really think about eating raw in terms of all the things I “can’t” eat (no one is forcing me to do this) – rather, the way I think about it is that I choose to eat anything I want... as long as it is fruits or vegetables, seeds or nuts, that are not heated above 118 degrees.  The truth is, the possibilities are endless, creative, gorgeous and flavorful.  Here are my Top Ten reasons why I love eating raw.

1. The feel fantastic.
2. The food is delicious.
3. The food is gorgeous.
4. I never have indigestion.
5. Clean up is EASY.
6. Preparation is EASY.
7. I have boundless energy.
8. I get to eat avocados everyday :)
9. I don’t ever have to think about the amount I eat.
10. The food is fun!

Today’s Menu
Fruit Salad for breakfast
Watermelon Gazpacho for lunch
Snacks – banana, pear, apple, Lara Bars
Fruit Salad for dinner

Today’s New Recipe
Well I have to admit, that I did not make a new recipe today.  But I did discover a fabulous new raw treat that I want to tell you about – LARA Bars.  Wow!  Really Yummy.  They are really moist and very flavorful.  All they have in them is dates, nuts, in most cases coconut, and other flavors like cinnamon or lime.  The flavor I had today was Coconut.  I have a couple other bars to try – Cinnamon Roll and Key Lime Pie.  I’m looking forward to it.  These get 4+ Yums on my Yum scale :)

Today’s Affirmation
I joyously choose to feed my body and soul with food that fills me with boundless energy, knowing that Big Energy = Big Life.

Today’s Observations
Today was my Dad’s much anticipated 80th birthday party.  It was the kind of humble celebration that one would expect in this small rural town.  Card tables set up in the garage and around the lawn with folding chairs and floral plastic tablecloths; an eight foot buffet table full of food; coffee brewed in a 30 cup percolator; and a huge beautifully decorated sheet cake from the local bakery.  Just in case you didn’t know who the birthday boy was, my Dad wore a bright 6″ diameter button presented to him by his grandchildren that read, “It’s My 80th Birthday”.  Ninety-eight people came out to honor my Dad. They ranged in age from 3 to 83.  They came from as far away as Minnesota and from as close as across the street.  They were people he had taught with, people from the senior center, high school kids who volunteer to help my parents with projects around the house, and of course, family.  “Cards Only.  No Gifts.” was the instruction on the invitation… but some chose to ignore that instruction.  What I was struck by, was the kind of gifts these good folks brought – 3 prize tomatoes fresh from the garden, 80 Asian Pears picked from the orchard, Salmon caught and frozen just yesterday, homemade peanut butter cookies that have a reputation that preceded them, and homemade Limpa Bread – a Swedish favorite from a Swedish friend.  There was something that touched me about these simple gifts.  There is a kind of generosity that is expressed in giving from your garden, or in baking a loaf of bread, or in sharing a salmon that you wrangled yourself, that is unmatched in any kind of store-bought gift.  I think it is the effort, and the love, and in some cases, the toil that goes into it, that makes it so special.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think my Dad wants me to return the GPS we gave him and replace it with a tomato.  But it occurred to me that there was something for me to learn from these good people of Castle Rock.  And perhaps the next time there is a gift to be given, I’ll be less likely to run to the store, and more likely to open my cupboard, to see what I can make with my heart and my hands.

Today’s Menu
Pam’s Simple Apple Cobbler for breakfast
Snacks – mango, banana
Fruit salad, olives, pickles, and nuts at the party
Pam’s Simple Apple Cobbler for dinner

Today’s New Recipe
Today was a challenging day to make a new recipe, but I did come up with a new concoction that is very, very simple.  It is great anytime of the day,  and satisfies that sweet tooth that I have.

Pam’s Simple Apple Cobbler (4 Yums)
1 apple grated
1 small handful of raisins, soaked
Cinnamon to taste
Dash of nutmeg

Place everything in a bowl and toss and enjoy.

Today’s Affirmation
I generously give of my heart and soul and hands.

Today’s Observations
I have always been struck by how delicious raw food is.  When I first went raw, that was the thing that surprised me most – it was actually really, really good.  I would follow a recipe and thow a bunch of things in my blender, and was just blown away by the aromas and the flavors.  When I’ve invited friends for dinner and fed them a raw meal, this is always the theme – suprise at how good it tastes.  In fact, I made a raw meal recently for some friends from Texas – the land of steer and oil, where I would think you wouldn’t want to be caught dead with cucumber noodles on your plate – and now these gals are hosting thier own raw dinner party.   I love that.  This has been my experience for the past year and a half.  I don’t know why I found it surprising then, when my mom reached over with her spoon at lunch today to sneak a taste of my watermelon gazpacho… and actually liked it.  I mean, she said it out loud, and then came back for a second taste and said it again – “That is really good…. it is so flavorful!  Wow!”.  My brother followed suit, and even requested his own serving.  Now everyone else was eating chicken salad sadwiches, on large fluffy croisants, with fresh tomatoes slices.  Not a bad meal by any standard.  But it is interesting to me that fresh raw flavorful food has become such an exception in our culture, that it would be seen as unique and unusual… and surprising.  As for me, I was happy to be eating watermelon soup, but most of all, I was happy to be enjoying it sitting next to my Mom, and surrounded by my family.

Today’s Menu
Fruit salad of apples, nactarines, and bananas for breakfast
Pam’s Simple Watermelon Gazpacho for lunch
Snacks – bananas, raisens, peacans
Cucumber noodles with Basil Pesto for dinner

Today’s New Recipe
I have made a watermelon gazpacho in the past that I really enjoy, so when my brother, aunt, mom, and I were elbow deep in watermelon this morning (prepping for my dad’s birthday party), I thought that would be a great thing to have for lunch.  The version I share below is my own “on the road’ creation.  Basically I started with the watermelon puree, and then threw in whatever veggies I could find.  It made for a simple, yet delicious soup.

Pam’s Simple Watermelon Gazpacho (4 Yums)
2 cups of pureed watermelon (in the blender)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4  cup celery, diced
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Today’s Affirmation
I am grateful for the precious gifts of family, friends, and food.

Today’s Observations
I am way too happy.  Like giddy kind of happy.  Like if-I-were-you-I’d-be-suspicious kind of happy.  I don’t know what is going on with this food I am eating, but I have been giggling all day.  I suppose its not a bad problem to have – giggling in the grocery store line, giggling while driving when noone is watching, giggling while sitting in the middle seat on the airplane.  It’s just a little embarrassing at times, but it is also contageous.   The truth is, I have a lot to be giddy about…
I’m getting more limber on my yoga mat.
I have a new found energy that automatically wakes me up before 5:30 AM for my morning routine.
I’m spending the next 4 days with my family, and my mom and I always crack each other up.
I have amazing friends.
I have incredible clients.
I have a new skin suit.
I have a scooter that gives me a big ol’ grin every time I ride it.
I live and work in a gorgeous place that, for many, is only a destination.
I have the power of the Universe behind me that says YES to my dreams.
I have just experienced one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen.

So I have a lot to giggle about… a lot to be grateful for.  Perhaps I will think of this as, giggling with gratitude.  Ya… that’s it, giggling with gratitude.  I like that.  LOL

Today’s Menu
Coconut, Mango, Raspberry smoothie for breakfast
Watermelon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumber and Herb Salad
Snacks – apples, nectarine, banana

Today’s New Recipe – Watermelon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumber and Herb Salad
This salad has all the flavors I love – that savory-sweet combination of Watermelon, cilantro, cucumbers, mint, jalapeno.  So for me it was a complete winner and one that will undoubtedly become part of my regular weekly menu.  This recipe comes from Living Raw Food, and I made 1/4 of the recipe for just lil’ ol’ me.

Watermelon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumber and Herb Salad (4+Yums)
8 cups of watermelon, diced
8 cups of heirloom tomatoes, diced
4 cups of cucumber, diced
1 bunch parsley, stemmed and chopped
1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped
1 very small handful mint leaves, chopped
2-3 scallions, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Juice of 2 limes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together in a large bowl and enjoy.

Today’s Affirmation
I giggle with gratitude.  I laugh with love.  I jiggle with joy. :)