This is a super simple recipe that is fun for all and super delicious.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  This recipe comes to us from my friend Celeste Williams. Read More »

This is my new favorite :)  This is a great crossover dish that everyone, raw and non-raw, will enjoy.  Give it a try and let me know what you think. Read More »

Date Poppers are my favorite raw holiday treat.  It’s simple, all you need is three ingredients.  Medjool dates, mint leaves, and pomegranate seeds.  Bring them to your next holiday party and watch them disappear. Read More »

Thanksgiving can be a time to celebrate being Raw…  and introduce the rest of the family to some delicious, gorgeous raw treats.  These are some of my absolute favorites.  Try them out this Thanksgiving and let me know what you think.   Read More »

These are super simple to make and super delicious.  Always a hit with everyone whether or not they eat raw.  Have them for breakfast, dessert or for an afternoon snack.  This recipe yields about 15-20 balls, but it can easily be doubled to make more. Read More »

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. Read More »

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
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 promise this is the last time I will talk about bodily fluids, but this is so amazing that I have to share it with you.  Whenever I have eaten beets in the past, I have had the experience that I’m guessing most of us have had -  red urine.  In fact, I once had a friend who rushed herself to the hospital, thinking she was bleeding internally, when in fact, all the diagnostics pointed to the fact that she had had beets for dinner (true story).   I always thought it was just a given… red in, red out.  But a while ago I read that this is only because the body is not fully and properly digesting the beet.  On a raw diet,  the proper levels of hydrochloric acid are reestablished in the stomach – this helps digest food properly.  In addition, when you eat raw beets, all their enzymes are available to aid in their complete digestion, so everything is absorbed and used up in the body.  Well, between last night and today, I have eaten three good sized raw red beets in my Orange Beet Salad, and I am here to tell you that I have not even seen a hint of pink – not a hint.  I am blown away.  To me it is a testament to how efficiently our body works when we nourish it with life giving, enzyme rich, living foods.  Very cool.

Today’s Menu
Coconut, Mango, Raspberry Smoothie
Orange Beet Salad with grated apples, grated carrots, and pistachios
Salad of avocado, celery, jicima, red pepper, and green onion with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper
Raw Cardamom ‘Ice Cream’

Today’s New Recipe – Cardamom Ice Cream
Last year I had the opportunity to eat at Pure Food and Wine in NYC – the most amazing raw food restaurant on the face of the planet.  The food is absolutely gorgeous and incredibly delicious, and the presentation is spectacular.  The last time I was there, I had an Indian-spiced trio of raw ice cream – pistachio, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Cardamom is a spice I grew up with, as it is used heavily in Swedish cooking.  I used to love it in my mom’s rice pudding with cardamom and raisins.  Anyway, I wanted to recreate that and the results were delicious.  I think next time I would add some soaked raisins to the mix when I put it in the ice cream maker.  This recipe is rich, and can easily be cut in half.  Also, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can put it in a bowl in the freezer and stir every 15 minutes until I reaches the proper consistency – probably 2-3 hours.  This is my modification of the vanilla ice cream recipe from Living Raw Food.

Cardamom Ice Cream (4+ Yums)
2 cups cashews, soaked  for 4 hours
2 cups coconut meat
1 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup agave
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cardamom
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature

Put all ingredients except the coconut oil in the blender and blend on high until completely smooth.  Then put on low and gradually add the coconut oil.  Chill mixture thoroughly in the fridge, then  process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. When you serve, it is great with just a few pistachios sprinkled on top.  Enjoy!

Today’s Affirmation
I love my body.  I love my body.  I love my body. I love my body.