Today’s Observations
I’m preparing to fly to my parent’s house tomorrow in Castle Rock, Washington for my Dad’s 80th birthday party.  I will be gone for four days, and I expect that this will be the most…. shall we say, interesting challenge of my 30 day raw experiment.  Castle Rock is a small rural town who’s claim to fame is that it is the last real town on the road up to Mt Saint Helens – the site of the most recent volcanic explosion in the continental US.  Other than that, the most happening thing in Castle Rock is cinnamon roll Mondays at the Senior Center.  No Young Thai Coconuts there.  Not sure I can find a mango either.  I do plan to take a couple organic apples with me and my julienne peeler – oops, not sure that will make it through security.  I better rethink that. In any case, this is a big event in Castle Rock, as my parents are part of the brick and mortar of that small town. You can be sure the party will get a write up in the local paper.  I expect it will go something like this…  “Mary and Myron Nelson hosted an open house for Myron’s 80th….  Guests enjoyed their choice of ham and swiss or turkey and Velveta finger sandwiches accented with a dab of Miracle Whip.  A lovely vegetable platter of celery, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and green peppers was served with a delicious ranch dressing.   To drink, guests sipped Hawaiian punch or Folgers coffee.  The crown jewel of the event was a beautifully decorated white birthday cake with butter cream frosting and a replica of Mt. Saint Helens in the middle.  The cake was served with mints and nuts.”  Perhaps now you have a better feel for the challenge that lies ahead. My next entry will be from on the scene. Wish me luck.

Today’s Menu
Strawberries and Bananas for breakfast
Salad with Kale, red peppers, celery and cashews with creamy Thai dressing for lunch
Snack – Coconut, mango, raspberry smoothie
Trader Joe’d Garden Salad with pecans for dinner
Cinnamon, banana, maple smoothie for desert

Today’s New Recipe
Some of you know about my Almond Milk Debacle of Day 6.  Well, I thought it was time to get back on the horse and try something with nut milk again.  I have my friend Laura Taylor, who is a macrobiotic chef, to thank for her encouragement to try making cashew milk.  I guess this is the ‘beginner’ nut milk.  Anyway, it was super easy and actually tasted good.  And if you forget to soak the cashews, you can actually get away with just throwing them in the blender as is.  I modified Laura’s recipe a bit to make it a bit thicker.

Laura’s Cashew Milk
1 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours
4 cups water
1 tablespoon agave (optional)

Blend on high speed until milky (30-60 seconds).  No need to strain.

Pam’s Cinnamon, Banana, Maple Smoothie (4 Yums)
1 cup cashew milk
1 frozen banana
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Today’s Affirmation
I am grateful for and grounded in the love of my family.