Gourmet Raw Food and my new Excalibur Dehydrator

Well, despite my best efforts, I came down with the flu, so I have been out of commission for awhile. I am also working against deadlines for some paintings I need to complete ASAP!

While recuperating, I got on a kick of looking at raw food cookbooks. I was always kind of leary of the whole idea of the raw food movement. It just seemed kind of extreme and I was skeptical of how beneficial going 100% raw really is. The idea of raw versions of cooked food didn't really appeal either.

However, reading testimonials of people who have cured their chronic and life threatening health problems by making drastic changes in their diets, including drinking a lot of green juices, have piqued my interest. Maybe if I had more greens in my diet I would have been able to fight off the flu. My theory is that, since my tonsils were removed when I was six years old, I have low immunity, but perhaps improving my diet could improve my inability to fight off viruses.

My eyes have been opened up to the possibilities for making amazing raw food after perusing the gorgeous pictures in Matthew Kenney's books, such as Everyday Raw and Matthew Kenney's Entertaining in the Raw.





The key item for really creative food preparation (where nothing is heated high enough that nutrients and enzymes are harmed) seems to be a food dehydrator and the cadillac of those is the Excalibur 9 tray. I am happy to say I am now the proud owner of this kitchen appliance and although it is big, black and noisy, I love it. I have already made Cheezy Kale Chips (no dairy involved), Coconut Vegetable Crisps, Candied Pecans and two kinds of cookies - Chewy Lemon Macaroons and Chocolate Macaroons.

I have also found a lot of inspiration from websites by fabulous raw food chefs such as Carmella Soleil and Heathy (who makes the most amazing deserts). I had no idea these kinds of interesting yet healthy culinary feats were possible. The food is good for you and tastes amazing! I feel like a whole new world has opened up and I am really excited to create some great stuff in the kitchen!

Manuka Honey - Flu Preventative

Now that flu season is upon us, why not try a delicious tasting antidote? Don't be shocked when you see the price tag, but this little jar of deliciousness is also a potent immunity booster. This container of Manuka Honey has 400 UMF, which is one of the highest levels available. The antibacterial properties in Manuka Honey are even effective in killing h. pylori. Most other types of honey do not, so I regard it more as a medicine than a food. It also kills Streptococcus Pyogenes, a bacteria which causes sore throats and destroys other types of bacteria as well.

Since purchasing this recently, I have been dipping a teaspoon for a small taste a few times a day.

I don't use honey often, but upon learning of the huge medicinal benefits of this particular type, I decided to see whether I can avoid getting sick this winter.

Raw Food Diet - Savory Green Smoothie

My new obsession - green smoothies.

You can make them with a combination of fruit and greens, which disguises the flavor of the greens to some extent (a good idea when you are using dinosaur kale) but my new favorite way to get all the vitamins, minerals and fiber in a green smoothie is to make a healthier version of V-8.

This smoothie featured organic vegetables plus tomato, apple, ginger and lemon, to which I added just a pinch of sea salt and cayenne for flavor and zest. It was delicious!

A good blender (I have a Vita-Mix) makes preparing this super nutritious drink a snap. If you are on the run, you can pour it into a bottle and drink it on the go.

If you decide you would rather have fruit, such as apple, banana, mango or berries, blended with your kale or other strong flavored greens, try a 50/50 mix. If it tastes too strong for your palate, you can always throw in another banana! A tiny bit of stevia is good to add sweetness, but only use a pinch or it can taste bitter.

Vogel Bambu Brewed Coffee Substitute

I have been trying to cut coffee out of my diet, with varying success. I did manage to go a whole week with absolutely no caffeine - no tea, no decaf, no chocolate. Let me tell you, it was a challenge. I think I may have a mini addiction there - not to caffeine, which I have pretty much eliminated without too much angst, but perhaps there is still a lingering psychological need for a hot, aromatic brew on occasion.

Today at my local health food store, I spotted this - fake coffee that you brew! The ingredients are surprising, to say the least, with the first ingredient listed being FIGS! This grind also contains rye, chicory and acorn. There is no wheat, so people who are sensitive to that grain can safely enjoy this beverage.

I used my single use brewer (pictured here) and made myself a faux cafe au lait with some vanilla almond milk and a teeny squirt of agave nectar. YUM! It was very satisfying, with a rich, velvety smooth flavor.

The brewer is very handy when making "coffee" for one and consists of the bottom section (shown here on top of my cup) where you put the ground "coffee" and a top piece that attaches and through which the boiling water is poured (shown to the right of the cup).

You only need a teaspoon of the stuff to make a small cup of "coffee" so this package will last a long time. The directions don't indicate how to store it, but I decided to put the "Bambu" grounds in a quart canning jar in the fridge.

This product tasted a lot better than most powdered instant substitutes I have previously tried.

Does this make my life better?

I recently read a post on Unclutterer about how to talk to yourself when you are trying to make decisions about what to do with your stuff.

A reader called Diana had written in and recommended asking yourself a single question when you are trying to decide what to chuck and what to keep:

Does this make my life better?

The post went on to say:

The word does is in the present tense. Diana isn’t asking if the thing did make her life better at some point in the past. She isn’t asking if it could maker her life better in the future. Nor is she asking if it should make things better based on other people’s perceptions. All she is asking is if it does make her life better, right now.

So often we hold onto things because they were once meaningful or because we think we might need them at some undetermined point in the future or because we worry about what other people will think if we get rid them. Asking the straightforward, “Does this make my life better?” allows you to avoid these cluttering scenarios and instead focus on the present.

I think this is very good advice. I often get hung up thinking about possible scenarios in which I would have an urgent need for the item in question. Sometimes time gives us perspective and looking back over, for instance, the past twelve years in which you have NOT had occasion to use the item even once, makes it much easier to get rid of it.

So much about staying healthy is living in the present moment and here is another tidbit of wisdom we can recall when we are having trouble deciding what to do with an object in our lives.