Raw Food Real Food | Living Sustainably

Raw Tomato, Macadamia Cheese & Caramelized Onion Tart

I catered a lunch to be filmed for InStyle Magazine TV yesterday. As I brought out dessert, the film crew turned the camera on me and the interviewer asked me about the dishes I created. I froze and barely whispered what they were - LOL. It's for Korean TV, so hopefully I'll be dubbed. I made an all-raw lunch of Zucchini with Walnut Basil Pesto; Heirloom Tomato & Herb Salad; Raw Tomato, Macadamia Cheese & Caramelized Onion Tarts; and Blueberry Cobbler with Cashew Whipped Cream. Unfortunately, I only had a chance to take a photo of the Tarts. [caption id="attachment_4191" align="aligncenter" width="461" ...

Giveaway: Big Fat Organic Coconut Chips!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING! Big fat coconut chips! I love 'em because they're so versatile. I can use them in an impromptu trail mix with nuts and goji berries (shreds and flakes are too small to grab by the handful); add them on top of a yummy dessert like coconut cream pie to make it look STUNNING; or pulse them down finer, if I need smaller flakes or even coconut flour in a jiffy. One of my fave quickie desserts is to melt a couple tablespoons of coconut oil, stir in cacao, maca, mesquite and lucuma powder until ...

Wild Foraging in NJ

Hey guys! Here is my photo album of some of the wonderful wild plant foods you can find locally in the NY/NJ area. These were taken during a foraging tour with Wildman Steve Brill in Central Park in early April. I highly recommend going foraging with someone who knows there stuff just to be sure you don't pick something poisonous. The availability changes seasonally so foraging every week can produce new and different edibles. Just make sure you select an area away from traffic and that is not treated with pesticides. Ever since I took the class, I can't walk outside ...

Classic Indian Sweet – Revisited & Raw

I still remember the sweet shops when I lived in India for a month studying Ashtanga - neat rows of tantalizing bite-size treats. The shop owners used to laugh at my pronunciation when I placed an order, but I didn’t care. It was worth the humiliation. Washed down with cool coconut water from a freshly cut coco, it was the perfect end to a hard day of yoga and lounging around steamy Mysore. [caption id="attachment_3718" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Rows of Indian Sweets!""][/caption] For the longest time, I thought about recreating burfi (also spelled ‘barfi’ but that sounds so unappetizing - lol) into a ...

Cloves Cinnamon Cacao – Wow!

I've always heard people proclaim that chocolate is high on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale but I could never really find the proof - until now. I found this study from the USDA that compares the ORAC values of food. The top five per 100 grams in descending order are cloves, cinnamon, oregano, tumeric and cocoa powder. So chocolate REALLY is up there! [caption id="attachment_3559" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Top Foods in ORAC Value""][/caption] When ranked by typical serving, a square of unsweetened baking chocolate knocked cloves out of the number one spot (since you wouldn't typically eat 100g of cloves,) followed ...

‘What’s in the Fridge’ Raw Nori Roll

I was looking in my fridge, trying to decide what to make. Cauliflower, mixed greens, sprouts, avocado...yay, raw nori roll!! So I took out my mini food processor and started tossing things in. This recipe makes one roll. The specs aren't too exact, so experiment with what you have - you just can't go wrong. ;) Raw Nori Roll for One [caption id="attachment_3356" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Raw Sushi Roll for One""][/caption] Cauliflower "Rice" half a head of cauliflower 2 diced spring onions 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 tsp tamari sauce juice of 1/2 lemon 1) Pulse cauliflower until rice-like. 2) Add the rest of ingredients and pulse again until combined. 3) Taste ...

Blender Mayo-amazing!

I avoided mayonnaise for the looongest time because I, like millions of Americans fell for the nationwide “fat is bad for you” hoopla pushed by the USDA for decades. Then when I went raw vegan, mayo was definitely a no-no and creaminess was replaced with nuts and avocado. But since reading more and more about nutrition, the work of Weston Price and even some raw food advocates like Dr. Mercola and Dr. Stanley Bass who recommend raw eggs, I’m finding creative ways to add them to my diet and mayo fits the bill nicely! So Why Raw Eggs? "Eggs supply all essential amino ...

Food Review: Askinosie Chocolate

I like to think of myself as somewhat of a chocolat connoisseur. For the longest time, I didn't indulge because I had really bad acne and chocolate aggravated it. It wasn't until years later that I found out that it wasn't the "chocolate" cacao bean itself, it was all the crap other unrecognizable ingredients that went into a typical SAD chocolate bar. After I went high raw and discovered raw cacao, wow! - not only could I eat it, but now it was good for me (in moderation, of course. ;)) Since then I've expanded my repertoire to include high quality ...

Roasted Garlic Goodness

When I last fired up my oven to make a batch of roasted veggies, I decided to try out my new (used) garlic roaster that I got for free. (Thank you Freecycle!) The garlic came out awesome! I mixed some of the garlic paste with my roasted cauliflower instead of roasting crushed garlic WITH the cauliflower. Much better! After squeezing a few cloves directly into my mouth - YUM! - I put what was left of the bulb into a little jar to use with other dishes. (I probably walk around reeking like a big old garlic clove and I don't ...

EcoFriendly Glass Drinking Straws

I just got a new glass straw from Glass Dharma. Love it! :) I chose the 8" smoothie size with green decorative dots. The dots are key, so it doesn't roll off the counter and break. The diameter is a roomy 12mm - perfect for my thick smoothies and elixirs. There are several other drinking straw styles, sizes and colors to chose from. I also got the stainless steel cleaning brush. The brush is tres important. My first glass straw got a bit cloudy after use because it's narrower and I didn't have a good way to clean it well. But ...

Raw Dark Chocolate Walnut Bark Recipe

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to post a little reminder that the Valentine's Day Coconut Giveaway ends tomorrow at 11:59pm. A winner will be drawn via random.org. As I write this, there are only 44 entries so there's a very good chance of winning. And the more you enter, the better your odds! Here is a Valentine's Day recipe that you can make with your coconut oil windfall - Raw Walnut Chocolate Bark. The lucuma powder and stevia sweeteners make it low glycemic. The maca powder adds a malty flavor. Maca is an adaptogen, which means it has the ability to balance ...

Feb 2010: Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING. CHECK THE SIDEBAR FOR THE CURRENT GIVEAWAY. Quality coconut oil really does make a difference in food prep. I made a favorite quick dish yesterday - pan seared scallops with arugula sauteed in garlic and coconut oil (picture above) and it came out fabulous! So if you've been following my blog, you know that I decided to review four organic coconut oils. Tropical Traditions ranked the highest overall. To be honest with you, I have tasted some premium coconut oils nearly as good as Tropical Traditions, but what gave them the edge is ...

Raw Christmas Canapes in July

I just made these little raw canapes last weekend for friends. They were really yummy and cute. Rolling them up and tying them with the chive without tearing it - tricky! I had a few casualties which I had to sacrifice and eat ;) but after the first couple, I had an assembly line going. I think soaking the chives in water helps make it more pliable. [caption id="attachment_1834" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Raw Amuse Bouche"][/caption] The recipe is called "Rolled Courgette Ribbons with Sweet Beet Paté" from Russell James Christmas Recipe E-book. I omitted the beetroot juice and agave because I'm trying to ...

Melty Chocolate Chunk Walnut unCookie

Sundays + rain = time to do some unbaking! I was itching for a sweet treat but too lazy to go out, so I started scavenging the cupboards. Cacao, lucuma, almond butter, walnuts, maca - all the makings of a quick yum pot, but I wanted MORE. Something special. A really raw decadent chocolate chip cookie! So I started rifling through my recipes and came across an all-time sure-fire winner - the infamous chocolate chunk walnut cookie from Sweet Gratitude. They came out AMAZING! Now this ain't one of your lickity-split, easy peasy raw recipes. It takes time and a whole ...

Adventures Across Oz – Part 1

Yep I did it. Crossed the continent of Australia from West to East Coast. On the "wrong" side of the road no less. lol. It was easier than I thought. The Nullarbor Plain was the most challenging part - just looooong stretches of desert with a roadhouse every 200k's or so. Luckily some very bored people have created man-made "landmarks" to keep you entertained - like the sneaker tree, the water bottle tree, the shoe tree and yes, the underwear tree. There are wild camels, dingos, wombats and of course, the ever present Aussie kangaroos, living on the Nullarbor. Was hoping to ...

Day 115 – Leaves, Leaves Everywhere

by lilla on April 8, 2008

I got up early and went to Strong and Shapely Gym today for old time’s sake. I managed to park in one fell swoop in the carpark today. Much easier when you don’t have a video camera in your face – LOL!

Had a good workout but it just wasn’t the same without Adam Waters screaming and Tom Venuto’s comedic commentary…sigh. In the afternoon, I had to run some errands in town so I literally “ran” my errands and logged in one mile round-trip. Then in the evening, I did my 30-minute run looping around my neighborhood.

Today was a big consumer day. I got a MacBook Pro! Very exciting if only I knew how to use it. I’ve been a PC girl for so long now. But once I get the hang of it, I’ll be cranking out some videos.

I also bought a car. Another Honda Element like I had on Kauai. A funny-looking thing, but so awesome for traveling cross country because it has a lot of cargo space and the seats convert into two flat beds easily. So now I need to take my MacBook on the road and make some movies!

I’m feeling the sting of the massive cash outlay though, especially since I’m not working much…ouch! But I really do believe in an abundance mentality. I learned this huge lesson from my friend in Kauai. He once made the analogy of money being like leaves on a tree. Money (leaves) are everywhere in massive abundance. You only need to rake them up, give them away and get more when you need them.

Sounds simplistic but it’s true. Just like love. The more you give it away, the more comes back to you. The more you love, the more you are loved. But the secret is you must truly adopt this into your belief system without reservation or fear of deprivation. Jump in with both feet and take risks.

And to those who say “what if I get my heart broken or lose everything?” To that I say – that is the Matrix of conditioned perception. You are in control. You create your world through your interpretation and reaction. Life is the constant interplay of creation, maintenance and destruction. Birth, life and death. Rajas, tamas and sattva. All three in constant motion creating illusory balance.

My Kauai friend is a 30-something multimillionaire by the way, living out his surfer dream life and traveling the globe.

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Lilla

Thanks Matt!
It's just those few last stubborn pounds that I'm after. See you later Twit! ;)
Matt

Lilla, I must say, to me, you already seem to have a shredded beach body :-) But keep up the great work!

(And no, I have not yet found the runner's high!)

Matt

http://stillwaitingfortherunnershigh.blogspot.com/
Lilla

Yeah Debbie,

"...And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."

I think it should extend BEYOND immediate family and friends. Free expression. No inhibitions. Compliment one another. No fear of judgement.

Easier said than done. :)

Love, Lil
Debbie

Lilla, I agree with your views on love. The more you give, the more you get.

Congrats on a 100% day.

Debbie
Lilla

Hi Lynda,

I think you already have a wonderful outlook on life!

Love, Lil :)
Marbella

OK you guys, am going to buy ESE and see what it´s about. Think I know about all of it, but fasting even a little does seem to help a lot.

Lilla, love your life philosophy...such a postivie way of living and going forward. Will try and copy you! And MIKE!

Lynda
Lilla

Mike,
Obviously I don't know you except through your blog and posts, but I can tell through your writing and your eyes and manner that you are amazingly positive person with a big heart! I'm so glad to have "met" you. :)

Glad you're loving ESE! I got off track with my move but I would like to start again because I remember really feeling good about ESE and the ease of doing it.

Love, Lil
Lilla

Thanks Joni! You're looking great too! 3# in one week - AWESOME!! I'm jealous. ;)
Mike Groom

Lilla, I love your life philosophy and I have the same thoughts towards everyday life. I think it makes us much better people. I see such negativity on a daily basis and I feel sorry for people and their "belief systems". I don't want to go through life full of petty negativity towards anything and everything.

You are a shining light and I always enjoy reading what you have to say.

BTW, I'm still doing ESE twice a week and loving it!!
Joni

Hi! Finally catching up on the days I missed - looking good in your new suits! I totally agree in the belief that what you give away will come back to you ten-fold. A very good way to live. Congrats on the 100% and thanks for checking in on me - I'll talk to you soon!