Hey kids! 

I'm short and time and want to squeeze several recipes into this post so I'm gonna skip the banter and hop right to it!  Ya see, I get to celebrate and feast more than once due to an annual work dinner, gatherings with friends, and then the traditional meal time with family on Thanksgiving Day!  While some might consider this to be a bit gluttonous I consider myself lucky because I can never decide on what to make and this allows me to make small portions of several different out of the ordinary dishes that I normally would make. 

YUM!

I hope your week is off to a fabulous start.  I'm fixin' to be back later in the week with a Thanksgiving Part 2 post, detailing the recipes I chose for meal time with family.  Until then, I present to you - Thanksgiving Part 1:

Adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

For the salad:
3 cups baby spinach, packed
1 green apple, cored & chopped
1 bosc pear, cored & chopped
1 chunk red onion, chopped
Fresh ground salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the dressing:
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil


Place salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss to mix. 

Combine dressing ingredients in a small cup or shot glass.  Pour over salad ingredients and stir (or cover and shake) until well mixed. 

Adapted from Eat to Evolve!

2 cups carrot & green apple juice pulp
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cup pure water
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp fresh ground sea salt
2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Food process sunflower and flax seeds together to make a gritty meal. Soak seed meal in water one hour.  Stir remaining ingredients into the soaked seed meal until a dough is formed.  Divide dough into two equal portions and spread out as evenly as possible onto 2 teflex sheets.  Score into desired size and number of squares.  Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 6 hours.  Then flip crackers onto mesh, peel off teflex and continue to dehydrate 6 more hours or until desired texture is reached.  Store in airtight container in the fridge.

For the meatless loaf:
I halved this recipe and altered it based on what I had on hand in the house.  It came out yummy. 

For the Socca:
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Onion & Herb

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to rest at least two hours.

Preheat oven 500F.  Oil a cast iron skillet and pre-heat in oven.  When oven and skillet are blazing hot, remove the skillet and pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, shake to evenly coat.  Place skillet back in oven and turn oven on broil.  Cook until the top begins to blister and toast but not burn.  Remove from oven and slide pancake onto a plate to cool.   Repeat with remaining batter. S
 
Set socca out to stale one day prior to making the stuffing.

To make stuffing:
1 large carrot, cut into coins
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 chunk red onion, sliced
Thyme, to taste
Sage, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste 

1/2 Tbs oilive oil, optional
1/2 cup + Low Sodium Vegetable Broth

Tear socca into pieces.  Prep veggies as directed.  Toss socca and veggies unil combine.  Sprinkle with seasonings and drizzle with olive oil, if using.  Stir and pour into a casserole dish.  Pour vegetable broth over socca veggie mix until well moistened.  Cover and bake at 350F approximately 40 - 60 minutes, adding vegetable broth as needed to prevent dry out.

Broccoli Rabe Saute

1 bunch Broccoli Rabe, washed, stems removed and torn into pieces
2 Tbs Diced Tomatoes
1/2 can white beans
1 chunk red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Italian Seasonning, to taste

Generously spray a skillet with cooking spray.  Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes.  Add broccoli rabe and seasoning, and cook several minutes, stirring continuously, until rabe begins to wilt.  Add beans tomato and cook an additional 3 minutes until beans and tomato are heated through out. 

2 cups carrot juice pulp
5 large dates, pits removed and soaked 15 minutes
1/2 cup raw pecans
Ginger, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste

Unsweetened shredded coconut, optional, for rolling

In a food processor, process the pecans until finely ground.  Add dates and process to make a paste.  Add carrot pulp and spices and process until a dough forms. 

Shape dough into balls and roll balls in shredded coconut. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week max.   

Slow Cooker Veggie Lentil Soup
My first ever lentil soup.  I thought it was delicious but heavy on the thyme.  Mom said it was perfect.  
 
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, peeled, sliced and halved
1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced and halved
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

1 (32oz) container Trader Joes Hearty Vegetable Broth

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 10 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Pour broth on top of ingredients until almost full (you should still be able to stir without making a mess).  Cover and cook on high 4 - 6 hours, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. 

Enjoy!

Red Onion & Pear Gratin
Adapted from Eating Well

1 small red onion, cut into wedges
2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
2 heaping Tbs Nutritional Yeast

Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Halve and core each pear; cut each half into equal slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place in bowl.  Add pears to the bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil; stir to combine. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pear onion mix, and return the dish to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned (approx 20 more minutes).  Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spinach & Grape Salad w/ Spicy Sweet Mustard Dressing
Adapted from Addicted to Veggies 

For the salad:
3 cups Baby Spinach, not packed
1 cup mix of red & green grapes, sliced in half
1/4 chunk small red onion, chopped small
1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered

For the dressing:
2 tsp mustard of choice
2 tsp fat free nayonnaise
1 tsp raw local honey
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Water, optional, till desired consistency is reached

Place salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.  Mix dressing ingredients in a small glass and pour over salad ingredients.  Mix until well combine.  Enjoy! 

Zucchini, Onion, & One Pepper Stew
This recipe is the result of needing to use up a few vegetables that I found in the back of the fridge.   That said, the following measurements are all estimates as I just threw a bunch stuff into the crock and ultimately hoped for the best.  It came out amazing, thus me posting it.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 large onion, chopped small
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ground McCormick Italian Herb Blend
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
Fresh Ground Salt, to taste

1 Heaping Tbs Tomato Paste + enough water to make a saucy pourable consistency

2 qt slow cooker

Place first 9 ingredients into your slow cooker.  Mix tomatoe paste with water and pour into the slow cooker.  Stir to combine, adding more paste + water if needed.  Cover and cook on low 4 hours (or on high 2 hours) until vegetables are tender. 

Enjoy!

Yesterday, I found myself with a fajita craving that just wouldn't quit.  While this in itself is odd (mainly because I may have had fajita's once in my entire life) I decided to go with it.  I was working earlier than usual hours and scheduled a spontaneous dinner date.   Upon my arrival home from work I marinated a container full of veggies and got a dough going.  On the menu for the evening: vegetable fajita salads, pretzel bread, and a movie.   

Raw Vegetable Fajita Salad
Adapted from

1/2 large red onion, sliced
1 green pepper, washed deseeded & sliced
1 red pepper, washed deseeded & sliced
1 medium green zucchini, washed & julienned
1 small yellow squash, washed & julienned

1/4 cup Braggs
3 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp garlic, minced

Greens of Choice, washed & chopped (I used romaine hearts)

Place veggies in a large bowl.  Mix up the marinate and pour over veggies.  Allow to chill in the refridgerator at least one hour before using.

I ate mine as is over romaine.  My dinner date requested that his portion be warmed up, which I happily did, and he ate them as is.

I enjoyed left overs with the Spicy Summer Salsa Crackers that I had made the other day. 

And I surrendered the remaining left overs to a vegetable fajita & cheese egg white omlette (pictured above) as I was feeling a bit fajita'd out by that point. 

As for my spontaneous date - in a word:  LAME! Within 20 minutes of dinner being over he was passed out cold snoring.  Oh well!  What can ya do?!  Better luck next time I suppose.  On the bright side of things, dinner was a success :-)

Nite, nite!

xo

Yay!!  It's Friday!!  I have alot to accomplish today but I wanted to share a little story with everyone as welll post some of the deliciousness that I indulged in this past week.  Hope you alll have a fantastic day!

xo

It was the coldest winter ever.  Many animals died because of the cold.  The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together.  They were covered and protected, but the quills of each wounded the closest companion.

After a while, they decided to distance themselves, and they began to die, alone and frozen.
So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.  Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.  They learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by their close relationships because the most important part was the heat that came from the others.  They were able to survive.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the one that forms when individuals learn to live with the imperfections and admire the good qualities of others.

The moral of the story:  
LEARN TO LOVE THE PRICKS IN YOUR LIFE

Sunflower Seed Meat
3/4 to 1 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds*
1/2 Tomato, chopped*
1/4 Red Onion, chopped*
1 small clove garlic, sliced
1/2 can green chiles, optional
2 Tbs Fresh Cilantro
1 lime, Juice freshly squeezed
  Taco Seasonings of Choice

Combine all ingredients in food processor until it resembles a chunky meat.  You may need to add a few splashes of water and/or scrape the sides.


The Salad
This time I went massaged kale as I had a half a bag in the fridge that needed using.  Collard greens make excellent wraps as do romaine leaves. Another variation is making bell pepper boats.

Toppings
Sun dried Tomatoes, chopped
Spicy Jalapeno Cheez

I went light on the toppings due to not having all that much in the house and because I added a good amount of stuff to my seed meat.  Feel free to add more toppings (olives, fresh salsa, green pepper, corn, black beans, avocado, etc)

Notes:
The amount of sunflower seeds I use is determined by how hungry I am and/or the amount of left overs I want to have.  3/4 to 1 cup yields one dinner bowl + 1 lunch for me.  Adjust spice accordingly.

I choose sunflower seeds as my base due to them being most cost effective but feel free to substitute according to your own preference.

A quick word on fat:
With fat free this, reduced fat that, and the general popularity of low fat diets, our society seemingly suffers from a fat phobia.  However, our body's function best when we consume some healthy fats!  A serving of sunflower seeds is 1/4 cup but my personal serving is about 1/3 cup.  When determining your serving size, consider the following: what toppings you wish to include, your daily diet, time of consumption, and your level of true hunger.  During the summer months, my daily diet is largely compromised of fruits and vegetables so I welcome a little extra fat here and there but that doesn't mean I pile it on at each meal.  I like my meals to feel light yet still satisfy me and I take into account my eating for the whole day to ensure I my body gets what it's needs. (A log will best help you in this area).  For example, if I was to use avocado as I topping I'd likely use less sunflower meat. Same is true if I plan to have - or have had - a decedant or higher fat dessert or snack.  On the flip side, if my eating has been light for the day, and/or its relatively early or around a more standard dinner time I would go higher fat than if it were late (after 7p).

Salad
1/2 bag Broccoli Slaw
1/2 bag shredded Cabbage

Dressing
3 Tbs Raw Nut or Natural Style Peanut Butter  1/4 cup pure water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs Agave Nectar
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1.5 tsp fresh ginger 1.5 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed

Add broccoli slaw and shredded cabbage in a bowl and chop while mixing together.  Blend all dressing ingredients and pour over salad.  Mix until well combined.  Refrigerate until ready to eat!

Baked Spring Rolls
Makes 7 rolls

1/2 bag Broccoli Slaw
1/2 bag Shredded Cabbage
4 scallions, chopped
3 - 4 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp basil, chopped

1/2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 Tbs water

Preheat oven 350F.  Set up roll work station (parchment lined pan, small glass of water, egg roll wrappers). 

Liberally spray a large frying pan with olive oil.  Heat pan on medium, add above ingredients, and stiry fry until veggies are wilted.  Add cornstarch and water to a glass, stir and pour into pan and stir again until sauce thickens.  

Bring frying pan over to work station.  Scoop about 2 Tbs worth of mixture and arrange it in a single line on egg roll wrapper.  Wrap according to instructions on package (it's easy, I promise).  Be sure to seal final edge with water and place wrapper edge side down.  Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes).  Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July weekend, everyone! 

In honor of the holiday, I set to work friday evening on all the fixin's for a raw vegan bbq (no grill required)!!    I remember when I first went high raw, not really knowing what I was doing, I often described my dietary transition as somewhat isolating.  None on immediately circle of friends ate in this manner and I had little to no clue on what to eat or how to make things, which resulted in salads.  Lots and lots of salads.  And while I love salads, it got old quick and it's kind of a miracle I stuck with it as even though I put myself out there and tried to learn about as much as possible about the raw food lifestyle, I seemed to be immersing myself in the more elaborate side of raw, which although delicious, was not really apppealing to me.  The simplicity of the raw food diet is what attracted me to it and the thought of countless hours waiting for food to dehydrate and heavily involved prep work was a bit of a turn off for me.  That said, fast forward to present day and here I am, still engaging in a high raw dietary lifestyle and LOVING IT!  I've come a long long way over the past few years and while the food I prepare is far from gourmet, it's nonetheless delicious and it's practical for every day enjoyment, even when your time crunched.

Vegetable Zucchini Pasta Salad

2 green zucchini, washed, ends cut off
1 yellow squash, washed, ends cut off
1 green pepper, washed and chopped
1 can black olives, rinsed, drained, and sliced
   Dressing of choice (I made a fresh italian herb)
   Seasonings of choice (I used fresh ground pepper and paprika)
   Red pepper, for garnish, optional 

Use a spiralizer to transform the zucchini and squash into long curly "pasta" noodles and place in bowl.  Add chopped peppper and sliced olives to the zucchini and squash noodles, then pour on the dressing and seasoning and gently mix until well combine.  Garnish with red pepper.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.  


3 Seed Jalapeno Burgers

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red onion
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked 5 hours
1/2 cup raw pepitas, soaked 5 hours
1/4 cup flax seed, ground
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until very soft
5 broccoli florettes
1/2 green pepper    
    Hamburger seasonings, to taste
    Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Soak and drain seeds as stated above.  Pat dry and place in food processor with remaining ingredients and process until 
meat like consistency is achieved.  Shape into patties (I got 6 of varying sizes) and place in dehydrator for 6 - 8 hours at 115, flipping half way through.  

For the strawberry pie, I used the No Bake Strawberry Pie recipe, which I found at Crazy Sexy Life.  However, I made four mini's using my springform pans.  For two of the pies, I used pecans for the crust.  For the other two, I made a nut free  crust using unsweetened shredded coconut, dates, and coconut oil (pictured above).  Delicious!!

And on that note, I am off like a prom dress!

xoxo,
Danielle

OMFG - dinner tuesday night was freakin' AMAZING!  I met Darin in the city after an evening appointment and we set out to one of our old favorites:  Lantern Thai - 311 Second Avenue, (Corner of E.18th Street) - and it did not dissapoint.  I ordered the Vegetable Terriyaki (pictured above) and Darin went with Beef Terriyaki.  We both agreed the vegetables were cooked to tender-crisp perfection.   I also had the Summer Rolls as an appetizer (delicious minus the tofu), a Thai Sangria (refreshing), and 2/3 of the Pineapple Fried Rice that Darin and I were supposed to share (ooooops!).  It goes without saying that I was stuffed by the time we left the resturant.   It's been a few months since I've eaten with such wild abandonment but fortunately I didnt experience any discomfort, unpleasant side effects, (or eater's remorse).  All in all it was a lovely little reminder that it's ok to let loose and indulge without guilt.  It all comes down to moderation, which of course lead me back to business (and eating) as usually the following day.  

I recently resurrected my food dehydrator and over the last two weeks have used it rather frequently.  However, I tend to make the same things in it over and over again (kale chips..... blueberry flax pancakes..... kale chips...... lol) mainly because the few things I do make in it are quick (I used the term loosely) and really simple to successfully make.  In the mood for something different I went rummaging through the cabinets and stumbled upon a bag of wild rice, which resulted in this: 

and eventually Bloomed Wild Rice Salad (not pictured).  Funny thing about wild rice is that it's not actually rice but instead a seed of aquatic grass, hence making it a pseudograin (like quinoa!).  I learned to bloom wild rice via the book Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets.  It's simple to do but a bit of a pain due to the time factor (up to 24 hours).  Knowing this, I am not 100% sure why I only made 1/2 cup (or 1/4 cup uncooked) but since the hands on prep is minimal I can't really complain. 

To bloom wild rice:  Place desired amount of rice in sealable gladd jar.  Pour filtered water over rice and seal.  Place jar in dehydrator at 105 for up to 24 hours.  When rice has opened up and is tender and chewy it has bloomed. 

Post bloom, I stored my rice in the refridgerator. It keeps for 4 days but I used mine within 2, which is when I made a quick cold wild rice salad via chopping up random veggies that were also in the fridge - broccoli, shredded carrot, snow peas, and green onion and mixing everything together with a simple asian inspired ginger dressing (minced garlic, fresh ginger root, braggs liquid aminos, agave, sesame oil, and filtered water).  Well worth the wait (in my opinion at least).

Anywho, it's time for bed.  Hope you all had a fantastic week. I have a busy weekend ahead both in and out of the kitchen but will hopefully find time to post.  If not, I'll be back Monday :-)  Toodles!!

Yesterday I was a cooking machine, making a variety of items to have on hand for the upcoming weekend.  It began with the Korean Style Cucumber & Edamame Salad, by SusanV at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Blog, which was absolutely delicious!!

I then made a Fresh Basil Pesto, which I sampled on some crackers last night and mixed with chopped tomato and steamed artichoke hearts today. 

Fresh Basil Pesto

2 cups loosely packed basil
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
   Fresh ground pepper, to taste
   Fresh ground Sea Salt, to taste
   Water, teaspoonfuls at a time, as needed until desired consistency is reached

Toast pine nuts if not already toasted.  Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until desired consistency is reached, adding water as needed.

This morning I woke up super early, leaving me with some time to make Vegan Peanut Butter Cups and Raw Almond Butter Cups.  I have made these in the past but the recipe posted below is an adaptation from Averie's at Love Veggies and Yoga in that I added Nutritional Yeast to the peanut butter and raw almond butter.   The results were fantastic and from start to finish both recipes combined took 30 minutes tops!!

Note: I made 6 mini cups of each in an attempt to limit the damage if I ended up eating them all.  Feel free to double (or triple) the recipes!!

4 full size squares of Semi Sweet Bakers Chocolate

2 heaping tbs peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonderful)
1/2 tsp Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Pure vanilla Extract, optional
Twist fresh Ground Salt, optional
Dash of agave, optional

Line mini muffin tin with 6 liners.  Set aside.

Melt chocolate.  Spoon enough melted chocolate into each mini muffin liner to cover the bottom.  Allow to cool.  While this is happening, mix together the peanut butter, nutritional yeast, and all the topinal ingredients if using.  Once mixed spoon filling over the chocolate.  Then top with remaing melted chocolate.  Pop tray in freezer until firm.  Enjoy!

1 Tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao
    Agave, to taste

1/8 cup Raw Almond Butter (I used Trader Joe's Unsalted Crunchy)
1/2 tsp Nutritional Yeast
    Vanilla Bean, optional
Twist fresh Ground Salt, optional
Dash of agave, to taste, optional

Line mini muffin tin with 6 liners.  Set aside.

Mix together the almond butter, nutritional yeast, and all optional ingredients if using.  Once mixed, divide into 6 portions.  Roll each portion into a ball and flatten.  Set aside.

Mix cacao, coconut oil, and agave.  Taste and alter as needed.  Spoon enough cacao mix to cover bottom of mini cup liners. Place flattened almond butter balls and place one in each mini muffin cup, pressing down into cacao mixture.  Top each with remaining cacao mix.  Pop in the freezer until hardened.  Enjoy! 

I woke up with morning less than excited for the day ahead.  With a headache that just wouldnt quit and an exaughstion I could feel in my bones, I ripped myself from the safety of my blankets and proceeded as usual for the day ahead.  I started the day off with Green Apple Porridge. 

The recipe, which states makes 2 servings, can be found in the Some Like It Raw Cleanse section of Super Cleanse by Adina Niemerow.    I plugged the ingredients into MyFitnessPal's food diary and came up with the following:  378 calories, 18g of fat, 9g protein, and 13g fiber for the entire recipe (so if you only eat half you need to half the numbers as well.  I ate the whole thing in one shot). 

Lunch was a super yummy Kale & Tomato Salad I had made this morning.  According to MyFitnessPal,  the salad contained 123 calories, 1g fat, 3g protein, and 2g fiber.  

1 cup Kale, leaves removed from stems & torn into pieces
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
   Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne

Place leaves in bowl or container, sprinkle with sea salt and massage until tender and wilted.  This may take a few minutes - don't rush it!!  Chop the tomatoes, dice the red onion and mix both together with the kale.  Drizzle olive oil on top of vegetables and squeeze lemon on top.  Sprinkle spices over vegetables and mix everything together until well combined.  Enjoy! 

Note
I've never eaten this immediately upon making but would think it is just as delicious as it tastes after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.   

Yesterday's fruit bowl was so delicious, it inspired me to make another to bring to work.  This time I used banana, peach and strawberries. 

2 bananas, peeled
2 small peaches, chopped into small pieces
4 strawberries, sliced
   Pure Vanilla Extract, optional
   Dried Blueberries, soaked

Wash and cut fruit.  Line container (or bowl) with one and a half (1.5) bananas.  Place one and a half (1.5) of the chopped peach on top of the banana.  Top the peach with starwberries.  For the cream, blend remaining banana with remaining peach and some vanilla extract if using.  Pour cream over fruit.  Then top with blueberries.  Enjoy!

For those who keep track, this works out to 281 calories, 1g fat, 4g protein, and 9g fiber.

Post work I hit the kitchen to make Falafel Burgers.  As you can see from the picture above I sustained injury.  Fortunately said injury transpired during the clean up process, which came after the burgers were made and placed in the oven to bake.    I will post the recipe for the burgers tomorrow along with some pictures.  I ate mine over a bed of greens & some raw vegetables on the side.  Mmmmmm.... yummy!

My energy is all over the map today and right now I am feeling rather tired.  I'm planning to listen to Andrew Johnson's Move On recording tonight, with this being my first time ever.    In terms of last night's Relax, I have utilized that one in the past for an extended period of time and even last night I slept like a champ.  (If you have not checked it out I strongly encourage you to give it a try.)

Have a great night everyone!!

If you read my previous blog then you know today is Day 1 of my "Tender Loving Self Care" action plan.  My goal is to develop more day to day life balance.  To achieve this goal, I ultimately feel as though I need to re-make myself a priority in terms of doing all I can to feel my best and operate at my fullest potential.  That said, my plan is based around the following questions: Am I eating well?  Am I sleeping enough? Am I exercising too much? Am I taking time each night to disconnect from the unnecessary so that I can relax?  Am I connecting with my lover?  What stress-reducing activities am I engaging in?

I slept in this morning as my only responsibility for the day was to pick up my mom from my aunt & uncle's house in Bayonne, NJ.  Upon waking and after a quick stretch, I poured myself 16oz of filtered water, squeezed in some lemon, and hit the shower.  I do this every morning as a means of 'waking up" my body.  Post shower, I threw on some comfy clothes and made my way to the kitchen for breakfast.  Instead of my usual scramble or smoothie, I decided to go with a Raw Fruit Breakfast Bowl and since I was already chopping, I decided to marinate some vegetables.

2 bananas - 1 sliced
1 apple, chopped
1 peach, chopped
2 strawberries, stems removed
  Pure Coconut Extract, optional

Peel and slice one (1) of the two bananas.  Place slices in a bowl.  Chop the apple and peach & place pieces on top of the banana.    Peel the remaining banana and place in blender along with the strawberries, coconut extract, and a little water.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Pour mixture over the fruit in the bowl.  Enjoy!

Notes:
While I always use banana's in this I used apple and peach because that is what I had in my fridge.  Any fruits can be substituted if you dont have - or don't like - apples and peaches. 

Larger appetites might want to consider doubling - or adding - some of the ingredients for a larger portion. 

6 Broccoli Florettes, chopped
1 small yellow squash, peeled, sliced and quartered
1 small zuchini, peeled, sliced, and halved
1 tomato, chopped & de-seeded

3 cloves garlic
1 Tbs fresh basil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup filtered water
    Mrs Dash Extra Spicy, to taste

Wash and cut vegetables as directed above.  Mix together in a container (with a lid) and set aside.  In a blender, place  the garlic, basil, lemon juice, water, olive oil, and spices.  Blend on low until combined.  Pour dressing over veggies, securely put lid onthe container and shake.  Allow veggies to marinate in refridgerator for at least an hour.   

Marinated veggies can be enjoyed as is, over mixed greens, or used in other dishes.  I chose to have mine over some left over steamed bok choy that was begging to be eaten.  It was delicious!     

As I mentioned earlier, I was driving to NJ to pick up mom and with the way traffic tends to be regardless of time of day, I made sure to pack a snack - with today's snack being figs & raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  Sunday is one of the rare times I watch a large chunk of tv in one sitting - Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, and Army Wives - but once that's over, I'm planning to listen to Andrew Johnson's Relax (download it free via the link posted in previous entry) and then it's off to sleepland. 

Hope you all are having a fantasic day!! 

Happy Sunday :-)