Fiery Elixir

A powerful potion that warms your insides!

Dustin has been requesting a ginger lemonade and since we like to spice things up I decided to add a kick of cayenne. This juice has an immediate warming effect throughout the body and leaves a fiery sensation in your throat. Ginger and lemon are known for treating common colds, stomach flus and viruses. All three ingredients in this fiery concoction are cleansing enough for a detox, which can be followed for 7 - 10 days along with your herbs and raw food. Some common side effects of cleansing is usually soreness in the gastrointestinal tract, which ginger can help soothe. Lemon juice is usually consumed by those following a weight-loss diet or those who simply want to flush fat, eliminate toxins and excess waste from their body. 

Ingredients: (1 shot)

2 lemons, juiced w/ skin or squeezed

1 teaspoon of ginger, juiced or grated

1/2 cup alkaline water

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

1 tablespoon of maple syrup (grade b)

Combine ingredients and get ready to fire it up!

Cucumber Power

WHAT A LITTLE GEM THE CUCUMBER IS

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins that you need every day. Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. The phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Just rub it on the areas for a couple minutes. It's been proven to work great on wrinkles too!

4. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

5. Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

6. Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

7. No deodorant on hand? Take a slice and rub it underneath your arms. It eliminates odor while leaving you feel refreshed.

8. Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on surfaces that have been tarnished, or need to be cleaned. They will leave a nice shine.

9. The skin of a cucumber can be used to erase the pen writing, crayons or markers that kids have decorated the walls with.

10. You can also put a few slices of cucumber on a piece of aluminum in your garden bed to ward off critters.


Pass it along..

Watermelon Smoothie

Watermelon rind can be ate and contains the Vitamin B6.  Pickled rind, jams and relish are staples in Southern food, offering a tart flavor and a better stretch for your dollar.

Watermelon is extremely alkalizing, quenches thirst and can help burn fat. The nutrition facts reveal that this pink juicy fruit is a jack of all trades; providing healthy amounts of virtually all essential vitamins and minerals. In just 1 wedge of watermelon, it provides 39% of your daily value of Vitamin A and C. Vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and thiamin are also provided in significant amounts. Potassium, magnesium and manganese are the minerals present that are provided in the highest quantities. Watermelon is known for its powerful antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals that can lead to inflammation (general sickness and chronic illnesses). The high water content in this melon is one reason why the fruit aids with burning fat making your metabolism work more efficiently. The beta-carotene present in watermelon sets the pink hue and helps fight against colon cancer.

The Organics!

4 cups of organic watermelon (with seeds)

1 tablespoon of organic lime juice, squeezed

1 tablespoon of organic raw blue agave nectar

2 cups of ice cubes (optional)

Now Work it!

Throw all ingredients into your VitaMix or other high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Split Ice Cream

This ice cream is definitely one of my favorites because I absolutely love banana splits! You must too if you are looking at my recipe ;) This ice cream has a light coconut flavor and has a very creamy texture. Raw coconut butter has become an obsession of mine; it's smooth, light & full of sweet aroma. Best of all it's alive!! I just love saying that. It's crafted using a special temperature controlled process that preserves the life-essential fatty acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Per serving (2 tablespoons), there are 18g of total fat of which 16g is saturated fat, 10mg of sodium, 7g of carbohydrates of which 5g is dietary fiber and 1.9g is sugars, 2g of protein, 1% calcium, 1% Vitamin C and 5% Iron. It can be used in replacement of margarine, added to smoothies, sauces, homemade energy bars or you can eat it straight out of the jar *guilty* :) But if you don't like the taste of coconut or just don't care to use it, you can always try almond butter instead. Enjoy!

Organics!

4 really ripe bananas

1/4 cup strawberries

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

2 tablespoons Artisana raw organic coconut butter

2 tablespoons raw blue agave nectar

1/8 cup raw almond milk

Get down!

In your VitaMix or other high speed blender, combine all ingredients. Blend on high until mixture is smooth. Pour into a freezer-safe bowl and let freeze for a minimum of four hours. Every hour scrape the sides and fold the mixture inward to get the consistency right.

Raw Mango Salsa

Your taste buds will make you do the Salsa! I made this salsa last night and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. You don't have to wait this long to eat it though. All you need is at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend together. We had this salsa on Kale leafs for lunch today, but you can use your favorite leafy green, crackers or tortillas. Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

1 Mango, diced

1 Tomato, diced

1 Lemon (or Lime), squeezed

1/4 Red Onion, diced

1 Orange, squeezed

1 Red bell pepper, diced

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon Cilantro leaves, minced 

1 tablespoon Basil leaves, minced

1 pinch Cayenne (Black pepper or chilli pepper)

1 pinch Himalayan Salt (or Sea Salt)

3 tablespoon Raw Coconut Vinegar (Distilled or Apple Cider Vinegar)
4 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil

Combine the lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, red onion, cilantro, pepper, basil and salt in a container and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Diced up the mango, tomato, red and green peppers, then put in a separate container and mix together.

Raw Spicy Marinated Mushroom Wraps

Thinking of ways to eat raw mushrooms where you will enjoy the taste? Currently, we are in transition to an all raw diet, so we are trying out different raw dishes. These spicy wraps rolled with marinated mushrooms have a nice crunch from the walnuts and delectable taste. The spicy kick comes from the combination of herbs on the mustard green. They were perfect for tonights dinner, since we have been snacking on fruit all day. We both had three large leaves and they filled us up. Not to mention, our two sons (1 and 2) loved these as well. You can use any kind of green to switch up the flavor, but the mustard greens were definitely a hit. These can be also made into appetizers with smaller leaves or if you aren't raw you can roll them up with a tortilla. With the mustard greens you can just roll from the bottom up pressing in the sides like a burrito. (Tip - we flip the leaf over and thinly slice the stem off the back, which makes the leaf easier to roll). 

Raw mushrooms are a great source Vitamin D, so if you aren't able to get much sun stock up on this meaty edible. Portobellos are a vegan favorite because of the texture and how the many ways they can be prepared. Just one (1) cup of portobello mushrooms a day provides the daily recommended selenium intake, which works to repair DNA and help your body produce its own antioxidants. The high amount of riboflavin present in the portobello contributes to cellular energy production and the iron and copper aid in hemoglobin synthesis, which is needed for transportation of oxygen through the blood. Portobellos also contain Vitamin B1, B6, D, folate, pantothentic acid, niacin, magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, zinc and protein. 

Ingredients:

1 large organic portobello, chopped

1 bunch organic mustard greens

2/3 cup organic walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh organic thyme

1.5 tablespoon fresh organic oregano

1 tablespoon organic lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

1 tablespoon organic EVOO

1 tablespoon raw organic coconut vinegar

Himalayan sea salt to taste

Work your Magic!

Combine all ingredients in bowl and let marinate for about 20 minutes. Scoop mixture onto mustard greens and enjoy. 

Raw Raspberry Coconut Ice Cream

"When you feel listless, gaze upon the red hue of this fruit. The color red is supposed to stimulate circulation, sending oxygen rich blood to your muscles for a boost of energy."

I have become addicted to making raw desserts, especially ones that make a big statement. They are always bursting with so much flavor and can be combined in so many different ways. I absolutely love the fresh taste and the fact that I can enjoy something so yummy that is "guilt free!" Adding super foods to these raw desserts are easy and you don't have to add a lot for your body to reap the benefits. I added cacao powder to this ice cream, which gives a hint of chocolate flavor. The juices from the raspberries blended together with the coconut oil creates a very sensual taste. 

 Cacao powder in it's raw form has the highest amount of antioxidant flavonoids, magnesium and chromium than any other food currently marketed. Certain herbs and spices such as chaga mushroom and cinnamon may have higher antioxidant contents, but you certainly won't consume more cinnamon than you would cacao when the recommended volume is taken into consideration. Magnesium is one of the most deficient minerals in the average human body. When eating raw cacao powder on a daily basis, it can increase the longitivtiy of your life. See like I said "guilt free!" Also, a side note for the ladies, raw chocolate also helps with menstrual cramps and for both genders, it is a natural aphrodisiac ;)

Coconut is extremely good for the body as well. If you haven't heard about the amazing benefits of coconut then I will fill you in on some basics, because there are MANY. The entire fruit is super powerful with healing & cleansing properties necessary for the body to function to its optimum level of health. Coconut oil smooths skin of scars, thickens and strengthens hair, aids with weight loss, rids your body of harmful bacteria, increases immunity and helps your body fight against viruses and diseases. The many benefits of coconut oil is particularly from the lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid and its properties such as antimicrobial, anti fungal, antibacterial, soothing and antioxidants. The lauric acid breaks down to monolaurin in the body, which is said to help your body fight against negative changes. Coconut oil has been used for 1000's of years in Ayurveda. 

And how can we forget the amazing raspberry, which is another source of high antioxidants such as Vitamin C, quercetin and gallic acid. The ellagic acid present in raspberries may help prevent and stop certain cancers from growing. This fruit is also packed with fiber and manganese. Fiber helps slow digestion so that you feel full longer and the manganese boosts your metabolism. 

Ingredients:

1 package of organic frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons raw organic coconut butter

1 tablespoon unrefined raw organic coconut oil

1/8 cup raw coconut milk (or any other vegan substitute)

1 tablespoon organic raw cacao powder

1/8 cup organic raw coconut crystals

Work your Magic!

Put all ingredients in a high power blender or food processor. We use the VitaMix w/ the tamper. 

Turn on the blender slowly increasing speed to high and use tamper to push ingredients down towards blades. Once mixture is completely smooth, pour into freezer-safe container and freeze for about 4 hours. Every hour fold ice cream by scraping sides and folding from the outside to the inside to create a thicker texture. 

Moringa - The Tree of Life

This is such an amazing tree and I believe everyone should know about it! Moringa oleifera, also known as the "Tree of Life," "Drumstick Tree," "Miracle Tree," "Never Die Tree," "Gift from God Tree," "Mother's Best Friend," "Tree of Paradise," is the ultimate superfood because of the high nutritional value. This tree is drought resistant and can grow in nearly any soil but cannot tolerate cold environments. Particularly in Africa, Asia and India, this plant is used in many recipes as well as for medicinal purposes to heal people of malnutrition, various diseases and maladies. Dehydrated leaves from the tree are ground into powder then can be capsuled, added to smoothies, or to your meals.  

Moringa leaves contain over 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants and are rich in vitamins A, C, B6, K, Manganese, Magnesium, Riboflavin, Calcium, Thiamin, Potassium, Iron, Protein and Niacin. 


Ounce for ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of Moringa contains:
     7x the Vitamin C found in oranges
     4x the Vitamin A in carrots
     3x the iron of spinach
     4x as much calcium as milk
     3x the potassium of bananas. 


Moringa also contains all 8 essential amino acids and is rich in flavonoids, including Quercetin, Kaempferol, Beta-Sitosterol, Caffeoylquinic acid and Zeatin.


For pregnant and/or breastfeeding women, 6 tablespoons of Moringa can be consumed on a daily basis. It is highly recommended by many herbalists and has proven to increase breast milk (I can attest this). For a child between the ages of 1 and 3, the recommended amount is 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. 


*An interesting fact* - The crushed seeds from the Moringa tree can be used to purify water overnight.