Rainer Maria Rilke

"Let life happen to you. Life is in the right, always"

~ Rilke

Rainer Maria von Rilke

support systems

Picture below is one of my new support systems

i am thrilled that Barbaraw has brought her fabulous new

fusion of raw and vegan 'cooking' into our community

Blove is amazing ~ find your source for RaW

and taste for yourself!

http://www.blove.ca

C L E A N eating

i have been doing great with my food transitioning ....

i know i will be challenged with the change of seasons ... especially when winter comes

in recent months i have been telling people that i am eating "cleaner"

i love the word "CLEAN" it carries over into much more of my lifestyle

i've also discovered that one should never be completely raw

and believe i have found what works best for me

here's to you and finding out what works best for you too

in good health always

red, white & tart

picked up some local white currants

i like to eat them just as is

the neighbours have red currants

they can be used to make jelly, sauces, great in pies and wine

swirls

two parts juiced carrots

one part mixed greens juiced

equals a healthy swirly combination

CHEERS!

sea beans

after a couple bites... you'll be hooked

ADDICTIVE

to your health

~ mixture of beet and broccoli tops, swiss chard, kale, variety of lettuces and apples ~

wise words

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. - Buddha

just in time

i cannot get enough of these olives

as large as this jar is (2.7 Kg ) ... i don't think it will last long

Z STAR

wow - i am impressed!

manual juice extractor

fabulous - we need more 

"manual" in our lives

almonds

how i love almonds... 

making almond milk at home is simply the best

here i soaked almonds as usual but decided to skin them

... a fun process... pretty much slips right off

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was lovely - we celebrated at Treadwell 

the food was excellent - the atmosphere perfect

the lavender at the table was a gift to take home

the restaurant brings in local food suppliers  

the sparkling water comes in a beautiful blue bottle (see picture)

smoothies

smoothies are great to mix up when you need something quick

there are many things you can add into a smoothie to enhance it .... try to adjust according to your current nutritional needs

i recently tried a whole food smoothie infusion mixture by Brendan Brazier formulator of the Vega product line

liquids any time of day

one of my favorite drinks to quench my thirst anytime of the day

S.Pellegrino and lime (if you can...  buy key limes - they are tiny and pack a punch)

of all the sparkling waters, i prefer S.Pellegrino from Italy

when i drink still water (filtered) i prefer lemons 

snacks

snacks today have been raspberries (pictured)

chocolate at breakfast

and i brought a mixture of dates/walnuts/coconut/pineapple

with me while I was out 

liquids for lunch

lunch ... finally made my raw tomato soup......fabulous 

i used tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, fresh (organic) tarragon and some sea salt

the processor whipped it up nice

i checked out a few recipes beforehand... most used a sweetener ie/ agave 

most also added olive oil

you could add other spices if you like but i really loved this one with less ingredients - the tarragon was especially flavourful - i will have my own growing at home soon

Liquids for breakfast...

felt like a smoothie this morning... mixed up a simple one with mango,  freshly squeezed orange juice,  kefir and filtered water

Change

..... check out this excellent compilation album  

Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise
Various Artists

this isn't about food but those that know me and those that know me by my blogger profile ...know that I am a fan ....of Music of Obama and change 

keep rocking Melissa

ginger carrot soup in the raw

made a batch of soup for dinner 

so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients

filtered water +  avocado + carrots ... add some sea salt and freshly grated ginger to taste

if you like you can experiment with other spices too

add some fresh parsley or cilantro ( i prefer cilantro) i grow my own at home

can't you just taste it - yummy

peanut butter and ground cinnamon bark

alright .... even though the chunky peanut butter is organic and the cinnamon ground fresh .... it is not the best of breakfasts (especially with that bread) 

i did enjoy it very much alongside  my pot of tea this morning

cravings

i was craving a big juicy hamburger tonight.... almost 

i thought about what would curb the desire and decided i needed some protein

1 cup hemp hearts, 3 1/2 cups water (filtered), some sweetener 

mix it all up in the blender and voila.... yummy

you can always add some carob or cacao if you like

definitely satisfies

shades of night fall

these two pictures were taken shortly after i got home from the raw pot luck.... it was a gorgeous evening... 

as much as i appreciate the sky is the early am.. i love the sky at night ....  

Raw Pot Luck

wow .... i just got back from a fabulous raw food gathering 

lots of wonderful dishes to try

i was especially fond of the stuffed tomatoes - i knew i would love them before i even sampled one 

can't wait for the next one!

Saigon Soul Food

it is rare that i travel downtown....  when i do get there i always make time for these wonderful Salad Wraps... similar to fresh spring rolls - you can have tofu shrimp or chicken

the owner is lovely - it is a rare jewel in the city  

don't miss out if you have the opportunity to stop by

The good and the bad

the good is that the cupcake is all pure ingredients and delicious ... the bad is that i still have sweet tooth cravings 

Dufflets of Toronto (dufflet.com) make the best desserts ... check them out online  -  they use quality ingredients (as far as baked goods go) 

nut butters

i have got to go easy on the nut butters..... they are sooooooooooo good (like dessert)

i have been eating 1/2 jar at a time... cashew or pecan or walnut (raw of course)

yum yum yum yummy

listen to your body

sometimes your body is trying to tell you something and you Need to Listen

today my body wanted something substantial for breakfast

so as I had made a batch of organic basmati rice yesterday I made  fried rice

ingredients, rice/onion/fresh ginger root/eggs/sea salt/coconut oil

excellent... and the best part is that there are leftovers

sometimes i drizzle toasted sesame oil on top yum

last night i chopped up an avocado with fresh lemon juice wonderful xv olive oil sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper - so amazingly good

spices

i love spices from MonsoonCoast.com

my fav dish during summer

i guess it really isn't a "dish" but what I put on my dish

fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, olive taggiasche, home made hummus, caciocavallo cheese

sitting outside on the patio of course

 

a little himalayan salt on the tomatoes and cucumbers

breakfast

upon awakening i don't usually have anything to eat right away sometimes i will have a glass of water but usually it is 30 minutes to an hour or more before i have anything

i do have a pot of tea every morning (most every) usually green tea (loose leaf) with jasmine flowers, sometimes something more herbal like dandelion

lately, i have been having raw nut butters and a chunk of 85% chocolate (nut butters i love - cashew/pecan/walnut - much better than almond)  the prices are skyrocketing these days... i used to pay $10.99, then 12 bucks now the prices are almost 15 dollars (for a tiny jar)

dinner

this will probably be my last homemade batch of butternut squash soup as it is Spring now

nothing better than a bowl of homemade soup.... eventually i will learn how to make more soups that are raw

okay maybe that giant dollop of pure almost whipped cream yogourt is the icing on this wonderful bowl of soup