A Rawfully Delicious Dinner

I enjoyed my weekend immensely!!!  My mother-in-law, whom I refer to as "the one that spoils me RAWten", prepared a raw vegan candlelight dinner that we enjoyed together with some of our friends.  What a joy and encouragement it was being with them! *happy sigh*  We spent hours of playing catch-up with what was happening in each of our lives, laughing and clowning-which is right up my alley, then later watched a movie together.  Missing them as I write this post, and look forward to the day that we get together like this again.

Just a quick post to share some of the delicious food that delighted our taste buds!  :-)

Raw Vegan Spicy Chunky Chowder Soup made with pine nuts and seaweed.

Delicious Salad! 

 Hempesan (Raw Vegan Parmesan Topping) &
Raw Coconut Jerky Bits for our salad.

Vegan Dip and Raw BBQ Crackers

Strawberry Parfait for dessert!  :-)

This is a cool sprouter that Linda has! It's called an Easy Green Sprouter Micro Farm. Must get one of these!  It has a built in water reservoir.  Simply set the timer for when you want it to water the sprouts!  I love it!

If you would like to try some of the recipes, I have included links by a few of the photos.  The Raw Vegan Chowder soup is from the Julienno's Raw Cuisine DVD.   The dip and BBQ Crackers recipe comes from ebooks that can be found here:  Abeba's Krazy Krackers.

What's For Lunch?

Mock Tuna & Salad

I enjoyed a delicious mock-tuna sandwich made by my precious mother-in-law and friend, Linda Barnes.  The two of us are still going strong with the raw vegan lifestyle, and work together as a team experimenting and preparing raw recipes.  She is such an inspiration to me, and spoils me RAW-ten.

My sons gave raw vegan eating a good try.  Whereas, they are not against it, they felt 100% wasn't quite for them.  We decided to have a meeting of the minds. To minimize their meat intake, I prepare alternatives for them, such as Eggplant Parmesan, Seitan veg steak with gravy, Spaghetti with mushrooms and brocolli, vegetarian tofu Stir-fry, etc.

Quick & easy Veggie Taco Meal!

Above is an example of their quick and easy lunch. (Esp. when they are homeschooling. Dustin & Justin homeschooling 12th grade, Josiah getting his registration set up to major in computer programming for homeschool college - classes via video and webcam online.)  They also enjoy big salads for lunch, like spinach and strawberries, or my Vegetarian Southwestern.  I really enjoy making their plates look pleasurable and inviting.  They get the biggest smile, and always tell me how much they appreciate it.  :-)

So far, things have worked out well with our eating and fitness plans. Dustin, Justin, and Josiah has that they wanted to "go buff", and have gotten into body building! *smile*  (Photo below of Dustin)  

 

Proud of you my dears!!!  Keep up the excellent work!

Indoor Rock Climbing At Stronghold

There is great satisfaction in exercising at home, however, sometimes for the sake of change and adding more fun to fitness, I can't help but think along the lines of John Cleese on Monty Python, where he announces........ "And now for something completely different."  My sons and I have been fascinated with rock climbing, and decided to go for indoor training at Stronghold Athletic Club in Columbia, SC (USA). We had a "blast"!  Felt like a kid again, climbing to the very top.  HUZZAH!!!  My music inspiration of the day:

"Can You Take Me Higher"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LASeWCB8J0

 

Some of the photos we took at Stronghold are located in my Multiply photo gallery.  

Drop by and check 'em out!

I have learned that there is a nice rock climbing gym in Atlanta.  Needless to say, we will be heading that way soon.  There is a rock climbing Meet-up group in Atlanta.  How awesome is that!  Hopefully, we can learn a lot of tips from climbers there.  I will be looking into 101 classes at Fox Mountain Guides.  Perfect homeschool PE for my sons.  

This was such a wonderful experience! We look forward to our next visit to Stronghold, as well as climbing in other areas.

Health and Wellness Expos

Reporters from channel 6

 

Yes, I do love attending expos.....especially when it pertains to health and wellness!  The past 3 weeks, my dad and I have had ourselves a ball with each of the events!

The first expo we attended was located at the Savannah Rapids Pavillion.  The exhibitors are listed in the WJBF-Channel 6 website.  It was truly amazing, the attendance and support for this event.  Cars where parked everywhere!!  Not only was the parking area filled.....cars were parked long distances alongside neighboring roads.  There were golf carts for those who wanted a ride from the parking area to the expo, then back to their cars after attending.  The expo offered free health screenings for both children and adults.  There was blood sugar testing, a blood pressure check, Zyto Compass screening to identify supplements that the body is lacking, eye/hearing exams, and more!  For added enjoyment, there was face painting for the kids, a Wii exercise tournament, and boat rides.

Would you believe that I saw a book at one of the exhibits dedicated to raw vegan food preparation!  The title of the book is "First Generation Raw". (photo bottom left)  Needless to say, the book is now in my possession. *smile* 

 

Book at one of the exhibits.  

 Week 2:  Diabetes Expo
The second week, we attended the 25th Annual Diabetes Expo.   At each exhibit, they were giving away informative books and brochures.  Here again, they were testing for sugar, high blood pressure, a carotid artery plaque scan, and more.

There were also various classes informing the public about diabetes, how to control it, complications, and the newest medications available. I decided to check out their cooking class, and learned some wonderful new recipes.  I enjoy preparing raw vegan meals.....and though, my sons do not reject it, they have clearly stated that they do not aspire to be 100%.  They enjoy a balance of both worlds (vegan + non-vegan), and work towards eating as healthy as possible.  When I prepare meals for them, I try to have a meeting of the minds.  Will see if they like some of the recipes from this class.

 Week 3:  Barney's Health Fair
Friday, we attended a Health Fair at Barney's Pharmacy.  Mom joined us for this one!  We were quite thrilled that she was feeling better and had the energy to do so!!!

If anyone in our local area missed the previous expos, there was definitely a lot of information at this event.  Along with health screening, they offered pain management massages, brochures about controlling diabetes/healthy eating, and an opportunity to sign up for trial classes taught regularly at the store.  Snacks and beverages were provided for all in attendance, in addition to lunch from Sconyers BBQ.

I never tire of visiting the Living History Park in N. Augusta, SC each year to see the reenactment of colonial times! Various members of our CSRA HomeSchool group always lovingly post reminders!  Some of the features included at the event were blacksmithing, woodworking, musketry, sewing, pottery, weaving, candlemaking and more!  Though, I didn't sample anything due to the changes I have made in my eating habits, I do realize from past samplings that some of the best butter to delight the palate has been churned for sampling during this event.  One year that my mom attended, she said that it tasted like butter her family churned during her childhood.  There was also a gentleman that had the fire going, ever so slowly and graciously preparing food for those reenacting:  photo.  I am proud to say, that I maintained focus, and encountered no "Bird Anonymous" setbacks.  (Sylvester and Tweety) *giggles*

To learn more about this annual event, see:  "Colonial Times:  A day to Remember".  Check out some of the pics  that I uploaded to my Multiply photo gallery!

By the way.....for those of you who are into letterboxing, there is one hidden in the Living History park called Nestled In!  We also have other new letterboxes in our area.  Printing the clues, and looking forward to the lettebox hunt!

Spicy BBQ Kale Chips

Here is a new recipe that I tried for when I have the munchies.  My darling mother-in-law and friend, Linda Barnes,  introduced  got me addicted to this.  Instead of dipping into a bag of potato chips, I'll dip into my bag of BBQ Kale Chips.  I got the recipe from a YouTube video made by Russell James.  He is my favorite raw vegan chef!  Be sure to visit his website and check out some of his E-books, and his Raw Chef DVD course.

It is delicious!  When dehydrating them, I couldn't stop nibbling on a few each time that I checked them.  The boys love it, and kept thanking me for making them.  Give it a try!  Below is the recipe.

Spicy BBQ Kale Chips

1 head organic kale, torn
2 chipotle chilis, soaked (actually smoked Jalapeno’s)
1/2 cup soaking water from chipotle chilis
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons nama shoyu/tamari
2 tabelspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup soft dates

Directions:

- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Thoroughly combine the kale a sauce in a bowl until all the kale is coated.
- Evenly scatter the kale on a non-stick dehydrator sheet in a way that will allow the air to circulate around it.
- Dehydrate at 105 degrees F for around 10 hours. (Can leave overnight or ever 24 hours for really crisp chips) Remove from the non-stick sheet, transferring to a mesh sheet and continue dehydrating until the kale is completely dried out.

A close friend of mine, Lynn Trochelman, whom I affectionately call Lynnie-Pie (we keep the names Clampettish.....she calls me Jacqui-Mae because of the love that I have for critters) had such a fun chat yesterday, and she shared a couple of cool links that I would like to pass on!  (((((Thank you Lynnie-Pie.  I love ya' girl!!!)))))

Veria:  Healthy Living, Holistic Health & Wellness, Alternative Medicine

Dirty Footprints Studio

(Raw) Angel-Hair Zucchini Pasta

For some, raw vegan pasta is an acquired taste!  I happily eat my share of it.....my sons, on the other hand, gasp at even the thought.  We're still working on that.  ;-)  Since diabetes and high blood pressure runs in my family, I made the decision to steer away from food such as white pasta/rice and enriched bread.  I'm leaning more towards alternatives.

 -----------------
Interesting info

Don't Limit Yourself to Pasta:
http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/vegan-travel/dont-limit-yourself-to-pasta

Why Pasta Is Bad For You:
http://janicewhite.hubpages.com/hub/why-white-pasta-is-bad-for-you 

The Truth About White Bread:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/105185/the_truth_about_white_bread.html?cat=5
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One thing that I substitute for pasta, among other lovely alternatives, is Zucchini. I enjoy it topped with a delicious marinara sauce. If I decide for a cheesy taste, I'll simply sprinkle a dab of Nutritional Yeast.  What I am anxious to try with this dish is raw walnut meatballs.  Will let ya' know how that turns out!

The way that I make my angel hair zucchini is by using a Saladacco Spiral Slicer.  Simply slice the zucchini to a manageable size.  Turn the crank on the top to turn the zucchini into the spiralizer blade......

.....and a thin pasta like strand will collect in the bottom chamber.

If you don’t have a spiral slicer yet, simply grate the zucchini or peel it with a peeler for a flat fettuccine-type “noodle”.

Just a quick post of what I'm up to on the topic of healthy eating.  Blogging about it, from time to time, encourages me and keeps me focused.  Sometimes, it is a matter of being a plate away in the return to old habits of comfort eating.  I am determined to continue my healthy journey. My life depends upon it.

Hey!  Forgot to mention.....I made a raw cashew spread as an alternative cheese for my Jacqui-Lin Crackers!  I must say, it is absolutely DEE-lish!  Will post about it soon!

(((((((Much Love)))))))

Jacqui-Lin Raw Vegan Crackers

Crackers made with flax seed and onions

Made with love by me and my mother-in-law & dear friend, Linda - hence the name Jacqui-Lin.  Together, we are grateful and inspired by various books dedicated to the vegan raw food lifestyle.  We enjoy experimenting, researching, creating and/or tweaking recipes to our own taste and preference.

Ingredients

3 large vidalia onions

3/4 cup  Golden Flax Seeds (grinded)

3/4 cup Sun Flower Seeds (grinded)

1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/4 cup Tamari

Smoked paprika

Parsley Flakes

Black Sesame Seeds

Directions

Step 1
Peel and cut onions in half.  On a side note--to me, sweet onions taste better in this recipe.  When dehydrating, taste intensifies....and the yellow onions leave the crackers tasting strong and bitter. I have heard others recommending Maui or Walla Walla as delicious sweet onions to use in raw vegan food preparation.  Think that I will definitely experiment with those, as well.

Place the onions that you have sliced into a food processor and cut into a soft, pulpy consistency.  Add the onions, golden flax seeds, Bragg, and Tamari Sauce into a large mixing bowl.  According to your personal taste, add smoked paprika, dehydrated parsley flakes, and black sesame seeds. (That is optional.  Some of my crackers I add those ingredients, and others I make plain to have a nice variety, as you will notice in my photos.)  Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Step 2
Spread 2 2/3 cups of the mixture thin and evenly on a Teflax sheet or parchment paper. Use your spreading knife or utensil to softly score the spread to divide into squares or triangle shapes.  This makes it easier to break the crackers apart once dehydrated. Carefully slide the Teflax sheet with ingredients onto the dehydrator tray and place into the dehydrator. Repeat the entire process of (step 2) with each tray until all of the mixture is used.

Linda scoring the batter spread on Teflax sheet

Step 3
Dehydrate for 1 hour at 140 degrees, then reduce the temp to 105 degrees for 24 hours.  (By starting at 140 degrees, you will reduce the risk of bacteria growth.  The food will not reach 140 degrees.) Flip the tray over onto a work surface.  Gently separate the Teflax from the crackers.  Return to the dehydrator for another 10 to 11 hours.

Mixture of crackers in the dehydrator