Welcome to "Carob Coconut Banana Heaven"!

Today I made a "smoothie treat" to share with my 12 year old son, Zack. This turned out SO delicious, I just have to share the recipe! This is the kind of smoothie to make when you're feeling that sweet tooth rear it's ugly head, but you don't want to get off track.

"CAROB COCONUT BANANA HEAVEN":

3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups filtered water

3 cups organic mixed greens

1/2 tsp himalayan or celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 T raw agave nectar

3 T milled flax

2 T shredded coconut (unsweetened)

2 T raw carob powder (natural zing has one that's really raw)

Blend all ingredients and add ice as needed-(I used about 1 1/2 cups).

Enjoy!!

Hello Again!!

So, I haven't blogged in forever......Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I am only sorta keepin' it Raw! I am still totally committed to the Raw lifestyle and have not wavered in my smoothie drinking and salad eating. I started working out at my local gym in the beginning of February, and didn't really know what to do with my startling increase in appetite. I obviously increased my Raw food intake, but ultimately started eating bread again...which led to dairy products....which led to chicken and fish. Huh! How'd that happen??

I know that I will continue to eat some cooked foods, but really need to cut out the dairy pronto!! Within a month of eating dairy products, I was sick with a raging sinus infection (hadn't been sick AT ALL since cutting them out). I fought it with nasal irrigation for awhile. In the past I have had success using only that. After three weeks, I realized this was not enough. Being completely unwilling to go the antibiotic route, I decided to try honey. Yes, honey!

Recent articles in natural health magazines have been touting the benefits of honey. More specifically, they have discussed the antibiotic properties of honey, and it's effectiveness against sinus infections. Studies have shown it is as effective as prescription antibiotics! I read "the darker, the better" when using honey for this purpose and, obviously, raw honey is ideal.

So I started my new routine of two heaping tablespoons of honey a day, plus echinacea/golden seal, garlic, and increased probiotics. Within 7 days, all evidence (if you know what I mean!) of my sinus infection was gone except for slight nasal congestion! Unbelievable! Within three more days I was as good as new! This was one of the worst sinus infections I have ever had, so there's no coincidence here. I definitely recommend giving it a go if you find your sinuses troubling you!

Clip of a Food Demo by Brian Lucas, aka Chef BeLive!

This guy makes some incredible Raw Cuisine! Plus, he is so free spirited, positive, and entertaining. We were lucky enough to sample a couple of his recipes, and they were DELICIOUS!

Raw Food Spirit Fest in Sedona!!

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The Festival was amazing, so inspiring! There were a lot of great speakers, Food Demos with fantastic Raw food chefs, spiritual opportunity, amazing music, and of course Raw food! Sedona is just gorgeous, and I could not stop snapping pictures on my cell phone. What a weekend!

Strawberry Banana Popsicle-It's a Hit!!

Here is my son, Brandon taste testing a recipe for Strawberry Banana Popsicles from Nana's Raw (thecanary on Raw Fu)! He looks very pleased with it, doesn't he? It was the perfect snack after an afternoon of skateboarding in the sun. Thanks Nana's Raw!!

Yummy Eggplant Salad!

Boy-this Raw Fu Challenge is keepin' me busy! Not to mention all of the preparations for my three boys to go back to school! My oldest started high school this week, and my two younger guys went back to school after we homeschooled last year. I have mixed feelings about this (Yay-the house is quiet! And...Oh man, the house is SO quiet! LOL). They have all three started football, which absolutely takes over everything in this house. I'll be glad when it settles down

to twice a week starting next week (for the little boys). Bring on the football games-Go Danville!!

Since the kids started school, I will now have a good amount of time to try out some Raw recipes that I didn't feel I had time to do before! Now if I can just get the house straight first........

Mmmmmm Blueberries!!

I've been eating a lot of blueberries lately-you probably have been, too! They are sweet, tangy, and delicious. Since they're in season, they're cheaper than usual-bonus. My smoothies contain them, I eat them plain or in a salad, and my kids love 'em. Another bonus:they're good for you, too!

From Wikipedia:

"Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with notably high levels of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. One serving provides a relatively low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day.
Especially in wild species, blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and various phytochemicals possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases, including inflammation and different cancers."

Here's my recipe for a BLUEBERRY PINA COLADA (gone green!):

1/2 CUP FROZEN WILD BLUEBERRIES

2 LEAVES OF KALE

1 CUP FRESH PINEAPPLE

1 BANANA

1/2 CUP COCONUT MILK

1/4 CUP HEMP MILK

Soooo delicious-I had it this morning!! Enjoy!