New Beginnings

It is hard to believe that Kevin and I have only been in California for three weeks as it feels like we've always lived here. I find myself thinking about New York as though it was a past life; i'm nostalgic for the place I have called home for the last three years. However, I am finding that with each day California is becoming more and more like home as well. I can't imagine how I have ever lived without a Mother's Market! (A really awesome health food store, excuse me, I mean MECCA in Orange County with everything from Vegetarian to Raw Food -- even in the deli bar!) And the raw food restaurants are STELLER! The portions finally match the price and the prices are actually pretty decent! I'll be doing some reviews of the places we have been to in upcoming posts.
The farmers markets here leave me speechless and giddy. More than half of the farmers are organic even if they don't have the certification and the varity of produce far surpasses NYC Greenmarket. I used to do a lot of shopping at the Greenmarket in NYC because I assumed that I was doing a good thing - I was buying from my local farmers. I also assumed that since it was the Greenmarket most of what I was buying was at least pestidcide and herbicide free. WRONG. Upon asking some questions this past summer and getting some very disappointing answers, I discovered that a lot of what I was buying was still sprayed. This left me frusterated as I thought of all the people who are also trying to do a good thing buy supporting local farmers and here we are still ingesting the same harmful pesticides. What's the point?
Anyway, in California you can get HUGE organic heirloom tomatoes for 50 cents each, baskets of the most delicious figs for 3.00 a basket, and HUGE heads of kale, dandelion, red/green leaf lettuce for no more than $1. 50!!! Even in the big grocery stores like Whole Foods you hardly even pay more than $1.99 for greens. It is really refreshing since I used to pay at least $2.99 for a head of orangic spinach. My wallet is thanking me A LOT.
I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and there are always signs that guide you to your next place in life. As much as I miss NYC and the life I had there I really truely believe that coming to California was what I was meant to do. Is this the universe giving me a fresh start? Perhaps. A little kick in the tush perhaps to get my raw food chefing business of the ground? I really hope so, because it is the only thing I have ever wanted to do!

As part of this blog I plan to include recipes and a daily log of my food. Raw food really doesn't have to be time consuming and you certainly don't have to be a gourmet chef to do it!