Valentine's Day & Our New Co-op!

Hope everyone had a splendid, love-filled Valentine's Day! (No one says you need to have a boyfriend/girlfriend to spread the love!) I certainly did! This is our 7th Valentine's Day together. We never really go all out with chocolates or flowers, but we like to spend the day simply, together. And we always give each other what I call, "Love on Paper." I'm as sentimental as they come i'd much rather have a hand-made card or drawing to save and be able to look back at later on than any amount of chocolate. (I literally have two bins, a folder, and two shoe boxes FILLED with things that we have given each other over the years. This does not include our scrapbook album either! I think I have just about every movie ticket, reciept, baseball ticket, play, concert ticket we have ever gone too!) My Kevinly is very creative and a pretty damn good drawer so he always comes up with the sweetest little notes that remind me how lucky I am to have found my soulmate so early in life. My only request this year, other than LOP, was that we get down to business with two pints of Coconut Bliss. Thankfully, my wish was granted and then some!

 For V-day Kev and I headed to San Diego to check out our new Co-op; pretty far for us, about an hour and a half, but there are no other Co-ops in the OC. Total bummer, I know. Aside from shopping at the farmers market every week, we normally have to go to FOUR other stores to find the rest of the stuff we need like bananas, sesame seeds for whole made tahini, etc. It gets REALLY annoying, esp. for Kev because he works and goes to Grad. school so when he comes home and I tell him we have to go to Whole Foods, Mother's Market, and Henry's all in the same night, he is not a happy camper. While I personally don't mind the shopping, as I'd gladly spend all day in the food store just looking around, Kev can only take so much.

My dream is to be able to find everything I need at one place for a decent amount of money. Seriously, is this too much to ask? I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes we have to go to TWO different Mother's Markets (Irvine AND Costa Mesa) to get what we need, because yes, the same store that is litearlly 10 miles (ish) apart from one another has DIFFERENT items and the SAME items at DIFFERENT prices! Insanity!

We joined the Co-op in hopes to be able to buy all our bulk foods plus the stuff we know we can not get around Orange County, like bulk unrefined, untoasted, seasame oil or my absolute favourite Raw Goji-Chocolate bars that I used to get in NYC and eat EVERYDAY; perhaps the only nut-filled bar that doesn't upset my stomach. They even have bulk herbs like dandelion and kava-kava! Let me tell you, I was in grocery store heaven! Plus, our co-op is very hip and they offer a bunch of raw food classes for FREE and have a deli upstairs that has raw items as well. A+ in my book. Our local health food store, Mother's Market, also has raw deli items, but they certainly do not have a bulk section like our co-op, nor do they carry the herbs I am typically looking for. After paying and assessing our bill we were extremely pleased, esp. since we both got a Coconut Bliss and a Kombucha (typically not part of our normal shop). 

Co-Op Items (some not pictured):

• Fig, Fennel, & Flax Manna Bread
• Organic Dates
• Cherry Amertto Coconut Bliss
• Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss
• Thanksgiving Herb Blend
• Kava-Kava
• Cayenne
• Curry
• Ginger
• Dandelion
• Burdock Root
• Roobios Tea
• Collards
• Dino Kale
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Strawberry Kombucha
• Gingeraid Kombucha
• Vegan Chocolate Haystacks
• Oats
• Hulled Sesame Seeds
• Pint of Raw, Unfiltered, Sesame Oil

All for under $50.00. It only costs us $15.00 to join AND because V-day was also customer appreciation day we got an additional 7% off our bill!

I was also happy to find that they had bulk raw, unpasterized barley miso, seaweeds, organic nuts, agave, wild honey, raw tahini, and Kev's Ezekial wraps for the same price that I usually get them at TJs. Score!

*I took pictures of both the coop, our full Sunday shop, AND San Diego only to come home and find out that I never put the picture chip back into the camera before we left! Duh.

Somewhere in Texas...

Anytime we have to drive anywhere Kev and I are reminded of our cross country trip to CA and how we often spent 8-9 hours in the car, sometimes 6-7 hours straight. An hour and a half is like nothing to us now, and Kev always likes to say, " It is amazing what a little conversation can do to pass the time!" I am greatful to have someone who keeps me as entertained during those long car trips. It reminds me of family vacations as a kid with my little brother, Matthew, and how we used to play "Make Me Laugh".

(Me, Matthew, my cousin Emily in the red)
He's definately not so little anymore! He's nineteen now! Yikes!

We plan to go back to the Co-op every two weeks or so to stock up on said goodies and hopefully continue to cut down on our shopping bill as well as the amount of stores we have to visit to get all that we need. Being a raw vegan is easy, sure, but getting quality Organic foods on a budget sometimes means you have to go a tinsy bit out of the way.

And if you are wondering about gas usage and our carbon foot-print, well, TJs, Henrys, and Costa Mesa Mother's are all in walking/biking distance from our apartment complex so you can be sure that i'm not driving when I go to stock up on food during the day. And, Santa Anna Mother's, is in the same parking lot as where Kev works so he just walks over to pick me up the stuff I need from there sometimes. Being New Yorkers, we are big walkers, so going 2 miles up the street to get groceries and walking there is like cake for us, in fact, we ENJOY it.

Though, I will say, sometimes I try and do to many things at once like going on my no pressure fun run AND grocery shopping..yeah, you try running back from the grocery store with a five pound bag of zucchini, cucs, toms, and poms! Not fun!

I guess you can take the girl out of New York, but you can never take the New York out of the girl...(yeah, sorry, had to hit my cliche quota for the day. woot! sat-is-fied!)

This week is filled with green smoothies, some Asian flare, and my very productive trip to the Costa Mesa library! As if my book reading list wasn't already sky high!

Au Revoir!

New Product Review: VivAgave's Organic Blue Agave Inulin Powder!

When it comes to food products, I am a pretty simple gal. Give me some some good, whole grain mustard, slightly bitter yet salty tahini, coconut butter, and some Vitamineral Green for good measure and that is about the extent of the pre-packaged/bottled/prepared accountrements that I am willing to buy.

Why you ask? Well, because I like knowing how my food was prepared. I like knowing that it hasn't been sitting on a shelf for eons. And mostly, because I think it is absurd to spend money on products that are horrifically expensive for no reason; flax crackers anyone??? (Talk about overpriced! I can make my own for more than half the cost of those dinky 3.7 oz. bags with a much bigger yield.)

However, there are just some products a girl can't make on her own...like VivAgave's Organic Blue Agave Inulin Powder with Organic Vanilla! I mean, there are blue agave plants all over Costa Mesa, HUGE ones in fact. And I suppose with the right equipment I could...no, nope, sorry, way out of my league. Yeah, so, I'm not about to go attempt to cut one down myself and try and make my own agave. I'll leave that one to the pros!

To be honest, I am not a big agave user myself. I used to put it in everything, and then slowly but surely it became very popular to the point where even my local Trader Joe's was carrying it's own brand. Now, some would say, "This is awesome! Bringing the good, healthy stuff to the masses to replace the processed, refined, chemical sugar junk!" Unfortunatley for me, I am a bit more jaded. I've done a lot of reading and watched my fair share of food related documentaries. I know when something avant-garde in the food world becomes that popular it has to mean that the quality was compromised SOMEWHERE. I wish I was wrong about this, but the wheat, corn, and soy industry in America speaks for itself. Not to mention the fact that a good portion of the "organic" companies in this country are owned by the very conglomerates giving us the toxic food that's fueling obsesity, cancer, and heart disease. I'm a skeptic what can I say?

So when I stumbled upon VivAgave's Inulin Powder in my local Whole Foods I was not immediately throwing them in my cart. I will say, what really caught my attention was the promise of an Organic Vanilla flavor that wasn't just vanilla FLAVORING it was actually Organic Vanilla Powder made from REAL vanilla beans. Like the good shopper that I am, I went home and checked out their website. When it comes to products I am unsure about, I like to do some research first before I buy them. First of all, I wanted to know what the heck inulin was, how was this product actually produced, and where were they sourcing their agave from?? (After that whole agave controversy where some companies were watering down their agave to cut cost with high fructose corn syrup, it was important for me to have these questions answered before I purchased VivAgave's powder -- no matter how enticed I was by the yummy vanilla powder aspect.)

Let me tell you, these guys have done their research! On their website, they have two PDF files that answer just about every question you could possibly want to know about this product. Click here and here and yes, here to find out all the nitty gritty nutritional information about VivAgave Inulin. 

So, after looking all this over, I was willing to give their product a try. Back to the store I went! And after a week of using this in my smoothies, on top of some cut up mango and mini-papaya, and in my banana and almond milk cereal bowl, I am hooked!

Taste: Mmmm, DELCIOUS! The agave powder is very light and velvety; it literally dissolves on your tongue. It adds a nice, subtle vanilla flavor to whatever you put it in. Sometimes, vanilla powder can be a little bit over-powering and chemical tasting. Not this stuff! When I put it in my green smoothies it makes them taste like cookies n' cream and who doesn't want that???

Price: I paid $8.99 for 7 oz., but since it works as a sweetener you really don't need that much, maybe a teaspoon. I am not even halfway through the bag and I have been using it everyday. I would say, it is worth the money especially when you consider that most raw vanilla powders go for $12-$14 dollars for a mere 4 oz. It really is a steal!

Commitment to Quality: I like a company who comes forth with this kind of promise and is willing to include all the information they did on their website; they are obviously not trying to hide anything which to me, makes them a very trustworthy establishment. Here is what they say about their product:

  "At VivAgave, we use only all natural and organic ingredients—never any preservatives or artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. All of our organic products are produced under the strictest quality controls to ensure our customers are purchasing only the highest quality items." (http://www.vivagave.com/)

Would I purchase this again: ABSOLUTELY!

Other reasons why I love VivAgave Powder: This Agave powder is a soluable fiber, which means that it works to create healthy, benefical bacteria in the gut. In fact, inulin is what healthy belly bacteria thrives on! They don't really breakdown in the normal digestive process, which means all that enzyme-rich bacteria makes it all the way to your colon! As someone who is working to heal my digestive system, that was a huge selling point for me. Not to mention the fact that inulin apparently works as a pre AND probiotic; another good aspect in my book. It is also low glycemic, so it would be an excellent, safe sugar replacement for anyone suffering from diabeties or those trying to cut down on processed sugars. It also aids in the absorption of calcium! And well, once again, the vanilla powder. It tastes authentic. You can add it to absolutely anything for a sweet, delicate, hint of vanilla-y goodness. Yum!

It also comes in two other flavors Original and Cocoa:

My Whole Foods was only carrying the Original and the Vanilla, so I haven't been able to try the Cocoa one yet. Though, I am sure it is just as good as the Vanilla!

So, if you are a looking for a healthy way to substitute conventional sugar or just crazy about vanilla like moi, get to your local Whole Foods or health food store and ask them to supply VivAgave Organic Blue Agave Inulin Powder!

Zukay Salad Dressing Giveaway!

       

Yay! A fabulous RAW giveaway from Kristen Suzanne of Kristen's Raw!

Zukay was kind enough to offer Kristen's readers a chance to win a six-pack of their delicious salad dressings. If you haven't tried them before this would be the perfect opportunity. They are all vegan, raw, AND fermented which means they are packed with beneficial bacteria and enzymes that are excellent for digestion and keeping a healthy tum!

HERE'S HOW TO WIN:

• Leave a comment on Kristen's blog telling her what products or flavors you would to see Zukay put out in the future!
• Post a link to her blog on Facebook about the Zukay Giveaway
• OR Tweet about the giveaway with a link connecting back to Kristen's blog!

*For the last two you need to leave a separate comment on her page letting her know you have spread the Zukay word!

 The contest ends Monday Feb. 15th and Kristen will be announcing the winner on Tuesday Feb.16th!

 Click here to enter THE ZUKAY GIVEAWAY FROM KRISTEN'S RAW

 I'm really excited about this one! I've entered, have you???

Me vs. The Battle of the Bloat!

While I may have Abs of STEEL, I definately do NOT have the stomach to match! (Anyone remember those videos? Ah, those were the days!)

Unlike Anthony Bourdain at a BBQ in the Hudson Valley (which is my program of choice at the moment), everything is not going 'swimmingly' for moi. My tum has really been acting up lately and I can't seem to keep anything down. I eat and then I feel bloated. And depending on what I eat sometimes it comes right back up. Lovely, I know. I have been falling asleep around 11 p.m. and then waking up around 1:00 a.m with horrible stomach cramps; then I wake up about every two hours after that. Thursday night was perhaps the worst my stomach has felt since I gave up dairy four plus years ago. I was laying on the floor in the fetal position groaning. I have no idea what could bring on such gastrointestinal distress, but I can definately say that I felt like death warmed over the next morning; totally drained from the whole ordeal.

 After much research, I think my problems with low stomach acid have returned...for whatever reason. In New York, I had basically resolved this issue so to have it come back is very annoying. (And then it all snowballs as I start to stress over it and think about it all the time which just makes it worse.) Despite the fact that I have been drinking, or well, sometimes eating, Green Smoothie and Green Smoothies in a Bowl since I began this whole raw food thing two years ago. For those who don't know, Green Smoothies are supposed to fix all that jazz. I have been really bad about rotating greens and have been pretty much using only spinach for quite some time now.  The only exception would be when I make soups and I blend in herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, etc. When I eat salad I mix it up with spring mix, butter lettuce, sprouts, and romaine, but even that is hard on my tum. I love kale, but since I have a hard time digesting it I tend to stay away. I suppose I should be trying other greens in my smoothies, but I like the fact that spinach has a mild flavor and you can't taste the green part at all.

I have been incorporating some healing tea into my diet to see if it works. I have been reading a lot about the powerful healing benefits of ginger so I have been making a detox tea that has burdock, dandelion, fo ti wu, etc. adding a yerba mate tea bag and then steeping fresh ginger in it. I think it is helping to at least soothe my tum, especially at night when it seems to be the worst. I read online that bitter herbs also help stimulate stomach acids so I think I am going to start jucing dandelion - a very powerful, bitter, healing herb for digestion. P-p-p-p-p pucker face! haha!

Also, recently I discovered this awesome blog called Ginger is the New Pink. She has Crohn's Disease and is healing herself naturally with a high raw/ whole food vegan diet. She has some awesome looking soups that make me long for all the comforts of home (ya know -- snow, the smell of fire, and the East Coast in general). Check out her blog, she has the cutest pug! Anyway, in one of her posts she references the fact that nightshades, like tomatoes, are known to cause inflammation....and then the lightbulb turned on!! ::hmm, i've been eating a LOT of tomatoes lately...hmmm, previous to this week and a half my tum was doing just fine...ah ha!:: Yeah, so goodbye toms until summer when I can get heirlooms from the farmers market.

That being said, this week has been a tomato fest. I have been marinating them in olive oil, lemon juice, and some garlic powder and popping them in the D. so they are soft, warm, and taste just like they have been roasting in the oven. When they are done, I add them to various dishes. I must say, I am not a huge fan of raw marinara. I've resolved myself to the fact that my Mim makes the best gravy there is and trying to replicate it is impossible. However, these plump little babies really make for a super delicious gravy or soup.

Before:

Toms & Mushrooms w/ Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Garlic Powder

I put it in the D. for 2 hours on 115 degrees.

After:

Warm 'Roasted' Tomato Salad w/ Cucumbers tossed with Pesto Vingarette:

I ate this like everyday last week...really simple and good.

'Roasted' Tomatoes & Marinated Mushrooms w/ grated Zucchini:

Then I topped it with that marinara gravy I was talking about

and make a really tasty and hearty soup...

I added in some roasted garlic hummus (not pictured because I already mixed it in) that I picked up from Mother's Market deli counter. I don't normally eat that kind of stuff, but, I have been really craving garbanzo beans lately. And, hummus was one of my favourite foods pre-raw. I am not a fan of sprouted garbanzo beans as they taste really funny to me and nothing like regular chickpeas. I think the sprouted variety makes hummus taste chalky and you really don't get the same consistancy. I like to listen to my body rather than being hyper-crazy about being 100% raw. The hummus was simply roasted garlic, tahini, chickpeas, lemon juice and sea salt. All organic, and I know it wasn't sitting in a plastic container absorbing possible PBAs so I am pretty content with my decision. It added a nice little touch to the dish. Yum yum yum!

I have been eating a lot of mangos and these mini-papayas after dinner. The mini-papayas are expensive! Yikes! Papaya is supposed to be good for digestion which is why I wanted to try it. I tried a sample at Mother's and it tasted like strawberries! The ones I have bought do not taste that good and actually have no flavor. I have been cutting them up and combining them with mangos and lime juice. The mangos I have been getting have are really sweet, soft, and juicy lately. Sometimes you get them and they are more yellow vs. orange and they taste like pesticide even though they are organic. France still has the best mangos I have ever had, ironically.

Mini-Papaya & Mango w/ Lime Juice:

Perfect after dinner snack...I would be lying if I said I stopped there. I also had about four or twenty fresh dates after this. They are just SO good! Nice and sweet and soft, just the way they are supposed to be.

Hope everyone had a great Monday! I'm getting into a bad habit of staying up way to late again. I really need to go to bed earlier...

A Weekend Spent

My weekends, much like my weekdays, begin the same way: the same 26 postures, done twice, for 90 minutes. Needless to say, my mornings are excessively sweaty, bendy, stretchy, and every other word you can think of to describe a yoga practice that makes my heart beat out of my chest and sometimes induces a flury of dizzying neasea. Everyday is different, everyday my body is different; it comes with the territory and I wouldn't have it any other way. This my friends, is Bikram Yoga.

 

 

  This weekend I completed my 30 out 60 day challenge, meaning that I haven't missed a yoga pratice in 30 days straight. For some, this task is seriously daunting, however, for me it is routine - much like brushing your teeth. Previous to this, I had only missed one class in 4 months. My practice has come a LONG way. I remember when I couldn't touch my forehead to my knee like posture 24 or how I wobbled my way through postures 3-7. And even 5 days straight of Bikram was pushing it. Much like anything in life, yoga of any kind takes practice and dedication. Sometimes, in posture 22 I still feel like I am going to vomit everything I have eaten over the past week, but hey, it's all good, dizziness is normal! It's just the flow of toxins leaving the body through the pours and your heart chakra opening up, releasing all that supressed emotion, fear, and anxiety. I'm a work in progress, but I find that since beginning Bikram my entire mind, body, and soul has been transformed. Phyiscally, I am more flexible and have more muscle than I ever did running and lifting weights. I can also feel the effect it has had on me interally, squeezing all those toxins out of my organs and increasing the strength of my breathing; also a form of detox. Mentally, I feel more calm, centered, rational, and in tune with myself and the world around me. Soul-wise, I am much more greatful for the life I have been able to have; even when things don't go my way I know, that just like my yoga, all will come together in good time. Here's to the rest of my 30 days!

 

On to less sweaty weekend events!

 

This weekend Kevin and I traversed to Laguna Beach for a potluck in this fantastic hexagone, multi-level home. It was literally, at the top of the world! The hill we had to drive to get up there was MASSIVE and just kept going and going. We were like, "Does this ever end???" However, the drive up there was well worth it as the view from the top was breath-taking. Laguna in an of itself is an amazing beach community; very quaint. The potluck was fun, other than the fact that it took forever to start eating..which would be fine, but I hadn't eaten in about five hours in preperation for the onslaught of the food combos (I wanted to give my digestive system a rest). I did my best to pace myself as usual, but still woke up the next morning bloated and uncomfortable. Something about those flax seeds and dehydrated goodies that just wreaks havoc on my digestive system! ugh!

 

  Just because you are a raw foodist doesn't mean you are immune to these problems. I think people assume this is the case. That all of a sudden, you go raw, and your body magically becomes a perfectly functioning mechanism..maybe for some, but certainly not for me. Raw has helped me with many issues like my migraines, horrible PMS, fibroids, more energy, but my digestive issues press on. I thought for a long time I was the only one - why can all these other raw foodists eat nuts galore with no adverse reactions? Why can everyone else seem to handle these complicated raw food dishes from restaurants and i'm stuck eating soup that I can easily make at home for half the price?? And then I started talking to more people about it and I found that A LOT of people have these issues too. Except, people just don't like to talk about them because I guess they have the same fears that I do; that those who aren't raw will be like "AH HA! This lifestyle isn't everything you claim it to be!!! We've got you figured out!"

 No one can deny all the amazing benefits that raw food has on the body and the mind. However, it can be more difficult for some to figure out the perfect balance and knowing exactly what the body needs to fuction. The cleaner you become, the more difficult it is - at least I think so. We're not all scientists here and the body is a very complicated organism. Right now, I am just trying to figure out how to feel good EVERYDAY, not somedays. I'll be writing more on this in an upcoming post. As this goes much deeper for me than just some bad potluck combos!
 

     Friday's Dinner:

• Ezekial Wrap with Romaine Lettuce, Sun-dried Tomato Sunflower Seed Burger topped with Smoked Gouda Cheeze Sauce and Organic Whole Grain Mustard (ACV & Sea Salt) w/ a side salad of Romaine, Nutirional Yeast, and Agave-Mustard Dressing.
• Crudite of Organic celery and Organic red beel pepper w/ avocado topped with Sea Veggie Dulse & Cayenne sprinkled on top and some Himalayan Sea Salt.
• Dip: Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Whole Grain Mustard, Nutitional Yeast, Organic fresh Dill, and chopped up Jalepeno pepper.

Sunday was spent in the kitchen, re-stocking for Kevin's lunches/dinners and cleaning/organizing. Spending my Sundays making food and dehydrating makes my weekday mornings super easy. All I have to do is reach into the cabinet or fridge and pull out what I made on Sunday and within 3 minutes i've got his whole lunch ready to go! This weekend I made a big batch of Chocolate-Coconut Flake-Raisin Granola, Sunflower-Dill Crab Cakes, Jalepeno-Cilantro Burgers, Snap-Pea Chips, and a Mediterranean Chickpea, Adzuki, and Mung bean grain bowl with organic Millet seasoned with fresh garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. (non-raw). 

 I'm fortunate enough to have a live-in taste tester for all my raw-vegan and vegan recipes. He's my hungry high-raw vegan guinea pig! Kev's a picky eater, so when he likes something I know it must be good. We've been together for six years so I trust him to tell me if something needs more seasoning or is too sweet; we by-passed that whole sugar coating stage a longgggg time ago! He's come leaps and bounds in his diet since I first met him. Somehow, he used to live off sugary cereals, micro-waved veggies in cheese sauce, shake n'bake pork chops, eating whole Dominos pizzas at midnight w/ cheesy bread. You know, Standard American Diet processed crap. I'm very proud of him. He may never be a salad-lover like me, but he can drink a 64 oz Green Smoothie with the best of them. Even when i'm not around to remind him he still always chooses an Organic and Vegan option which is fine by me!!

Eating Vegan Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Swingers in Santa Monica.

Isn't he adorable? I think so!

    

My nicely organized fridge and cabinet.

Sunday night was very relaxing. We watched television, I read my new health magazine from Mother's, and Kevin worked on his park project for Urban Design class. Good weekend!

...and this concludes my SUPER long weekend post! Au Revoir!

Ruth's Chia Goodness

So the past two weekends I have been teaching a Raw Food Start-up Class at the Environmental Nature Center. Raw Start-up for me means simple, tasty, raw food that virtually anyone can incorporate into their diet without too much fuss or the pressure of having to commit 100% to raw foods. As I have tired to reinforce many times, you don't have to be one hundred percent to reap the benefits of a living foods lifestyle. An organic, whole foods diet rich in greens, veggies, fruits, and whole grains - free of all things processed -coupled with physical exercise will bring you much more success than struggling to be totally raw. (I cannot stress enough how important EXERCISE is, regardless of what kind of diet you follow! You're body needs help cleaning out years of excess, built-up toxins and just eating healthy simply doesn't cut it.)

Most of my students are looking for quick recipes, something that will taste really good without being too time consuming; that seems to be the big "hang up" for people when it comes to going raw. While I personally think that a smoothie, full of fruit and greens is the best way to begin the day after a workout, sometimes people want something heartier. In the winter months, even though it is California, my students are often looking for warmer, more comforting foods to beging their day.

I've had my eye on Ruth's Chia Goodness (original flavor as the other two contain cane sugar) for a while now. The original flavor is simply chia seeds, hemp seeds, sprouted buckwheat, and sea salt. Three powerhouses when it comes to protein, trace minerals, essential fatty acids like omega 3 and 6, and calcium. It provides slow-releasing energy and is low-glycemic to boot. It doesn't get easier or tastier. Chia Goodness is awesome because sometimes buying chia and hemp separately can be pretty costly and for some, may be hard to find. Ruth's Hemp Foods does the hard work for you, which is fantastic in my book.

 I like to add this to my smoothies to make them a bit thicker, but this is excellent eaten on its own. All you have to do is mix with water (add warm water for a breakfast reminiscent of oatmeal) or nut milk, stir, and let thicken for two or three minutes. Add your prefered sweetener of choice like maple syrup or date paste - perhaps you'd like to add some fruit such as apple or banana. You really cannot go wrong here.

My only qualm was that I found it at Mother's for $4.19 and when I went back to restock, they were out of "original" and the price had mysteriously gone up to $5.89. I checked Whole Foods and they didn't even sell the "original" and the price for the other two flavors was a whooping $6.99. In New York, at Westerly, this was $3.89 or something rediciously affordable like that. I am going to be very sad if I have to wait until it goes on sale to buy it again as I am absolutely smitten with this chia/hemp/buckwheat combo.

If you happen to find this is in your local health food store, or your Whole Foods carries it and doesn't charge you an arm and a leg -- give it a try! or of course, you can make your own if you have these gems in stock...

P.S. This is especially delicious mixed with Raw Chocolate Mousse!


Food:
-1 gallon water throughout the day
-16 oz. water w/ lime
- 2 Green Magic Smoothies + 4 kiwi
- 2 dates + 1 T cacao nibs
-Veggies & Dip: 1 red bell pepper, 5 stalks celery, 2 slices of cuc,  dipped in a maple/mustard/n.y. /jalapeno mixture  & 5 leaves of romanine lettuce dipped in my housemade ranch dressing
-1 avocado with lime and kelp/cayenne
-5 organic turkish figs from whole foods
-1 bag of TJs freeze dried banana

...pretty sure I need to cut back on the nutritional yeast as I think it is causing excess mucus to form i.e. a short time after eating I start to spit food back up. totally gross.

Exercise:
- 90 minute Bikram
- 4 mile run
- 10 minutes on eliptical @ resistance of 10
- 1 mile general walking

L'adoration de la Pomegranate, Green Magic Smoothie, & Love Days

That's right, the sweet, slightly tart, crisp, burst-in-your-mouth explosion of flavor that is the Pomegranate has founds its way into my petite kitchen; making a home for itself in my daily breakfast Green Smoothie. It's juicy, blood-red goodness spewing all over my cutting board and stove-- staining my clothes as I break apart the neatly backed bundles of seeds into my bowl. Yet, I don't mind. It's a labor of love, as far as I am concerned.

I know, I know, I am a little late jumping on the Pom bandwagon -- don't judge! I have only had this antioxident-rich fruit twice in the past: A girl I used to babysit for let me try some and at the farmers market. I thought it was o.k., but certainly nothing to write home about. I couldn't imagine doing all that work just to eat some seeds. (I can be very lazy at times.) However, while Kevin and I were doing our daily Sunday shopping at TJ's I noticed that they were on sale, and thought, "Why not?!" My smoothies were in dire need of a change anyway as I had been topping them with raisins and chopped up dates; not that this isn't good, but after a while it started to give me a stomachache. I think it had something to do with the smoothie digesting much faster than the dried fruit, a la bad food combining.

(I am not of the 'chugging' variety when it comes to Green Smoothies. I like to enjoy mine in a big ol'bowl topped with all sorts of goodies. My smoothies often have a yogurt consistancy making it more like a meal than a quick drink. Needless to say, the Pom provided just the right texture and crunch I desired. )

What's so good about poms other than their flava? Well, just in case you were interested, Poms are a powerhouse of nutrients. They are proven cancer fighters, have three times the amount of heart-healthy antioxidents than green tea and wine, high in dietary fiber, folate, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K. They are an excellent post-workout snack as they contain a lot of water and GOOD sugar (complex carbs). I love these little ruby red gems!

As mentioned, these have been the featured item in my latest Green Smoothie:

Green Smoothie Magic:

 2 ripe bananas
 1/2 cup Chia Goodness (more on this later!)
 2 ripe baby bananas (for extra creaminess!)
 3 satsumas
 4 cups Organic spinach
 1 cup frozen pineapple
 1 cup frozen mango
 1/3 cup filtered water or nut milk

Blend all ingredients together until creamy and smoothie. I add the frozen fruit last, because I like to keep my smoothies slightly chilled and thick.

In a separate bowl de-seed your pom and combine with 1 cup of Wild Blueberries. (I get mine from Trader Joes because they are the most affordable, organic, wild blueberries I can find. Sorry, refuse to pay $5.99 a pint for blueberries; that's crazy talk!) Mix and then top with Green Smoothie Magic. Stir that baby together!

 Mmmm, thick, creamy, and a perfect balance of flavors; the juice from the blueberries and poms mixes together to create this awesome deep purple that just swirls together with the green of the smoothie. Love it; looks like a cheese cake!

I have been eating this TWICE a day for the past TWO WEEKS! ...so you know it must be good.... Once for breakfast and then as my after dinner snack. It's an exellent way to double up on the blended greens and to refuel after workouts.

Food (All Organic):
-16 oz. water w/lime & msm
-2 liters water
-8 satsumas/clemintines
-2 Green Magic Smoothies + 2 additional kiwis add with Poms and W.Blueberries
-3 zucs spirialized into pasta w/ my Smoked Gouda Cheeze Sauce & Tomato/Parsley/Basil Sauce
-2 stalks celery
-8 dates
-1 apple
-16 oz. water with lime


Exercise (spaced throughout the day/night)
 -  90 minute Bikram
 - 4 mile run outside
 - 35 minute walk

In keeping with the spirit of the upcoming holiday, it being Valentine's Day, I am collaborating with the ENC and a few SoCal meetup groups to host a Valentine's Day Potluck at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, CA. It will be held on Feb.12, 2010 from 6pm-8pm. As typically goes with potlucks, bring a dish that serves at least 10 people, all organic, raw, vegan. As well as a list of ingredients/recipe, serving utensils, and a place setting for yourself. This is going to be an awesome event! For more information please email me at maioa827@gmail.com to sign up.