One of the questions that people ask us alot is:  Why do you dehydrate?
Dehydrating food doesn't destroy the nutrients through high temperature. The nutrient plant material is alive.  We usually heat between 118 and 120.  

Food is more flavorful when you dehydrate.  The lower temperatures and the longer heating time brings out all the natural flavors in the food. It is so convenient.  Our girls dance about 24 hours a week.  We need things that are healthy and easy to transport.  
We also need as many vitamins and nutrients possible out of our foods.  

What's in the dehydrator today?

THE famous Onion bread

2 1/2 lbs sweet onions, peeled
1 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
3 oz. Nama Shoyu

Put onions in food processor with 's' blade and process until small pieces, (but not mush). Put in mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. The flax will absorb liquid. Smooth onto teflex sheets* about 1/4" thick and place in dehydrator for 5 hours, turning over for another 3-4 hours or until dry and crispy. Either break into pieces or cut with a pizza cutter, and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

*If you don't have an Excalibur dehydrator, any type will do - just use natural unbleached parchment paper instead of the teflex sheets.

 
 Rainbow Vegetable Flax Seed Crackers 
Makes 4 Dehydrator trays

5 Cups of purified water
4 Cups golden flax seed presoaked
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup of purple cabbage
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
4 small Carrots or 1 orange pepper, coarsely chopped
1 yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
4 Ribs celery, coarsely chopped
½ Cup minced parsley, cilantro, or spinach
¼ white onion
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
2 Tsp. basil
2 Tsp. oregano
1 Tsp. thyme
1 Tsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tsp. sea salt


1. Presoak flax seeds in 5 cups of water for at least 1 hour or overnight. Place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Puree fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic and seasonings in the food processor. Add to the flax mixture.

3. Process all the vegetables individually in the food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Add to the flax mixture.

4. Stir the flax mixture until well combined.

5. Using about 3 1/4 cups of the mixture and an offset spatula, spread the mixture about ¼” thick onto Teflex sheets on the dehydrating trays. Score into squares or triangl es with a plastic utensil so as not to damage the Teflex sheet.

6. dehydrate for at least 12 hours. The crackers easily separate from the Teflex sheets without stickiness, usually after 12 hours. Remove the dehydrator tray. Flip the crackers by placing a mesh and another tray on top of the crackers. Hold both sides of the sandwiched trays and flip them towards you so the top tray is now at the bottom. Remove the new top tray and the mesh. Now peel off the Teflex sheet from the crackers, which are now facing downward. Return the crackers to the dehydrator for approximately an additional 4 hours until completely dry.

7. Let cool before storing by leaving them on the dehydrator trays outside of the dehydrator or inside of the dehydrator with the door open.

8. Store crackers in an airtight container in a cool dark cupboard, fridge or freezer.

I know that many make New Year's Resolutions and commit to change their unhealthy ways.   We are making a pre New Year's Resolution.  We are going back to our healthy old ways.  Starting the day after Christmas we are going to commit to eat healthy and move our bodies more.

Now for the girls, that is easy.  They dance 20 hours a week and stretch and work out at home.  So, just getting me on board is the goal.  Exercise does not come easy to me but I am going to give it a shot. It is a New Year and we are going to make the best of it.  So, I will be attempting to journal here some and sharing anything I find that is beneficial to you all.

So, back to our green smoothies and as much raw as we can.  Lots of yummy goodness right out of the ground.    

So, here we go  2013 and feeling like this is going to be a GREAT year!!!!!

Gardening is the Best!!! Juicing Day 3 and 4

Day 3 and 4  of my Juice Feast
Day 3 was harder.  We decided to take the girls to the beach and there are definitely no outlets there for my juicer or Blender.  We did stock up on Organic juices for me before we left so that was a big help.
It is hard for me at the beach.  That is the place I love to snack.  But, this time we just didnt take anything I would be tempted with but had the girls keep all their snacks together.
My energy level dropped day 3 and 4 but better now.  It always does but by the 4-6th day it gets better and you feel so much more energy and strength.
I am enjoying so many new juices too and smoothies.
Adding wheatgrass and lots of greens helps keep my energy up also.

Also, having fun harvesting from the garden.

Tomatoes, Kale, Green Beans, Onions, Bok Choy,  Romaine, Cabbage, Cucumber, Zucchini  , + More out of our garden just in the last few months.  The only hard part is the weeding but after you harvest some veggies for the first time it will be so worth it.  The girls LOVE seeing things grow.  Weeding not so much.  LOL

Day 1 of my Juice Feast

Today was my first day on my 30 day Feast.  I started out with a combo juice of :

Celery, Apple, Carrot, Ginger, Beets, Lemon and Kale.
Between 7:00 and 11:00a.m. I drank about 32 oz

Later in the day I drank a 32 oz Green Smoothie, which was Spinach, Blueberries, Banana,  Spirulina  (Blue Green Algae) Shelled Hemp Seeds, Coconut Water , Plant bases Protein powder and some fresh Mango.  YUM!!!
I also drank more coconut water through the day and lemon water.  I try and drink at least 70 oz of water a day.  Sometimes more and sometimes a little less.  The more you hydrate the better your body will release toxins.  

Making Huge Changes This Month!!!!

As most of you know, Rich and I have been Vegan and trying to be mostly raw but failing lately miserably.  We are 100% Vegan but have been eating alot of Gluten and alot of what we call "Healthy Junk Food".  That is food that might be dairy and meat free but is not as healthy as we should be eating. 
So, starting tomorrow morning I am going on a 30 day Juice Feast to detox my body and try and get back where I was 2.5 years ago.  
I will be doing juices and smoothies and posting daily what I am drinking and how I am doing.  I know the first week will be hard, but after that my body will start feeling like it should.  


Today I made some Kale Chips with the help of my husband and they are so good.  This is a snack food for us but they are loaded with goodness and nothing harmful.  Everything out of our garden.  

We also added Hemp seeds and onion to them.  They are full of the "B" vitamins and will dehydrate in the dehydrator for about 4 hours and then..... Well they go fast.  The girls eat them just like this.  Raw!!!  

Yummy Deserts and more Dehydrating!!!!

Last week was Rich's Birthday so I made him a Dream Cake.   It was so good and full of yummy healthy ingredients.  I will post pictures and recipes below.  My dehydrator has hardly stopped since I got it.  I have made so many fun things.  The girls are loving being my guinea pigs for new recipes.
I love how I can give them lots of fresh veggies and some hummus and they are content for hours.
In this batch they have light and dark flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds,  onion, bell pepper, and carrots.

These crackers are scored on the other side once they are dehydrated for a few hours. 

Then you can just break them up into perfect squares.  

I also made Rich this Dream Cake.  It is a cheese like cake but a little different.  I am posting the recipe below.  It was delicious.  Not too sweet.  

Recipe for Dream Cake

Raw Cashew Dreamcake
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid.)(Vegans use agave nectar.)
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:
1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 9” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.
4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.
5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?). 

Long Time Gone

First I want to apologize for being gone so long.  I have been so busy with life and not finding time to sit down and put thoughts together.  I just started a raw food challenge and I am so excited to journal how it is going.  When I am 100% raw my body is so much more happy and alive than when I am eating cooked food.
So, today I start my quest to blog through the 11 week adventure.

Thursday was my husbands Birthday and we had lots of goodies.  We got our new Excalibur Dehydrator and we are so happy.  It has been humming everyday in our kitchen.  We have made crackers and breads and they have come out so good.  I will post pictures and recipes as we go.

So, today I am enjoying my smoothie for breakfast and will juice around 11:00.  That will get me through until around 3:30.

Here are some pictures of my new addition to the family and what has come out of it so far.

These flax crackers with hummus were so good.  Here is the recipe:  ENJOY!!!

• 2 cups brown or golden flax seeds
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• Your favorite herbs or spices
• I also add Bell Pepper, Onion, Carrots, whatever I have on hand.  
• Sunflower seeds are added on top and poppy or Sesame seeds.

Mix all ingredients and let soak for three hours. Now you’ll have a gooey mix perfect for spreading on two dehydrator Teflex sheets. Score the sheets. Dehydrate at 115ºF for 8 hours or overnight. Flip onto mesh screens and dehydrate 2 – 3 hours more, until completely dry. Break into pieces and they are ready for dipping in hummus, salsa, guacamole, etc. or just snacking on as is!

A Front Row Seat to Our Life!: Timbali Bag Give-Away!

A Front Row Seat to Our Life!: Timbali Bag Give-Away!: "As promised; A GIVE-AWAY! Timbali Shoulder Bag~ padded shoulder straps, magnetic snap closure, inside side pocket for essentials (cell pho..."

THE GIRLS LOVE THEIR NORI ROLLS!!!

The girls love to make Nori Rolls.  It is fun and they can put on them anything they like.  This is usually what goes on.  Sometimes we make an almond paste with garlic that is good too.

We use Organic Pacific Nori sheets.  The girls like them plain also and they are a great source of Iodine among other things.

Emma's rolls!!

Anytime I can get the girls in the kitchen, I do.  It is fun for me to have them but helps them to appreciate working with whole foods.

And then a yummy Green Juice Smoothie.  I juice the leafy greens so they are easier for our bodies to digest.
This one is Kale, Wheatgrass, Celery, Apple, Mango, Banana and Spinach.  :)

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU MIX COCONUT OIL AND CACAO POWDER???

 Raw Cacao Powder is another SUPER FOOD

Cacao tops the list in its concentration of the following three minerals (minerals that are deficient in almost everyone): magnesium, chromium, iron

Cacao is the #1 antioxidant content food in the world. That's right. It contains more antioxidants than green tea, acai, red wine, and goji berries COMBINED.

Raw cacao is extraordinarily high in vitamin C. It contains more vitamin C than any other common nut or seed.

Cacao contains phenethylamines and anandamide which stimulate focus, concentration, love, and pleasure.

Cacao is an excellent source of tryptophan and serotonin.

Cacao is a phenomenal source of soluble fiber.

Organic Coconut Oil has so many benefits

We use it in alot of ways.  I put it in the girls hair and skin, we use it for salads, any recipe that calls for oil.  

I use it alot in raw desert recipes.  If you mix the Raw Cacao and the Coconut OIl with some nuts and fruit you have the perfect high energy snack.

And one of the treats they love.  Almonds, Cashews and Organic Raisins

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup cacao or carob powder (I used 3 part cacao/1 part carob)
2 tbs maple syrup (dark organic)
1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Blend until smooth in high speed blender or food processor.

Transfer to a bowl, then add by hand:
A few drops pure almond extract
1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Spread mixture on plate or pan lined with parchment paper and set in the fridge or freezer. You can score the chocolate with a cookie or pizza cutter after a few minutes or break into pieces once fully set.

Crispy Corn Chips!!!!

The girls like to have anything cruncey.  Of course, I like them to have cruncy veggies and fruit but they also crave chips and crackers.  So, as always, I try and find raw recipes that they can enjoy and share with friends.

One of the recipes that they like is crispy corn chips.  They are very crispy and have either a sweet or savory flavor depending on the spices you add.


I use organic corn and it is so sweet and delicious.  We dont eat alot of corn but this is a flavor the girls love.  We love raw corn, right off the ear.  We have a hard time getting it in the Vitamix because we eat half of it before it goes in for chips. We had just made a batch of Kale chips.  

We eat them plain or with guacamole or hummus.  LOL Pretty much any way!! 


You can make bar b que or any flavor you want.  We just try and experiment and have fun with.  
Here is the recipe:

Raw Corn Chips

• 3 C Corn
• 1/4 Onion
• 1/2 T paprika
• 1/2 t. cayenne
• a pinch or two of Celtic Sea Salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread on a teleflex sheet on dehydrator tray. Score the mixture before you start to dehydrate. Dehydrate 12 hours, flip and dehydrate until fully dry and crisp. Break apart at score lines. Makes one sheet. This recipe can easily be doubled.

WHEAT GRASS!!!!! HOW TO GROW AND ENJOY WHEATGRASS

HOW TO GROW AND ENJOY WHEATGRASS


Most of you know how much we love our wheatgrass.  :)  Well growing it is so much better and easier than you can imagine.  I will post directions on how to do it, but you can experiment and find the best way for you.


If Chloe is doing the juicing I have to be careful because she drinks as she juices so I might end up with nothing.  We add the wheatgrass to our juices and to our smoothies. We usually juice 3 times a day.  You can grow it for about  .50 a day.  


You can juice and do shots of wheatgrass by itself also that are yummy or add it to water.  
Below is our Wheatgrass juicer that we won on Raw Food Rehab.  We love it for Spinach and Kale also.  

This is my little Wheatgrass jar.   I usually fill it to the top for two smoothies or two juices.

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass

• Wheatgrass has high amount of antioxidants, and thus helps your body in repairing damaged cells, rejuvenation, and delaying the aging process of skin.
• You can derive the above benefits by directly applying wheatgrass juice on your skin for 10-15 minutes. It gets easily absorbed by the skin, and provides it with many nutrients.
• It is believed that wheatgrass assists in the maintenance of reproductive system in your body. Therefore, one of the wheatgrass health benefits is restoring fertility.
• Drinking juice, extracted from fresh wheatgrass, on a regular basis acts as a skin tonic. It lightens the complexion, cures acne and removes scars from acne and other skin diseases.
• Wheatgrass benefits you by detoxifying your body. It removes toxic metals such as mercury and cadmium from your body.
• It is instantaneously absorbed in the bloodstream and hence acts as a source of immediate energy. Therefore, drinking wheatgrass juice revitalizes your mind and body.
• Wheatgrass picks up 92 out of 102 minerals present in the soil. Since its nutritional value is so high, it prevents you from eating from time to time. This helps you in weight control over time.
• It purifies the blood, which in turn, assists in the cleansing of a number of vital organs like kidney, liver and bladder.
• Wheatgrass can minimize the effect of air pollution on your respiratory system. It is believed to remove the scars from the lungs caused by acids present in the atmosphere.
• Wheatgrass juice when held in mouth for 5-7 minutes helps in the elimination of toothaches and tightening up of gums.
• High amounts of alkaline substances are present in wheatgrass. Thus, its regular consumption will counterbalance the excess of acids produced in your body.
• As per observation, people who take wheatgrass quite often are not only at a lower risk of suffering from dandruff but also from premature graying of hair.
• Health benefits of wheatgrass also include increase in the count of red blood cells and lowering of blood pressure.
• The insoluble fiber present in wheatgrass helps in cleaning your digestive tract. This restores regularity of micturition and defecation.
• Wheatgrass powder benefits is quite popular among body builders. They take it either in the juice or powder form for muscle building. Wheatgrass is an absolute source of proteins and contains 19 out of 20 known amine acids.
• Since it is a very rich source of proteins, it strengthens your immune system. If you take wheatgrass quite often, you are less likely to fall sick.
• Wheatgrass is very rich in chlorophyll, which protects your body from carcinogens quite effectively.

How to grow Wheatgrass: 
From the Raw Food Network Website

Step # 1:  Pre-sprout/Germinating

Organic wheatgrass seeds are recommended for sprouting to ensure the sweetness of your wheatgrass juice and that it will contain the optimum vitamins and minerals that will boost your health.

1. Pre-sprouting is so important to ensure a good crop.  Follow these steps to pre-sprout your wheatgrass seeds to ensure that your crop grows at a much faster rate.
2. Measure out a bowl of seeds.  Amount: estimate enough to fill one layer of seeds on whatever the size of your tray.
3. Rinse the seeds in clean water, drain, then soak the seeds in a container with about 2-3 times of cool water.
4. Soak for about 8-10 hours.
5. After 8-10 hours, drain the water, then soak them again as in #2 above and soak for another 8 hours.
6. After the second set of 8-10 hours, drain the water, then soak them once more the same for another 8-10 hours.
7. Check if it has sprouted roots of at least 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch.

Step # 2:  Preparing the Tray

Line the bottom of the tray with unbleached paper towels so that the roots do not protrude at the bottom through the holes in the tray. Fill the tray with pre-moistened soil, compost or potting mix to about one and half inch of the tray depth.  Ensure that your soil does not contain artificial fertilizers or chemicals.  Always use organic.

To top

Step # 3:  Planting

1. Lay out the germinated seeds evenly and densely in one layer, on the damp soil in the tray.  Gently impressed the seeds into the soil.
2. Place your tray under indirect sunlight, probably inside your house, near a window and with proper ventilation.  Wheatgrass does not like hot direct sunlight.

Step # 4:  Watering

The young shoots need to be watered at least twice a day to keep them nice and moist.  If the soil gets dry, the young shoots may die off before they root.  To help prevent this, put a sheet of damp newspaper over the tray to keep them moist until they grow to about an inch high.

To water, use a spray bottle, adjusting to light-medium.  When the shoots are above one inch, probably about day 5, reduce watering to once a day in the morning.  But always ensure that the water is just enough to keep the soil damp to the roots.  Avoid over-watering.

In warmer and humid climates, mold may tend to grow in your wheatgrass tray.  This is a common problem but is harmless.  When harvesting, just cut above the affected area, avoiding the mold.  A blowing fan during humid days may help prevent mold-growth.

See tips for preventing mold growth in your wheatgrass sprouting

Step # 5:  Harvesting

When your wheatgrass grows to about 6 inches (about day 9 or 10), it is ready for harvesting.  Use a scissors and cut the wheatgrass just above the seeds.  If there is mold, avoid and cut above it.  You need about a bunch of the grass to make about 1 ounce of shot enough to give you energy for a day.  Cut just prior to juicing to ensure freshness.

A tray the size of 21" x 11" should be able to provide you enough wheatgrass for about 14-18 ounces of juice. 

Note:  You may continue to water the crop to produce a second or third crop though they may not be as tender nor grow as tall.  But you get extra ounces from it.  Otherwise, clean the tray and start a new crop.

Step # 6:  Juice and Enjoy

To juice wheatgrass, you need awheatgrass juicer or a gear juicer.  A centrifugal juicer is not be able to juice wheatgrass, and you may clog up the strainer in the process as it is very fibrous.

Rinse your wheatgrass and juice.  Do not take more than one ounce a day if you are not familiar with drinking juices.  Wheatgrass juice is such a powerful cleanser that it may cause you some healing reactions.

x

 Liquid Chlorophyll 




Chlorophyll is miraculous. It has SO MANY health benefits it makes it a true wonder-food. However, the most marvellous and amazing benefit it gives comes from the fact that its molecular structure is absolutely identical to hemoglobin except for the center atom. In hemoglobin this is iron, whereas in chlorophyll it is magnesium. This means that when ingested, chlorophyll actually helps to do the job of hemoglobin (hemoglobin is so vital to the health of our blood – in fact, blood is approx 75% hemoglobin). It helps to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, boosting our energy and increasing our wellbeing almost instantly.

Other Benefits of Chlorophyll


• It helps to cleanse your blood
• It assists your body to rid itself of toxins
• It is a natural form of iron and much better on your tummy that ferrous Sulfate
• It cleanses and deodorizes the colon
• It assists in the detoxification of your liver
• It aids in hepatitis- because it cleanses the blood
• It feeds the heart by cleansing the blood
• It may assist in menstrual cramps by allowing the blood to flow
• It assists in the regulation of blood sugar
• It helps to cleanse the lungs making it great for asthma, bronchitis etc
• It helps the body heal wounds more rapidly
• It aids in preventing or diminishing body odor
• It strengthens the immune system making it more resistant to viruses
• It aids in the cleansing of nasal passages- for allergies
• It cleanses the bacteria found in the mouth aiding in better breath
• It keeps mouth sores at bay
• It can be used as a gargle for sore throats
• It helps the gums heal – Gingivitis
• It aids in hemorrhoids
• It aids in stomach ulcers
• It aids in GERD
• It aids in circulation through the body, varicose veins etc.
• It aids the body in lowering inflammation
• It aids in all digestive problems.

WORKING IN THE EARTH

 OUR GARDEN

Rich and I and the girls love to plant things, or sprout things and watch them grow.

One good thing about living in Southern California is that we can garden almost 12 months out of the year.  

This is our fall garden and we started with seedings to give them a better start.  The girls and friends had so much fun planting the little seeds and watching them grow.  

Some of the things planted were: Onions, Kale, Peas, Spinach, Squash, Bell Peppers,  Beets, Carrots, Plus alot more.  We can't wait.  


It is fun to get kids involved in planted.  Anything, just to show them how beautiful the transformation is from seed to plant.  

Having a garden lets us be that much more self sufficient and not so reliant on our suppliers of organic vegetables.  We love supporting our local farmers, but it takes both of us to supply the amount of veggies we consume.  :)   We have 18 rows and they are 7' long.  We are hoping to have 25 rows soon.  


So, I encourage you to go out and dig in the dirt.  It is a freeing experience.  No cell phones, or computers, TV or I pod (well Emma and Chloe listen to theirs).  Just you and the earth.   

Our babies before they were put in the ground.