Monday, October 27, 2008
Best Raw Birthday Cake Ever!
(click on image to enlarge)
Around 6 happy people (:
This cake is definitely for the coconut lovers out there. Or for anyone with a major sweet tooth (; The trick is to this cake is saving up the meat. It usually takes me about 3 weeks to get the right amount for this cake. I drink the coconut water and save up the soft coconut flesh in tupper ware. Once you have the coconut meat, this cake is quick and easy. And sooo worth the energy.
Of course, this cake can be made for all occasions. ;)
Ingredients
- These measurements are approximate, feel free to add more or less
- For the crust:
- 1 cup Dried Shredded Coconut
- ½ cup Raw nut butter
- A few drops of water or agave nectar
- For the filling:
- Meat from 8-12 young Thai coconuts
- ½ cup Agave Nectar, to taste
- 3 Vanilla beans (or a splash of v. extract)
- For the chocolate frosting (optional):
- 2 tablespoons Cacao powder
- ½ cup Agave Nectar, to taste
- For the topping:
- Decorate with your favorite fruit
Preparation
For the crust:
1.) Mix the shredded coconut, nut butter together with a spoon or hands (I found it easier to mix with your hands). To reach desired “doughy” consistency, add a few drops of water or agave nectar.
2.) In a pan, use your hands to spread the crust forming an even layer.
For the filling:
3.) Using your high speed blender or food processor, blend the coconut meat, agave nectar, and vanilla beans. You want to blend this until it reaches a custard-y consistency. Taste test to see if it’s sweet enough.
4.) Spread the filling out evenly on top of the crust.
For the chocolate topping/frosting:
1.) Whisk together cacao powder and agave nectar.
You can either make a third layer with this or you can use it as a sauce. It works great either or.
Final step:
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Save Money: Grow Your Own Organic Food
Eating organic food has become one of latest important diet in the food industry. The very key reason is that not only organically grown fruits and vegetables taste better, it definitely contain more nutrients given and they have less harmful chemicals. However, organic food is often relatively more expensive than conventional food.
Although we might think food with thicker skin such as pumpkin would prevent harmful chemicals from penetrating into the core, but what about those food such as bell peppers, apple, kiwi who are more susceptible to chemical exposure?
That's why, there is a growing trend to grow your very own organic garden.
You don't need an open land to grow your own food. You can always start a with a small area in your garden or even in containers and grow a few easily grown organic food.
To start something easy, there are some basic tips you can try out and develop from there.
1. Look around the garden or around your living area and evaluate how much space you can start your organic gardening. 2. Take note that you need time to maintain your garden very regularly. Hence, the space you would be allocating would also tie to your amount of time spent.3. The area should have a good exposure to sunlight for at least 5 to 6 hours. This help to maximize a healthy grow.
4. The area or containers should also provide a good level of drainage system to keep the soil just the right moisture.
5. Soil should be sufficiently dug. Next, add compost. You can make your own compost or you can get them from organic shops. We don't want any compost that has already been contaminated with harmful chemicals.
6. Decide what to grow requires a bit of planning. Write down a list of vegetables you would like to grow. Some are easy and some requires a bit more attention. You can buy seeds from organic shops as well. One tip is to buy seeds in season.
7. You can make your own compost if your garden has sufficient space or you can buy the compost from organic shop.
8. On the soil bed, dug hole that is deep enough, fill in your plant and cover with soil. Add a bit of pressure and keep water level at consistent moist but not too wet.
9. Ensure your garden is covered with a layer of organic mulch to keep weeds away and maintain soil moisture.
At your very first harvest, you will feel proud of your achievement of a chemical free vegetable garden.
To find out how to create your own organic vegetable garden, visit http://www.OrganicGardeningKit.com Kelly Monroe is the owner of http://www.organicgardeningkit.com For further recommended resources on how to start an organic garden. Grab a copy of your free newsletter. |
Monday, October 20, 2008
Highly Recommended Raw Restaurant Website!
17 New Raw Vegan Restaurants
Great news—we now have 17 new raw vegan restaurants. These restaurants have been added
to the latest version of the Raw Food Restaurant Guide, along with 2 new raw food delivery
companies, and 12 new partially-raw restaurants.
I'm surprised, but thankful, to see so many new restaurants—including 3 international raw vegan
restaurants!
Here's the inside scoop on what's new—with credit to those who have helped me stay on top of
all the changes and additions.
17 New Raw Food Restaurant Additions—including 3 international raw vegan restaurants in
London, Munich & Istanbul
New VerdeLlama location in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thanks to Diego for letting me know about
his 2nd location. Diego tells me there may be the possibility of opening a raw food restaurant in Australia!
Raw food chef Chad Sarno has opened 3 new restaurants internationally—one in London, one in Munich,
and a third in Istanbul (Turkey). This is great news for UK and European raw foodies.
New raw vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
New all-raw restaurant in Kirkland, Washington.
All raw take-out window in Vancouver has opened (restaurant opening soon).
The Chocolate Café in Amsterdam has a once-monthly raw food feast.
2 new raw food restaurants in Canada—one in British Columbia, one in Toronto.
2 new raw food restaurants in Miami, FL.
New raw vegan restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA.
A small, raw food home-cafe is available in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
New raw food restaurant in St. Augustine, Florida. About
Raw Food Restaurants Blog
The Raw Food Restaurants Blog publishes information, tips, and news about raw vegan
restaurants worldwide. The Raw Food Restaurant Guide is updated periodically to reflect new raw food restaurants, vegan cafes, and juice bars.
Website: http://rawfoodrestaurantguide.com/blog/
Indigenous People With Perfect Health
This book should be part of the curriculum of every medical student and in every nutrition library and be read by everyone who values their health.
Dr. Weston A. Price travelled the world over in order to study isolated human groups, including sequestered villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, Eskimos and Indians of North America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori and the Indians of South America. Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, stalwart bodies, resistance to disease and fine characters were typical of "primitives" on their traditional diets, rich in essential food factors. When Dr. Price analyzed the foods used by isolated "primitive peoples" he found that they provided at least four times the water soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish and organ meats. The importance of good nutrition for mothers during pregnancy has long been recognized, but Dr. Price’s investigation showed that primitives understood and practiced preconception nutritional programs for both parents. Special foods were often given to pregnant and lactating women, as well as to the maturing boys and girls in preparation for future parenthood.
These "primitives" with their fine bodies, homogeneous reproduction, emotional stability and freedom from degenerative ills stand forth in sharp contrast to those subsisting on the impoverished foods of civilization-sugar, white flour, pasteurized milk and convenience foods filled with extenders and additives. Read book excerpt and view photos--- Cha/span>
Source: http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/rawfood.htm
Dr. Weston A. Price travelled the world over in order to study isolated human groups, including sequestered villages in Switzerland, Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides, Eskimos and Indians of North America, Melanesian and Polynesian South Sea Islanders, African tribes, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori and the Indians of South America. Wherever he went, Dr. Price found that beautiful straight teeth, freedom from decay, stalwart bodies, resistance to disease and fine characters were typical of "primitives" on their traditional diets, rich in essential food factors. When Dr. Price analyzed the foods used by isolated "primitive peoples" he found that they provided at least four times the water soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat soluble vitamins from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish and organ meats. The importance of good nutrition for mothers during pregnancy has long been recognized, but Dr. Price’s investigation showed that primitives understood and practiced preconception nutritional programs for both parents. Special foods were often given to pregnant and lactating women, as well as to the maturing boys and girls in preparation for future parenthood.
These "primitives" with their fine bodies, homogeneous reproduction, emotional stability and freedom from degenerative ills stand forth in sharp contrast to those subsisting on the impoverished foods of civilization-sugar, white flour, pasteurized milk and convenience foods filled with extenders and additives. Read book excerpt and view photos--- Cha/span>
Source: http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/rawfood.htm
Friday, October 17, 2008
Save Money Shopping For Raw Food
Eating raw can be either super-cheap or super-expensive, or anywhere in between - it depends on what kinds of foods you are buying, where you are buying them from as well as the all-important quality and quantity. The most expensive foods are typically the tropical fruits and out of season fruits, the speciality ingredients from the USA and of course organic foods are generally more expensive than non. The cheapest foods are of course going to be the ones you grow yourself, are given by others or what you'll have plenty of if you take up sprouting for a living! That said, there are always ways and means of getting cut-price produce of the kind you really want, it just takes a bit of time and effort to shop around, and sometimes some clever thinking! But once you've found some good suppliers, tips and techniques, you’re well on your way to saving what can often be substantial amounts of money.
Here are some ideas which, without exception, will pay dividends, both in terms of time and money...Here follow some ideas which, without exception, will pay dividends, both in terms of time and money...
Pooling resources with others is an excellent way to save time and money. You can bulk buy from wholesalers such as Suma, pool your knowledge, and also take it in turns to do the shopping or ordering. You’ll also find that when you order with other people you'll likely try new foods you might not have tried otherwise and discover some really lovely new ingredients or main meal staples. And then there's the added bonus of feeling part of a raw food 'community'...
Grow as much of your own produce as possible. If you don’t have the space or time to get into gardening on any great scale, you can still grow plenty of sprouts and indoor greens which can save you a small fortune (one woman I know cut her food bill by a third by swapping meat for sprouts). Also, as you have already learned, sprouted beans, seeds and grains also supply some of the most live and potent nutrients you will ever find, and for next to nothing in many cases. Look out for a future post on successful sprouting.
Dehydrate many of your fresh foods which are past their best, but still edible, but which you’re not planning on using before they deteriorate further. Instead you can dehydrate them in a number of ways (slices, chips, marinated then dehydrated, dehydrated then ground into sprinkles and seasonings etc.) and use them later. See a few posts back for mini teach-ins on dehydrators and dehydrating.
Freeze any bananas that are speckled but not yet black if you’re not going to get through them before they turn. Take the skin off and put in the freezer – within a few hours you’ll have the basic ingredient for a great raw ice-cream or frozen lolly. Do the same with other fresh fruit – most fruits translate excellently into ice-cream or sorbet at a later date.
One of the very best tips for saving money on a regular basis is to find out when your favourite shops mark down their produce. Typically supermarkets have a day and/or time where they reduce prices on fresh goods by up to 90%, and you can find some real bargains. You just have to know when these days are and what times are best. The quickest way to find out? Just ask one of the checkout assistants!
Consider advertising or putting the word around that you're looking for organic fruits and vegetables that are locally grown. Lots of allotment growers have excess produce that often goes to waste - connect with them and offer to take the excess off their hands for pennies rather than pounds - top idea!
Choose to frequent farm shops rather than supermarkets - many reasons why of course, but financially-speaking you can buy fresh produce that is twice as nutritious and half the price from local farm growers - and it's usually not dipped in chemicals like commercial organic produce. This is what I do.
Call The Fresh Network on 0845 833 7017 and find out what foods, books and equipment are currently sitting in the 'bargain box'. Often we have nut butters and other foods close to their sell-by date that we sell for less than half price, or books that have been damaged in transit on thier way to us that we cannot sell as new. Give Pete a call during office hours and find out what's in there - it may be just what you're looking for.
When it comes to buying books or equipment, look out for decent second hand pieces in the small ads section of your local paper, online, through e-bay, at car boot sales, through the classifieds section of Get Fresh! magazine, or within the web directory of The Fresh Network.
And finally, don’t forget the food for free options, such as foraging for wild greens in clean parks and woodlands, mushroom, berry and apple picking, and so forth.
Source: http://karenknowler.typepad.com/living_in_the_raw/2006/03/eating_raw_on_a.html
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mums Making Money
f there is one truth in the universe, it’s this simple fact: moms are always finding ways to be frugal with their money. Any mom reading that sentence is nodding her head as she thinks about the coupons she’s clipped, the flea markets and garage sells she’s perused, or the sales and bargains she keeps an ever-watchful eye out for. With children costing an average of $270,00 to $285,00 to raise from birth to 17 years, who wouldn’t want to pinch a penny? Do you think we should let these moms in on a little secret? Do you think they know how moms make money on ebay everyday?It’s true! Moms make money on ebay each and everyday. What makes auctioning on ebay such a great work-from-home opportunity? For starters, ebay is a very user-friendly, online auctioning system; it’s simple and easy to understand how the system works and how you can make the system work for you. You don’t need to be an expert in computers or with the internet to become a master of ebay.Why else would mothers choose to work from home doing something like auctioning on ebay? Take an economic look at the world today; one common theme seems to stick out: raising a family with only one source of income is becoming more and more challenging, especially if your home is in an area with a high cost of living. (Okay, if that one source of income yields you +100K, you wouldn’t necessarily need another source of income, but how many people can claim that paycheck?!) Due to this financial strain, several moms look into earning an income from home.
When moms make money on ebay, they solve three important issues involved with juggling working and raising a family:
1. They can earn around a part time to full time income to help support their financial needs.
2. They can stay home and raise their children while earning this income.
3. They avoid the rising costs of daycare.
Are you asking yourself yet, “If moms make money on ebay everyday, why can’t I do the same?” You can! There is so much information available on this simple subject it is ridiculous. In fact, there are so many products available to help teach you how to use ebay to generate income. it can be challenging to sift through which products and tools are quality and which are not. When looking for a guide or book that will steer you through the ins and outs of ebay, make sure you read the reviews and don’t get overwhelmed with propaganda. If you have trouble finding something that works for you, don’t get discouraged; there is bound to be something out there that can match your learning style!
Ease your financial stress and look more into how moms make money on ebay; it could be the best thing you do for yourself this year.
When I first started out on eBay, I didn't think I would be making over $50 per day within a month. And, here's a little secret...eBay actually WANTS you to succeed! Find out why... eBay!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._Thomas
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Raw Food Recipes For Every Occasion
Kevin: We could talk for hours. I wanted you to talk a little bit more about "The Raw Gourmet" and your new book and what someone can find in there, because it's a great book. It's great for people who want to do parties, who want to do themes and all that sort of stuff. And I think it's really missing in the palate of raw food cookbooks that are out there. This one is kind of needed. It kind of fits a pretty nice niche. So why don't you talk about that a little bit.
Nomi: All right, thanks. Well, you know, I think that the "Raw Food Celebrations" is the first book out that is specifically for celebrating. And what we did, Sheryl and I broke it down, so that if you wanted to have a theme, it doesn't have to you can pick a recipe from here or from there, it's broken down into I forget how many themes, seven or eight -- Italian, Thai...she did the Thai because she and her husband have been to Thailand many times and the food is incredible. She did stuff I never heard of, like [indecipherable] and stuff like that. And delicious coconut soup and stuff. Brunch, buffet, cocktail, if you just want to have a bunch of people over, and just sort of have hors dousers and drinks. You know, we have a few nice drinks in there. They don't have alcohol in them, but you could put alcohol in them, if you wanted to.
And what we did is we did a timeline, so it's like three weeks before the party Kevin: We could talk for hours. I wanted you to talk a little bit more about "The Raw Gourmet" and your new book and what someone can find in there, because it's a great book. It's great for people who want to do parties, who want to do themes and all that sort of stuff. And I think it's really missing in the palate of raw food cookbooks that are out there. This one is kind of needed. It kind of fits a pretty nice niche. So why don't you talk about that a little bit.
Nomi: All right, thanks. Well, you know, I think that the "Raw Food Celebrations" is the first book out that is specifically for celebrating. And what we did, Sheryl and I broke it down, so that if you wanted to have a theme, it doesn't have to you can pick a recipe from here or from there, it's broken down into I forget how many themes, seven or eight -- Italian, Thai...she did the Thai because she and her husband have been to Thailand many times and the food is incredible. She did stuff I never heard of, like [indecipherable] and stuff like that. And delicious coconut soup and stuff. Brunch, buffet, cocktail, if you just want to have a bunch of people over, and just sort of have hors dousers and drinks. You know, we have a few nice drinks in there. They don't have alcohol in them, but you could put alcohol in them, if you wanted to.
And what we did is we did a timeline, so it's like three weeks before the party /span>
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