Attitude Soup

"Now this soup has an attitude," said the fire breathing lady. "Oh, wow." Yet she couldn't stop eating it! The combination of flavors were doing a dance on her tongue and the music wasn't stopping.

Just take a look at this presentation. It begs to be eaten.

"What is it?" you ask.

It is a raw soup that can warm you up like one that has been boiling on the stove. The difference is that all the nutrients have been saved by not cooking it. It has a chunky texture, and with the garnishes on top, there is plenty to bite into. It is rich and filling. And it will make your sinuses drain even if you didn't think they needed to! The attitude is the cayenne pepper. I have learned to really like this spice. Did you know it has amazing health benefits too?

I have been making a raw blended soup almost daily for a couple of weeks now. I joined a group, Cleanse America, to do a 10 day cleanse. The cleanse choices were liquid (smoothies, juices, blended soups), raw food, and or a combination of both. I decided to do liquids and it has gone so well I am on day 22! I am transitioning to raw solids and that is why I selected this chowder because of the garnishes on it. I feel amazing. My energy levels are up, I lost weight, my skin feels so soft and smooth, and there is a different kind of clarity and calm that I experience. I have not been hungry once and have totally enjoyed the ease of eating this way.

I have adapted this recipe from Nouveau Raw. Aime Sue creates amazing recipes of which I have made many. This is her Sun-dried Tomato Corn Chowder. Whether you eat a raw diet, like an occasional raw dish, or just might be curious, I would really encourage you to try this recipe.

After all, who wouldn't want a dance happening on their tongue?

(Wow, I haven't blogged since May???? What the heck have I been doing???)

Raw Spaghetti, or Italian Zucchini Salad?

Yes, it has been a while since I was here. Life has been a bit wishy washy in our house for a while. So much unresolved lately, which I find hard to handle some times. I have been in some kind of a rut and I am working at exiting that place. So I come to this blog place, and focus on two of my favorite things: food and photography.

This was dinner tonight.

It is my version of Raw Spaghetti. But if you are not into raw food, you could call it an Italian Zucchini Salad and no one would bat an eye. Funny how people connect to the same dish.  If I call it Raw Spaghetti I know some would turn their nose up, but call it an Italian Zucchini Salad and all of a sudden it is an acceptable dish. Go figure!  It was delicious and an absolute do over! It has lots of versatility. Tonight I did not have fresh herbs, but come summer when they are plentiful and it is tomato season, this will be even more amazing.

I should also mention I have a new camera. The love of my life gifted me with this for my birthday, and gave it to me a month early. I have been considering taking the leap to a more sophisticated camera for quite a few years, and now that I have it, I can't wait to master it. I must admit it is going to take some getting use to, but I am up to the challenge. It took all the food pictures in this blog. Isn't it a beauty!

So combination of new camera, a new recipe, and the need to blog, here I am! 

Now back to this delicious dish! It is one of those easy throw together things that just seem to happen in my kitchen sometimes. My Mom is always saying, "Now write that down so you can make it again!" It is one of those recipes that both my raw friends, and my friends that like salad will enjoy.

Here's what you need:

Tools: a knife, cutting board, spiralizer and a vegetable peeler. Ingredients: zucchini, red onion, tomatoes  cucumber, marinated mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil.

It's as easy to make as 1 2 3!

First marinade some sliced mushrooms in some tamari or braggs. This will soften them and give them a cooked texture.

Next peel and spiralize the zucchini. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can make "noodles' using your vegetable peeler.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel a cucumber and make long strips, "noodles," and add to the zucchini.

Next add chopped onion and tomatoes.

Add some spices. I used basil, oregano, onion granules, garlic salt, pepper, Himalayan salt, and crushed red pepper.

Add a splash of olive oil and give it a good stir.

Put it on a plate and top it off with a few marinated mushrooms, and there you have it, raw spaghetti, unless you are inclined to call it Italian Zucchini Salad!!! Either way, it was a great dinner and a fun way to start using my new camera. Here it is again. I know you want to taste it!! And it smells so fresh!

Speaking of camera, this was one of the very first pictures I took using the zoom lens  Yes, in addition to the camera, he even got me a second lens! I just love his smile! And him too!

Here's a couple more pictures that I took. I love how the camera caught the water in the fountain. The birds love to come to this spot to take a drink or a bath! I'll be taking their pictures soon too.

Well, that's all for now. My photos, food and I will be back soon.

Now go make some Raw Spaghetti!

I called it an Indian Apple

When I was a child I can remember going to the fruit stand with my Mom and begging her to buy me an "Indian Apple."  I would delight in eating one seed at a time for the rest of the day. My fingers would be stained red by the time I was done. This memory flooded my mind when I saw the pomegranates, which I had grown up calling Indian apples, at Whole Foods, and I had to buy one.

These seeds are amazing. And beautiful. The color alone is magnificent! 

Here are some facts I found on Buzzle:

       Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds

• Due to this heavy pomegranate seeds nutrition content, this 'magic fruit' comes as a bliss in maintaining our heart health, as regular intake of pomegranate helps evade heart diseases and reduces the risk of suffering from a stroke.
• The seeds help thin the blood, lower high blood pressure levels, increase blood flow towards the heart, maintain good cholesterol levels, and reduce arterial plaque.
• Apart from the many ways it benefits the heart, the seeds are known to improve arthritis, osteoporosis, skin allergies, skin disorders, urinary tract infections, sore throats, tapeworms, digestive disorders, blood impurities, osteoarthritis, and diabetes.
• Modern scientists also suggest that pomegranate seeds can aid in the cure of prostate and skin cancer.
• It has also proven helpful in getting rid of the body's, and the digestive system's fats in particular.

Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pomegranate-seeds-nutrition.html

Well, I never knew any of that when I was growing up! I should be eating them all the time! And ironically enough, this is the first time I have purchased a pomegranate as an adult! I assure you it won't be the last. This baby over-filled a pint size jar with seeds! So I have plenty to use for . . . a day or two!

Other than overdosing on them as I seeded the pomegranate, I decided to use them as a colorful and tasty addition to a salad. I was inspired by a recipe in a new eBook I just bought, Intuitive Eating by Paul Risse with Penni Shelton.

Isn't it pretty! I used greens from the farmer's market, chopped cucumber, red onions, apple slices, and avocado, and garnished it with walnuts and pomegranate seeds. The dressing, which was from Paul's book, really was the frosting on the cake. It had olive oil, orange juice and orange zest, apple cider vinegar, salt and cinnamon. It was the cinnamon that teased the taste buds and made this dressing perfect.

The other part of perfect was our weather today in Oklahoma. It was one of those glorious Autumn days where the leaves dressed in their colorful finest, against a vivid blue sky, with no wind and warm sun made me want to stay outside all day. It was delightful to sit outside and gaze at all of Mother Nature's beauty while I ate this delicious salad.

I watched this butterfly for a long time. What a lucky shot!

I loved this day. They are few and far between, and I am so grateful that I was able to enjoy it. So go check out the information on pomegranates, and go buy one, or two, and enjoy!

I still don't know why we called them "Indian Apples" when I was growing up?  Do you?

Kale Beet Salad

I love beets and I love kale. So finally they have been united in one bowl! What a great combination! So, for now this is my new favorite salad!

I started out with beets and red onion. I was too lazy to pull out my food processor to shred the beets so I pulled out my lazy tool, the julienne peeler!

I love this tool. I use it for carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and now beets. It is a hand held spiralizer! I do use my food processor or spiralizer when I am making a big batch of whatever, but when I am in a hurry and don't want the clean up mess, this is perfect.

So, back to the beet salad. I combined the beets and thinly sliced red onion with Apple Cider Vinegar and agave, and let them marinate while I worked on the rest of the ingredients. I love the beet red color. Natural beauty. 

While the beets and onions got to know each other I stripped the kale from the stalk and gave it a good bath, a few spins in the salad spinner and then it was off to the chopping block!

The kale was sliced and then put in a bowl for a great massage. With a splash of olive oil, some garlic granules and Himalayan salt on the kale, magic hands brought it to it's glorious state!

Can you see the difference in color before and then after the massage! The more it is massaged, the greener it gets, and the more the nutrients of the kale are released. Un-massaged kale is yucky, at least I think it is!

 The beets and onions joined the kale to form the beginning of a fabulous salad.

These greens and veggies are so happy to be together! For the final touches, I added some dried cranberries, slivered almonds and hemp seeds. It is my new favorite salad! Next time I might try adding raisins, walnuts and/or apple chunks. Maybe I will use flax oil instead of olive oil to add even more omega's to this salad. Oh the possibilities!! Just look at the colors! 

Can you beet this???

P.S.  Check out this info graphic all about beets that was just posted to facebook!

Energy Bars . . . or are they?

I make my own energy bar. I haven't found one to buy that I like, and at least by making them myself, I am sure of what is in them! My bars are filled with great superfoods, tastes great and are so easy to make.

This is how easy it is to make them.

Here are the ingredients:

Coconut, goji berries, hemp seeds, cacao, chia seeds, maca, walnuts, and dates

Add the dates to a food processor

and pulse until there are large chunks.

Add the remaining ingredients

and pulse it until it sticks together when pinched.

Dump mixture onto parchment or wax paper and make a ball, then flatten the ball.

Place another piece of parchment or wax paper on top, and using a glass or rolling pin, flatten it to your desired thickness. Mine are about a half inch thick.

Using a large knife, square off the edges

and then cut into bars.

I like to top the bars off with coconut, nuts or hemp seeds.

Now just separate each bar

and wrap them individually. Store them in the freezer

and a quick energy bar, or treat, is ready when you are!

These bars are full of amazing ingredients. Superfoods. 

Check out the phenomenal properties of each one. 

DATES

GOJI BERRIES

HEMP SEEDS

CACAO

CHIA SEEDS

MACA

WALNUTS

COCONUT

There were lots of links to pick from when looking for the benefits and nutritional value of these foods. Do your own research. You might be surprised.

Yes, they are full of energizing nutrients, but they do taste so good! So that brings me back to the original question . . . 

                                  are they an energy bar, or a treat? What do you think?