The Mad Scientist...Fermented!

I've gone mad!  MAD, I tell you!  At least that's what my friends and family tell me.  I can admit I have an addictive personality.  Thankfully, this trait has never left me crippled in the midst of drug or alcohol abuse, but I do often find myself taken prisoner by the excitement of learning a new craft or study.  I love to learn, I love to try, and I love to master...until I completely wear myself out.  So, fermented drinks have become my recent obsession!

Kefir, kombucha, beer, wine, etc.  I know you all know about beer and wine, some probably know about kombucha, and maybe a few of you have heard of kefir.  I observed S make beer once, and it was a cool process, but also a rather large and lengthy feat.  I'll save beer and wine making for another day.  As for now, I'm obsessed with Kefir and Kombucha...

MILK KEFIR:
Right before I moved back to NB a little over 6 months ago, I bought some milk kefir grains from Cultures for Health.  I honestly don't remember how I became exposed to and curious about milk kefir; there have been way too many Google searches and poo-obsessed conversations since that initial moment of awareness.  Milk kefir is much like a loose yogurt in consistency with a larger probiotic profile. Click HERE to read more about milk kefir.  One can buy milk kefir products at Kroger, HEB, and your local health food store.  So, in usual fashion with me and my culinary interests, I immediately started researching how I could begin making milk kefir.  If it can be bought, I WILL learn how to make it.  So, I put on my mad scientist coat and began researching and buying tools.

Honestly, I don't feel like writing out the process to making milk kefir, but below is a great video from Cultures For Health on how to make milk kefir.  Once you obtain milk kefir grains from a friend or rehydrate bought kefir grains, making milk kefir is really simple.  Add kefir grains to milk and wait.  Booya.  Milk kefir can be flavored, consumed alone, added to smoothies, and a multitude of other applications.  I added a couple of my own photos below the video.

CC tips and pointers:  milk kefir grains love whole milk, raw milk (if you can find it), and NOT organic milk.  I also strain my final product straight into the blender to whip it up to eliminate any separated parts.

 (some of my own photos)

WATER KEFIR:

After milk kefir, and a recent switch to veganism for a bit, I got curious about water kefir!  Click HERE to read more about water kefir, and buy water kefir grains HERE.  Water kefir is great for those avoiding dairy. It can actually yield a product very similar to a carbonated natural soda.  Fun, right?!  Making water kefir was very frustrating to me when I first started as it was hard for me to tell when it was "ready," and what to expect, and why I wasn't getting carbonation.  The information out there on water kefir was not always consistent and/or thorough.  But, I recently came across this GREAT video which I think it covers most of the questions I had and mistakes I was making when I first started.  I've had the best luck with making coconut water kefir, and it gets so fizzy!  Just don't forget to alternate batches with sugar water so your kefir babies stay well fed.  Check out this video and blog post on how to make water kefir...

CC tips and pointers:  don't be discouraged by the first ferment!  It won't be fizzy or look much different.  Coconut water kefir makes the most fizzy product, and the grains prefer fresh non-pasteurized juice over pasteurized.  Dried fruits are a good addition, as well.  Air tight bottles are key; I like to use recycled Synergy kombucha bottles. 

  

 (some of my own photos)

(I write the start day on my bottles with a dry-erase marker)

There are many websites loaded with information and blogs of people who are "kefiring."  Cultures For Health is a great informative website.  Also, check out youtube if you're a visual person.  And, simply experiment with what works for you and your environment.  You can always bring your questions to me, and I'll answer them if I can, or I'll lead you in the direction of where you can find an answer.  These little kefir babies are pretty resilient little suckers.  Just keep 'em fed, and you'll be fine.  Have fun!  Kombucha tails up next...

Keep it fizzy,
CC

Awesome Vegan Ranch Dressing

This recipe is spot on!  And how sweet is this photo?!  Click on the photo for the recipe's link.  Love it, love cashews, love salad, love "yummmm"...

P.S.  I used all cashews as that's what I had on hand, but macadamias would be super awesome if you have some raw ones around.  They're more expensive, too.  Worked great with all cashews, though.  Enjoy, and a big thanks to the ladies over at "Green Shakes and Giggles!"

Let's look at the numbers...

I get annoyed when I hear people talk about juicing and their complaints about calories and cost.  Yes, the cost is higher, but the cost can be manipulated to be cheaper, and if you drink one Starbucks coffee a day, buy a beer at a bar, or eat out at restaurant once a week, then there's no excuse.  The calories?  The math's below.  Yes, good health does does come at a price, but seriously, it's not that much.  It's called priorities, people.

Yields over 5 cups of juice....5 CUPS!:

1 VERY large apple (300g):  140 cal & 14g sugar ($1)

2 lemons:  40 cal ($0.40)

12 leaves romaine lettuce:  40 cal ($1)

1 cup spinach:  7 cal

1 cup parsley:  22 cal  ($0.50)

½ cucumber:  22 cal  ($0.50)

1 large carrot:  30 cal & 2g sugar ($0.10)

Total:  301 cal, 16g sugar($3.50)

Yields 1 serving size bowl cereal:

1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch:  190 cal & 13 g sugar

1 cup 1% milk:  110 cal & 12.7g sugar

Total:  300 cal, 25.7g  sugar

The Cost:

• Yes, juicing is a little more pricey than a bowl of cereal in the morning, but the cost can be tinkered with.  Organic is the way to go, but if you can't afford it, you can't afford it.  Buy non-organic and your price will go down.  Also, notice how the apples and romaine lettuce are the most expensive items.  I put two apples (or one VERY large) in my juice because I make a LOT of juice.  I like it a little on the sweet side sometimes, and sometimes I don't.  Also, when you first start making green juice, you will probably want it sweeter, and then you will see your taste buds will start to need less "sweet."  Therefore, depending on taste preference, how much apple you use will affect the overall cost, sugar, and calorie levels. 
• Romaine Lettuce is one of the more pricey greens.  At my local grocery store, a head runs for $1.99 non-organic, and $2.99 organic.  I use at least a half head in my juice, but I also mix in other greens.  I'll use any leafy green lettuce, kale, and/or spinach.  All of these greens are nutrient dense, and are less expensive than romaine.  If you can't afford to use romaine every day, then don't; supplement with other greens that are less expensive.  Also, when I'm out of fresh greens, or running low, I have a jar of spirulina powder I use to supplement.  Just 1 tsp. has a huge nutrient dense profile!  When I go this route, I juice whatever I plan to juice, then pour it in the blender with 1 tsp. spirulina, and give it a quick spin to distribute.  It's still great!
  

The Nutrition:

• Fresh, unpasteurized, GREEN juice supplemented with a small amount of fruit is so much better for you than a bowl of cereal that has been most likely fortified with synthetic vitamins, mucus forming (and hard to digest) cow's milk, refined processed sugars, and acidic pH producing non-sprouted grains.  FYI, I know there are many worse things to eat for breakfast than cereal, but I decided to take the generally understood "healthiest" option to compare with juice to be the most fair.  Cereals do provide a good source of fiber, which is good.  Also, there are some great cereals out there made with natural sugars and sprouted grains, but you're going to pay extra for them...like you pay extra for quality juice.  Raw fruit/veggie juice is loading with enzymes and nutrients!  Enzymes helps us digest food, eliminate toxins and waste, assimilate nutrients, and support our immune systems.  They're, like, kind of a big deal.  When we pasteurize juice, we cook out all the enzymes and much of the nutrients, hence the necessity of having raw green juice as apart of your daily food intake.  Look at green juice as your daily mutli-vitamin and cell cleanser!

 

*Please don't feel like you need to rip me a new one if these calorie numbers are slightly off, etc.  The point is to get a fairly close general idea for comparison*

The FAST Hurom Slow Juicer

JUICING!

Juicing is awesome.  Why juice?  And what's the difference between green juices and green smoothies?  Fruits and veggies are detoxifiers, remember?  The main difference, here, is fiber and concentration.  When we eat a piece of fruit, we must macerate the fruit in the chewing process to break down the fiber so the juice can be accessed.  As you and I both know, we're not the most thorough of chewers, and often swallow chunks of food figuring our digestive juices will take care of the rest.  When we do this, we're not separating the juice from the fiber before it hit our digestive system, therefore causing our digestive system to waste energy breaking down food instead of repairing our cells/bodies.  Therefore, only a small amount of concentrated juice actually hits our system.  Also, juicing allows you to consume a larger amount of fruits/veggies in a more concentrated form.  Instead of eating a whole head of romaine lettuce, you can juice it and only have to consume a 1/2 cup of liquid.  See the difference?

Don't get me wrong, fiber is good for you, and hopefully you are getting a good amount of it in other areas of your diet throughout the day.  Fiber acts as a bottle brush to our intestines, cleaning them of the plaque build-up they've acquired over the years of eating highly refined foods.  Fiber also keeps our metabolism high and working, and sustains hunger.  So, make sure to still eat high amounts of fiber in other aspects of your daily diet...just not in your juicing regiment :-)

When you juice raw fruits and vegetables, you deliver a highly concentrated amount of raw enzymes, vitamins, fatty acids, chlorophyll, etc. straight to your blood stream.  Think of it as liquid medicine.  The key to juicing is RAW.  Pasteurized bottled juices you buy at the store are almost void of all the goodness they started with.  The pasteurization process heats the juice to a high temperature in hopes of killing bacterias that cause fast spoilage so to extend the shelf life of their product.  That high temperature not only kills bacteria, but also a vast amount of the good stuff you WANT in juice.  Buy a juicer, and make your own high quality raw juices!  Pasteurized juices are crap.

I love juicing; it has almost taken the place of my morning smoothie.  I will make smoothies every now and then if I feel my diet has been lacking in fiber lately, which is rare now that I'm a veggie.  For Christmas (early Christmas present, that is), my folks bought me the new big bad Hurom Slow Juicer.  It is awesome, and I use it daily!  It's a single auger slow juicer that's actually really fast!  Slow juicing?  Why slow?  Slow juicing is thought to be best because it oxidizes and heats the least during the juicing process, and oxidation/heat can destroy the vital nutrients.  No matter what, slow juicing or fast centrifugal juicing....both are way better for you than pasteurized juices.

My favorite daily green juice I consume consistently, always a minimum of wake through lunch, is called Green Lemonade.  I got this particular recipe from Natalia Rose's Detox Diet book, but all raw foodies drink some sort of version of this green juice.  It's great!

• One head romaine lettuce
• 3 or 4 stalks of kale
  
• 2 lemons peeled
  
• 2 large apples (more or less depending on your personal sweetness level)
  
• 1 small cucumber
• chunk of ginger (optional)

*side note*  Some juicers require peeling lemons and oranges, and some do not.  The Hurom juicer does not require you to peel, but know that if you leave the peel on, the oils from the rind can be very intense.

Rex Phair Goes Green...smoothie, that is!

Rex Phair...Clueless to the Goodness!

son of Glenn and Allison Phair

New Braunfels, TX  

 

Seriously, though...how cute is this little dude?!

Raw Pumpkin Pie

Raw Pumpkin Pie

I've been dying to make this recipe as I've had frozen fresh carrot juice on hand for quite some time.  All I can say is my dad has already requested this raw pumpkin pie to replace the standard cooked pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving this year.  Yes, it's that good....

This is my sliiightly adapted version of Mathew Kenney's original recipe which can be found here.  I did not dehydrate my crust, as I felt it was unnecessary.  I also increased the sweetener and vanilla extract a tad since I have a sweet tooth, and almost always increase the vanilla and salt in every dessert recipe I make.

CRUST:
2 1/4 cups pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon date paste
1/4 tsp salt

1. Place prepared pecans in food processor; pulse into small fine crumbs. Mix pecans and all remaining ingredients together well by hand.
2. Press into plastic (or parchment) lined 9-inch tart pan to desired thickness.
3. Chill crust in freezer for 15-30 minutes before filling. If not using all of hte crsut mixture, store extra in a container in the freezer.

FILLING:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. carrot juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 vanilla bean, scraped (if you have it, no biggie if you don't)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1. Blend the cashews and carrot juice together first until creamy, then add the rest of the ingredients.  Thoroughly blend until well combined, and coconut oil is completely distributed through mixture.  Pour into tart shell, and chill overnight in refrigerator, or freezer.

The pie will slice "prettiest" if done straight from the freezer, but the pie should be served at refrigerator temp.  I kept mine in the refrigerator the whole time, and it has been fine.  If you are planning to travel this pie, it must be frozen.

*If you do not have a juicer, I know both Whole Foods and Central Market keep raw unpasteurized carrot juice on hand.  At Whole Foods, you might have to go to the juice bar to get it.  I'm not as familar with Whole Foods as I am with Central Market, but I do not Central Market keeps raw juices (carrot always being a staple) in the produce section of the store.  You can buy little 2 cup containers, which is nice when using just for a recipe.

**the coconut oil is absolutely imperative for this recipe to hold together.  Coconut oil has a very low melting point, and solidifies at the slightest drop in temperature...hence keeping the pie in the fridge.

Happy un-cooking!
CC Bloom

"I'm just doing my job, lady..." -Mr. Apple

Many people complain about fruit giving them gas, or causing diarrhea, upset stomach, and so on...but that's pretty much what fruit is supposed to do!  Any new-to-green-smoothies people out there experiencing "discomfort?"  There's a reason why...fruits are detox foods!

Excess toxins in the body have been linked to causing degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  These toxins can also cause cellulite, GI problems, premature aging, insomnia, weight gain, fatigue, allergies, and acne.  Our body tries it's best to do it's own detoxing, but due to our switch to more processed, less natural, whole foods, we need to help our bodies out by providing the right "tolls" in aiding the body's natural detox process.

Raw fruits are the best way to aid detoxification, but raw vegetables are also detox foods, as well as other misc. foods.  One doesn't need to spend hundreds of dollars on detox programs, or supplements; all you need is go to the grocery store and load up on fruits and leafy greens!  Green smoothies, and fresh raw juices are the easiest way to incorporate aid to your body's natural detox system.  Yes, if you have not been an avid fruit eater before adding green smoothies into your diet, you will experience some GI discomfort.  Why?  Because those fruits and leafy greens are pulling years of stored wastes from your cells and body at a somewhat rapid rate through your GI track, and out your you know what!  Makes sense, eh?  So, don't stop drinking those juices and smoothies because they give you gas or diarrhea; that's exactly what they're supposed to do!  They're just doing their job, guys.

So now you're thinking I'm telling you your body's going to feel like crap for the rest of your life simply so you can "detox?"  No.  These uncomfortable symptoms will subside as your body gets cleaner.  Here are some common detox symptoms you will notice your body going through:

• Acne
• Hives
• Rashes
• Flatulence
  
• Diarrhea 
• Fever
  
• Headaches
• Night Sweats
  
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Mood Swings
• Food Cravings
  
• Excessive phlegm, mucus, congestion
  
• Mouth Sores

As for my own personal detox period, I can definitely say I experienced some of these symptoms.  I think the first one was swollen sore gums, and swollen lymph nodes.  I haven't come across a lot of other people who have experienced swollen lymph nodes, but my lymph nodes are very sensitive, so I was not surprised.  At this time, I was not even aware my recent diet switch was detoxing my body, so I just thought I had some weird gum irritation.  It didn't occur to me until later that my gum irritation was most likely a detox symptom.  Also, my skin did break out a little, but not too bad.

I was extremely bloated for a good two weeks.  I'm not going to lie, I felt miserable.  I wasn't sure if this would subside, or not, simply because of the longevity...but it did.  Once I "deflated," I felt great!  I finally started feeling light, and like my body was processing normally throughout the day.

*Beware: TMI*  I also produced a LOT of "waste," if ya catch my drift.  My bowel movements were not necessarily more frequent, but definitely plentiful.  I thought they might stay this way, pinning the excessive waste to the high fiber in my new diet, but I now know it was due to toxin purging as my diet has not changed at all, but my present day waste amount has reduced.

I also experienced the fatigue, and tiredness, as well.  It was difficult to keep up my regular running regiment during that time.  I also slept a lot and deep!  For those of you who don't know, I have had trouble sleeping almost my whole life.  Since getting on raw foods, I am sleeping great!  It's amazing.  My sleeping has normalized to regular length now being on the downhill slope of my detox, but has continued to stay deep and sound.  I'm so jazzed about this!

Aside from all the unpleasant detox symptoms, I'm glad I pressed through them as I'm starting to feel great now.  Believe me, I've always been a skeptic about detoxing and internal body cleanses...but I'm not now.  There are suggestions on how to ease detox symptoms.  I think one of the best techniques is to keep up with your daily hygeine.  The skin is one of the biggest exits, like your GI system, for the release of the toxins.  While detoxing, make sure to shower daily, exfoliate, do not douse yourself in oils and creams, and dry brush your whole body before showering with a natural bristle body brush.

If I had to provide one piece of advice for detoxing, it would be to take detoxing slow.  If you're eating a S.A.D. diet, and you immediately go to an all raw juice detox, you're going hurt.  Try going from S.A.D. with the incorporation of raw fruits for breakfast, to Vegetarian, to Vegan, to incorporating more raw foods, and then to something more drastic such as a raw juice detox, or some other kind of full detox program.  Detoxing too much too fast can be quite a shock to the body.  Also, eat all, and only, fruits in the morning on an empty stomach up until 30 minutes before lunch.  Raw fruits are most affective at detoxing at this time, and will not ferment with other food sitting in the stomach which can cause more gas, and bloating.

A lot of Raw Food, and Green Smoothie websites have online forums where "detox" has either it's own page, or is discussed frequently.  You can find much information and support in those forums.  Here are some helpful links regarding detox, and symptoms:

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/312332/natural_detox_symptoms_during_a_home.html?cat=2

• http://www.radicalradiance.com/2009/06/common-detox-symptoms-commentary-from.html

• http://www.healthrecipes.com/body_detox.htm

• http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/tips-for-understanding-the-difference-between-detox-symptoms-and-sickness-584849.html

•  http://www.fruitarian.com/ao/Detoxification_with_fruit_nutrition.htm

Green Monster sited in Philly!

Nolan Mills...If he only knew what was in there ;-)

Philly, PA 

(child of Justin and Kate Mills)

The Overdosed Pumpkin...and lovin' it!

Happy Halloween, guys!

Love, 

the Green Smoothie Overdosed Pumpkin

Yay for Halloween!  This is by far my favorite time of year!  Steven and I had fun with this guy last night.  Since his "body" was naturally leaning, I figured I'd make him a little "sick."  I know you can't tell, but those drips are a greenish paint...Green Smoothie!  He marked his spot on the front porch last night, lookin' fine, I must say.

Halloween day will be filled to max with activities for me this year.  My mom's birthday is Halloween, I have my first 5 mile race debut that morning, my sister and bro-in-law will be in town from CO, and I'm sure we'll hit up some festivities later that evening!  I'm really excited about the race.  I got a 4 miler in this past weekend with some friends, so that really helped boost my confidence that I'll be all good for the 5 miles.  I've done 5 mile runs a couple times before, but I haven't done one in a while.  I felt great after the 4 miles, and am planning on doing a 5 miler this weekend.

As for raw vegan updates, I have decided I need more iron in my diet.  Yes, I eat the hell out of leafy greens, but I'm not sure that's cutting it for the amount my body's telling me I need.  At whole foods I found a RAW vegan natural iron supplement!  SO excited, as I've heard synthetic iron can cause nausea, and doesn't have the best reputation for absorption.  The raw vegan iron supplements I bought smell exactly like broccoli and other veggies, so I know there's something good going on in that capsule.  I've been taking them for 3 days now, and I feel awesome!  I've also added Spirulina to my green smoothies in the morning, which has a decent iron amount, as well.  I was dragging a bit on my runs the past couple weeks, and I'm pretty sure it was from low iron levels.  Back on my S.A.D. diet, I used to eat Malt-o-Meal before my runs simply because it was fortified with iron.  I don't know why I didn't make this "iron connection" between my two diets sooner?!

The most interesting observation, still, about my raw vegan diet has been this overwhelming sense of satisfaction!"  No.  More.  Cravings.!  It's weird.  I mean, you still have your natural habits of eating;.  For example, I have to end every meal with something sweet, like a bite of dark chocolate, but before I would need a whole 2 scoop sundae, or eat a whole bag of chips, or something extreme like that.  I used to eat massive amounts of food at night until totally disgustion.  I don't have the desire to do that anymore.  I'm still so shocked at this all the time.

I'm not craving any S.A.D. food, either.  All the raw vegan substitutes for the foods I would miss have been completely awesome.  I must say, I do have a slice of whole wheat multi-grain leavened bread with my dinner about every other day, so that's helped with the bread craving.  I've also had cheese pizza with Steven about 3 times since the beginning of all this raw vegan stuff.  I don't have a problem with these little "cheating" episodes whatsoever.  I consider my dinner to be "let loose" on the raw vegan stuff at dinner (this is where I'll cook my veggies, and eat cooked whole grains), but I still never bring animal flesh or dairy into the mix...except for those cheese pizza incidents.  Cheese pizza does make me extremely constipated the next day, so believe me, I pay my price for cheating.  My diet is still primarily 98% raw vegan/cooked vegan, so I'm pleased. 

Man, I can't stop eating these kale chips!  They are definitely a new favorite for me.  Dang, they're good!

The best "Doritos" for your heart and taste buds

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cup raw cashews
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbs. raw sesame seeds
• 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs. Tamari, or soy sauce, or Nama Shoyu
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika (smoked paprika if you have it)
• 3/4 - 1 tsp. kosher salt
• dash of onion and garlic powders (optional)
• 1 bunch curly kale

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients (except kale) in the blender.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.  You can use the raw, or non-raw, versions of all these ingredients according to your food lifestyle.  Also, the spices are "to taste," so measure accordingly.  The nutritional yeast and paprika are imperative for a "cheesy" flavor.  I ran out of paprika on my second batch, and they lacked the cheese flavor, but we're still great.   You can buy nutritional yeast at your local health food store.

You need a LARGE bowl to mix the "cheeze" sauce into the kale.  Make sure you kale has been de-stemmed, washed, and torn into bite size chip-like pieces.  For mixing, I put down a layer of kale, then poured sauce over it, then another layer of kale, then sauce, and etc.  This helps to evenly distribute the sauce.  Thoroughly mix the sauce into the kale pieces, and lay out onto dehydrator sheets.  I have a 4 tray dehydrator, and I had to remove two of the trays due to the fluffy height of the kale.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for at least 10 hours, or until crispy and dry.  Your house will smell like peanut butter and cheese crackers; oddly neither of those things are in the recipe, nor do the chips taste like peanut butter. 


These kale chips are awesome!  Raw vegan, or not, you will love these!  I can't wait to give some to my father, and Steven liked them, too.  What a great way to eat such a nutritionally dense leafy green!

Thanks Andi for reminding me to make these,
Claire to the Bear

Coconut Lemon Bars

Yum!  These are great, and so easy to make.  Seriously, raw food can be so simple, it's ridiculous.  I got this recipe from Carmella's blog , which she got from Ani Phyo . 

Raw Coconut Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/2 cups pitted dried dates (I used Medjool)
• splash of vanilla extract (or seeds of a vanilla bean if you have one)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Zest of one lemon (don't use the white pith)
• 2 1/2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup dried shredded coconut

Assembly:

Before hand, trace the bottom of a 9X9 square baking pan onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper.  Cut out, and place in bottom of pan.  You could also line the pan with plastic wrap.

In a food processor, chop almonds into small pieces.  Next, add the remaining ingredients to the almonds in the processor, and pulse until well combined and forms a moist dough.

Evenly press mixture into 9X9 pan, and chill in the refrigerator/freezer 'till firm, but not frozen.  Loosen edges with a knife, and invert onto cutting board.  Cut into bars.  Should make roughly 12 bars, or so.

Whatcha been smokin', Jill?

Hemp!

(Hemp Seed can be bought at Whole Foods, Central Market, and many other natural food stores.  The picture above is the exact brand hemp seed I bought at CentralMarket)

Protein, protein, protein...it's Ms. Jill's favorite word!  Jill is one of my e-friends I met at Runner's World's online community "The Loop."  As you can imagine, runners love their protein, and it's going to be hard to convince one they don't need as much as traditionally believed.  Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, or maybe they're wrong?  All that matters is...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  Well, you know, take that with a grain of salt in regards to some ideas ;-)  On my run this morning, I noticed my legs muscles were weak.  I started thinking about protein, and if my lack of having as much protein in my diet as of recently was the explanation for this.  Honestly, I don't think it is; I think it's a result of "taking it easiER" the past two weeks by only running flat ground and for short distance due to a hip flexor strain.  My hip flexor is better, so I'm incorporating hills back in my running.  Obviously, my legs muscles atrophied a tad from the lack of hill strength training, so they're feeling a little weak.  Who knows, maybe it's the diet, and maybe it's not.  As of right now, I'm adhering to this perspective on "protein" here .

The point being...lately when I think of the role protein plays in my diet as an active person, I immediately think of Jill since she's been following both my new running and new raw food lives.  Jill hearts protein!  She's been such a sport about about trying out the green smoothies, but noted she's been putting protein powders in them.  So, after my run this morning, I decided to make a post-run "raw" vegan hemp protein shake with Jill in mind.

Hemp seed/nut is an amazing little food.  It is one of the few plant complete proteins, and is dang tasty, too!  What about soy?  Well, soy has a bad reputation for possibly causing thyroid problems, breast cancer, early dementia, and for being a high mucus producer.  As always, you will find a flip side to most every argument, so until they decide hemp's going to kill us, too, I'm gonna to eat it.  Unfortunately, hemp can not be legally grown in the US, but can be imported from certain countries like Cananda.  Now, I'm not sure about this, but I think imported hemp seed must be "treated" before entering the U.S....even though some raw food sites state they have "raw" hemp seed, or "raw" hemp powder, I'm not sure how accurate that affirmation is.  I'll do some more researching on that.  Anyway, here's a tasty post-workout EASY vegan (maybe could be raw?) hemp protein shake just for you, Jill!

 Chocolate Hemp Shake

• 2 Tbs. shelled hemp seed (11g protein, Jill!)
• 1 tsp. dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional, but good)
• 1 cup cold water
• 4 dried dates (you can use Agave, honey, or whatever sweetener you have on hand)
  
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder (raw cacao powder, if you have it)

Procedure:  Throw it all in the blender, and go for it!  Blend on slow, working your way up to the highest setting, and blend for about a minute until all hemp seed and dates are totally combined, creamy, and like milk (fyi, blending hemp seed with water is how you make hemp milk).  At this point, you could add a banana, if you like.  If choosing to add the coconut, you will need to blend on high for little bit longer so those shreds become no more.  Hemp seeds will blend completely with no need for straining, as they are very small and soft.  If you'd like, you could use a little less water, and throw a few ice cubes in the mix.  You can also soak your dates before hand for easier blending, as well).

Hemp is very nutty tasting.  It's also great sprinkled on salads, cereals, and sauteed veggies.  Enjoy! 

There ya go, Jill!  11 grams of complete protein all in a small 1 cup serving.

New Converts!

Jennifer and Reese Barnhart...Changing their names to Jennifer and Reese "GREENheart!"

Dallas, TX

If baby Reese can be a "big girl," so can YOU!

Keep 'em coming, guys!

CC

"How's it going, Claire?"

What have I been seeing through Claire colored lenses?  Well, let me update ya...

As you know, food choices and experimentation had been quite the focus for the past two month, especially the last month.  As of this week, I have been at least a 75% raw vegetarian for a month, 99% vegan for at least two weeks or more (I had cheese pizza with Steven one night), and I feel GREAT.  Here are some observations I made thus far:

• Transitioning to vegetarianism was a cake-walk for me.  Not hard at all.  It was so easy to simply cut animal flesh from my diet. 

• Transitioning to veganisim was a little harder than vegetarianism, but not bad at all.  There were a couple hills I had to climb in making this switch.  One of them was cutting out my beloved Activia yogurt.  This was not a taste concern, but a health concern.  I'm waaaaay in touch with my bowels, and if they don't regularly move once a day, I'm screwed with chronic constipation.  Not fun.  I knew the inclusion of enzyme rich raw foods alone would help my GI issues, but I was still nervous....then the light came.  Stupid Claire, here, didn't realize one could take probiotics in capsule form!  Hell yeah!  After doing a little research, I headed over to the our local natural foods store, For Goodness Sake, and picked up a bottle of acidophilus bacillus probiotics, and am doing fabulous down "south."  Mission accomplished!  My other fear of veganisim was cutting out ice cream....AHHHHHH!  I'm addicted to ice cream!  Since I love to be in the kitchen, and don't mind tackling odd ingredients, I have found many various raw vegan "ice kream" recipes that suffice just fine for me.  Mission accomplished, again.  Milk, you ask?  No sweat; I haven't been drinking cow's milk for quite some time, now.  I was drinking soy milk, but soy's got a bad rap, so I've had to switch to nut mylk which is awesome, too, so I'm fine in that department.  Cheese?  Yeah, I love it, but it makes me miserably constipated, and I had already cut it from my previous diet.  Cutting out things I crave is hard; cutting things I just like is not.  Even though I really like cheese, I never crave it.  I'm sure there are times I have unknowingly cheated on in veganism, but you know, I could give a rat's ass about that. 
  

• Raw foods.  When you take a diet like raw veganism, un-raw veganism seems like a cake-walk.  Honestly, going raw is not really that difficult.  It's actually very easy to be 75% raw vegan, also known as "raw 'till dinner."  I have a green smoothie for breakfast, fresh fruit snacking 'till lunch, then a salad w/ raw vegan dressing for lunch with some dehydrated "baked" crackers, chocolate nut mylk for something sweet afterward (or whatever other kind of yummy raw dessert I have on hand), I'm usually good 'till 5pm, maybe snack on a dried fruit/mixed nut trail mix, Lara Bar, or some homemade raw concoction of mine, then I eat about a 50% raw 100% vegan dinner, and if Steven's there for dinner, I'll include a cooked chicken breast for him.  See?  Not hard.

• How do you feel?  FANTASTIC!  Weirdest thing...food cravings are gone.  I've noticed I don't have these spur-of-the-moment uncontrollable random food cravings anymore.  Raw foodists say that's because I'm finally eating nutritionally loaded food that's satisfying the void my S.A.D. diet wasn't fulfilling.  It's totally weird.  As many of you know, I'm a BIG eater, and was afraid I'd be left hungry on a vegan diet.  Before my detoxing period was over, I was not completely "fulfilled" by my vegan switch.  Once my detox started subsiding, I become totally satisfied by my vegan diet.  I am full, satisfied, but not bloated and disgusted.  It's awesome...but, I can't eat as much as I used to; Steven says he can sense my sadness about losing my previous astronomical eating ability ;-)   My sleep has improved.  In fact, I've had to cut down on my sleeping med dose, or not take it at all, due to falling in to a sleep coma with it!  I've been on OTC sleeping meds for over 10 years and struggled to sleep well even while taking them; last night I didn't take one and slept great.  My skin is almost void of rosacia symptoms.  I can honestly say I've just been all around happier!  I physically feel "lighter," and have yet to have seen a decline in my running ability, or frequency.  I feel aware, energized, clean, and healthy.  The one vitamin supplement I am taking is B12, as this seems to be the only vitamin red meat provides that can't be found in a significant amount in a vegan source.   I have not felt deprived in any way since eating this way.
  

• What do you eat?  Like carrott sticks and nuts?  Hell no!  I eat raw vegan versions of ice cream, cookies, pies, cakes, chocolate, etc.  I have awesome salads with creamy dressings and tons of variety.  Wraps, sandwiches, soups, avocados, marinated veggies, fruits, and the list of endless possibilities goes on.  I'm not counting calories whatsoever, per Natalia Rose's advice; I'm just going with what my body reasonably tells me I want/need.  I will say, once you properly detox and continue to eat this way, the foods your crave definitely change towards the food style you've been eating. 

• Have you lost weight?  The only time I'm weighed on a scale is at a doctor's office.  I don't believe in weighing myself religously; instead, I go by the way my clothes fit, the way I look in photos, and simply changes in my body I notice throughout the day.  I have lost a little weight.  I can tell simply by looking in the mirror, certain tight jeans aren't tight anymore, and the excess weight I do have "sits" differently on me now.  Granted, I don't have a lot of excess weight to lose, in my opinion...maybe 10lbs, or so?  The raw foods diet is suppossed to get your weight to where it naturally should be.  I don't think I'm too far from that, so I'm not expecting drastic changes. 

•  How are your family, friends, and Steven dealing with this?  Well, mixed emotions, actually.  Steven is a total God-send here.  This is why I love this guy.  He is so supportive, accepting, patient, and willing to take part in some aspects of this food experience.  No, I'm not making him what I eat, but he's interested in trying all the different raw vegan creations I make.  He likes greens smoothies, he loves veggies of all kinds, and has liked all my sweet raw vegan creations, thus far.  Remember, I'm a foodie, so I'm not going to ask anyone to try something that doesn't taste good.  If it's not palatable, I'M not going to eat it, much less ask someone else to.  Dinners are my meals to let a little loose, so we meet half way all the time.  My folks are pretty much cool with it, but I am sensing a little animosity from my mom.  In the Cunningham family (myself, included), we all think we've got the right answers; we're stubborn and proud.  This raw veganism thing wasn't her answer, so it'll take her a while to get her pride down. 
  

• "Breaking up is hard to do..."  My two worst food habits I had to break up with were Splenda and CoffeeMate.  Splenda was only mentally hard to break up with.  We've been taught for so long that sugar's terrible for us, and to use artificial non-calorie sweeteners instead.  I just knew I was going to blow up like a pig when I went back to real sugar sources (raw sugar sources in particular)!  But, I haven't.  The best thing about breaking up with Splenda is I no longer have these freak-out sugar cravings.  I believe my body is finally getting the amount of sugar it wants, and is finally satisfied.  CoffeeMate?  CoffeeMate, oh how I miss thee; let me count the ways!  You are so creamy, and make my coffee taste like candy, and even though you are nothing but hydrogenated oils, I still want you.  I must stay strong against your temptation.  I have, and I will!  Break-up woes in regards to the raw aspect?  Yeast risen baked bread...me miss you. 

To all da ladies in da hizzy!

All you men out there, stop reading now as you'll find words coming out of your mouth like "eeew," "ick," "natny" (as Steven would say).  This post is for the ladies!  Well, actually, men can find some useful knowledge here, too ;-)

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(don't say I didn't warn ya)

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(turn back now!)

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Menstrual Cycle!  Periods!  The Crimson Wave!  Tampons!  Midol!

All I have to say here is MACA!

Holy crap, I am so excited about this super food!  Maca, Lepidium meyenii, is an annual plant which produces a radish-like root. The root of maca is typically dried and stored, and will easily keep for seven years. The plant is cultivated in the Junin plateau of Peru's Central Highlands, and was highly revered by the Inca.  Maca has been shown to:

• increase energy, endurance, and stamina
• improve sexual function in both men and women
• enhance fertility in people and animals
• reduce hormonal dysfunction during menopause and andropause
• regulate hormonal imbalances
• aid in alleviating depression
• reduce anxiety and stress
• have beneficial action on the circulatory system; speeds wound healing, and reduces anemia
• enhance memory, learning, and mental ability
• act as an alternative to anabolic steriods; helps to build muscle

In a nutshell, maca helps to regulate hormone producing glands, but maca is not a hormone, itself.  Hormones have a HUGE affect on our bodies and minds!  As many of you know, I'm pretty much obsessed with hormones and how they affect me.  I believe the endocrine system is way too often overlooked.  I have dealt with anxiety/depression my whole life, and believe it to be caused by hormonal imbalances.  With that being said, I was quite interested to see what maca could offer me.  I'm not going to lie, I've had a hard time believing in homeopathic/natural remedies to mental health issues.  Basically, I just think mental health is too fragile to screw around with.  When one comes to the point of recognizing they need help, that usually means they need it now and fast.


On another note, I have stopped taking hormonal birth control.  After years of debating whether hormonal birth control is right for me, I have come to the conclusion it is not.  Basically, my decision came down to the sheer fact that I think it's the most unnatural thing to trick your body into thinking it's pregnant for years on end.  As for me, hormonal birth control made me stale to the world.  Yes, I was not crying due to hormonal waves...but I was never smiling, either.  I remember in high school I used to have a couple friends who could make me laugh to tears!  Now, I can honestly say I haven't laughed to tears, or just simply genuinely laughed, in years.  That's sad, right?  So I asked myself, is it "worth it" to live in a sedentary emotional state just so you can be more sedentary in your sexual contraceptive responsibility?  For me, no.  Why take hormonal birth control when it makes the thought of sex seem appalling?  Isn't that sorta counteractive?  Why take hormonal birth control when there's a chance it may cause irreversible damage to your reproductive system?  Is it worth living in an emotionally "dead" trance for the ease of popping a "no pregnancy here!" pill when there are other effective non-hormonal ways of being sexually responsible?


So now you're asking yourself, "Where the hell is she going with all this?!  Maca's not birth control...."  Here's the deal, the only plus for being on birth control for me was lighter, less painful, periods with no flair-up acne.  Pain?  Cake-walk.  Acne?  Now you got me.  My one true vanity I have no problem admitting to is my facial complexion.  In my opinion, there's nothing more detrimental to your self-esteem than acne.  When I'm off birth control, I do get hormonal acne.  The thought of possible acne flair-ups worries the hell out of me.  Pathetic, I know.


Since starting this raw diet experiment, I have learned about about "super foods."  Maca especially stood out for me because of its properties as a hormonal stabalizer.  Hmmmmm....me and hormonal imbalances don't mix well.  I need some stabilization, fo sho!  Out of all the superfoods out there, I thought I'd start with Maca first since it supposedly addresses my only real "problem area" I was immediately concerned with.  So, I got online, ordered me up some maca, and starting taking it daily.


Last week was to be my first period off birth control.  I was expecting the worst.  I had already been telling Steven how much pain I was going to be in, how ugly my zit pitted face would be, and how I'd probably bleed heavy for 9 days straight (as was the trend pre-birth control years ago).  Well, all I have to say is THANK YOU GOD FOR MACA!  Holy zit-pitless face, cramp-free, short period yawowza!  This first non-birth control period was awesome (that is if a period can be awesome).  I had some first day cramping, but nothing unbearable, no major PMS before hand, no freak-out "I hate myself"'s, no zit break-outs, and the whole thing lasted roughly three days....THREE DAYS!  The whole time I was so confused as to why this period was so easy, not even thinking about the maca addition because I honestly didn't have that much faith in it.  Day three, I stated putting two and two together, and came up with maca.  Granted, I am curious to see how next month's period on maca will be since I will have been off hormonal b.c. for two months at that point.  I'm still not sure my hormones are totally adjusted to pre-b.c. "normalacy" just yet, as I've only been off birth control for a month; but, if I get this same effect from Maca the second time around, I'm claiming myself a total believer.


As for the other attributes of maca, well...I'm not so sure, yet, as I was only focusing on my menstrual cycle (makes me sound more professional when you call it that).  Also, I doubt I'll get into real depth about libido and fertility since my mother can read this (gross!); you can e-mail me for my opinion on maca's affect on those, if you wish.  All I know is I feel the best I have in a long time, both emotionally and physically.  I've had nothing to complain about since this food experiment in regards to how I feel.  If it's the maca, the lack of animal products, the greens, the live foods, the running...I don't know!  


You can buy maca at Matt Monarch's store here , or to be specific, this is the maca I'm using right now.  It seems most maca is sold in the loose powder form, but I went for the vcap version as I heard maca's flavor was one to be acquired.  I knew I could swallow anything down in pill form, so I went for that.  Many people add the loose powder to smoothies, or in their nut mylks.  According to Karen Knowler...

Maca is a food it should be taken in decent sized quantities – in this case less is NOT more! To be consistent with Peruvian use the ideal “dosage” is 3000 – 5000 mg per day – but more is no bad idea. A tablespoon blended into a smoothie is the quickest and easiest way to get a good amount of maca into your daily diet. As it is a food and not a medicine, you cannot overdose. (Toxicity studies have been carried out in the US and have showed absolutely no toxicity and no adverse pharmalogic effects). Maca has a malty taste to it which is fairly strong, for this reason it is best taken in a capsule or taken as part of a drink or mixed into your food rather than taken alone.

'Till next time!
CC Bloom 

Still Trying....

I'm still trying to find good savory raw dishes besides salads, sandwiches/wraps, and marinated veggies...which are all great.  People ask me all the time what I miss from the S.A.D. diet, or what am I craving that I "can't" have.  Honestly, I haven't missed animal protein at all.  What I HAVE missed is yeast risen baked bread.  Granted, I have eaten some leavened bread since this experience; sometimes I have some with dinner, as dinner is my "let loose" meal.

I'm not 100% raw right now, nor know if I ever will be.  My parameters right now are to be 100% Vegan (with the exception of being asked over for a dinner at a friend's, or eating out, which is a rarity), and about 75% Raw.  As of right now, I'm what Raw Foodists call "Raw 'till Dinner."  I'm cool with this stage; it's easy and workable around having a social life, and having compatible dinners with Steven in the evenings.  This way, I can cook a "normal" dinner consisting of an animal protein (for Steven) and two cooked veggie sides for both of us.  I usually incorporate something raw in the mix for me, like a raw cracker or salad.  Anyway, it's been way easy to maintain this structure.

For lunches/dinners, I'm trying to expand my savory raw food repertoire.  Salads, and sandwiches have been great, but I'm exploring more avenues, and especially trying to find a Claire-friendly substitute for baked leavened bread.  I've tried a couple raw bread recipes, but none of them have sufficed.  I'm trying another, more basic flavored, raw bread recipe this afternoon.  I have hope in this one...I think.

Yesterday for lunch I gave raw soup a second attempt, as my first raw soup attempt was NOT good.  I found a recipe for a raw Creamy Tomato Basil Soup that looked promising.  "Creamy," you ask?  Yes, creamy.  Vegans use nuts, especially cashews, as a dairy substitute.  It's a surprisingly very pleasing alternative!  So, the soup turned out not that bad.  Since I've made the non-raw, non-vegan version of this soup many times before, it will be hard for me to find a total winning replacement to its original, but it was definitely edible and good.  Maybe if I warmed it up some, it would be better.  I also had a raw dehydrated onion 'bread" to accompany my soup, which was good, but the onion was too over-powering.  I breathed onion fire breath all afternoon.  Hmph, not a failure, but not a total success, either.  Still trying...

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

And yes, I actually DO drink my green smoothies "green" by not adding blueberries.  Sometimes, I think you guys might think I'm lying to you will all my non-green green smoothies.  Here was this morning's...YUM!  I heart green smoothie time!

Better Raw?

Corn is!  I'm so glad I took Natalia Rose's advice, and gave raw corn a try.  It's awesome!  Raw corn is sweet, tender, juicy, and refreshing.  Simply cut the kernels off the cob, sprinkle with salt, and enjoy!  I would have never thought about including this vegetable as a staple in my raw repertoire, thinking it would be extremely hard.  On the contrary, it's so tender.  Raw corn?  Yes, please!

The first thing you need to know about corn is that it is extremely rich in thiamin, which is Vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is an essential vitamin that is water-soluble. It helps you use your blood glucose for energy as well as your central nervous system health, heart functions, and your muscle. One cup of corn will give you about 25 percent of your daily allowance needed. I'd like to mention that thiamin also plays a role in stronger memory.

The second B vitamin that corn is good for is B5. You need vitamin B5 is known as panthothenic acid. This B vitamin helps your carbohydrates so that they are used for energy, and red blood cell production as well as thiamin.

Folate is another water soluble vitamin on the list which is also found in fresh corn. Folate will help the body with red blood cell numbers, thus, avoiding anemia. Folate also plays a larger role in helping our amino acids essential to health. A daily one cup serving of fresh corn will provide you with 18 percent of your daily allowance.

Another great nutrient found in fresh corn is fiber. Fiber is most essential for roughage and establishes regularity. A cup of corn will provide you with 4 grams of fiber.

Phosphorus is also found in corn. You will get at least 15 percent of this mineral by a serving of corn. You need phosphorus because it is the mineral that is essential to bone health just as calcium is.

Manganese is also part of corn. Managanese is essential for digestion of the essential nutrients your body continually needs,plays a role in your bones staying healthy, helps the thyroid gland to function well, and glucose metabolism. A serving of fresh corn will give you at least 15 percent of manganese.

Give it a try!

"Life is a (information) highway, and I'm gonna ride it...."

...all the way to raw foods!  Interested in learning more about the raw food lifestyle?  What hell is maca, irish moss, and yacon, and where can I get it?!  Spiroolies, Vita Vixes, and dehydrators?  Do what?!  Alkalization, pH, and juicing?

Yes, there's a LOT out there about the raw food lifestyle the common "Joe" doesn't know.  At first it can seem overwhelming, but what new adventure doesn't?  Luckily, we have the internet which helps make our huge world more accessible and user friendly for all types of folks.  Not good with reading?  Watch some vlogs and instructional You Tube videos.  Need more Layman's terms?  Hit up some user blogs; there are a ton!  The raw food community is extremely friendly and helpful, but if you're just looking to browse around on your own, here are some website I find super helpful:

• The Renegade Health Show, Community, and Store-  This is a husband/wife team who host interviews, how-to, informational, and instructional recipe videos.  They also have a store if you're looking to buy some ingredients, supplements, or literature.
• Sun Food Store-  David Wolfe is the founder of this online store, and is also a huge advocate of, and leader within, the raw food movement.  His online "grocery store" is well equipped, especially in "super foods."  
• Ani Phyo- Ani was recently on an episode of The Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods.  She's a raw food chef and educator.
  
• Natalia Rose 
  
• Elaina Love with Pure Joy Planet
• Raw Food Life
  
• The Hippocrates Institute
• Gabriel Cousens and The Tree of Life Center   
  
• Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes-Monarch-  This couple started out as individual raw food activists who are now a team as a married couple.  Angela was recently on CNN for her 160 lbs weight loss journey through raw foods.  You see these two's names come up all over raw food sites.  They are highly enthusiastic about raw foods, have great tips, knowledge, personal experiences, a raw food online store, and Matt's simply entertaining to watch ;-)
  
• Raw Freedom Community- this site is founded by Carmella (don't know her last name) who also has a great blog with tons of credible recipes.  This online community forum is GREAT for recipe sharing, questions and concerns, support, and connecting with other raw foodists.
• Tim VanOrden-  Tim's site is a great place for those of you who are highly physically active with concerns about raw foodism in conjuction with athleticism. 
• All Raw Directory 
  
• Greenling Organic Delivery-  Don't have time to shop?  Can't find what your looking for at the grocery store?  Want the option of buying local?  Check out Greenling!  They're not a 100% raw company, so if you're not interested in raw there's PLENTY for you to check out.  They're basically an online grocery store that delivers to your home if you are in the Georgetown to San Antonio stretch on I35!  Create an account, order online in advance, and on your delivery day, they leave a plastic bin on your front porch with all your groceries.  Click here to see if they ship to your area. 

There's a ton of info out there!  Simply type "raw food" in a google search, and you know the rest.  Also, hit up some blogs here on blogger.com.  There are some AWESOME blogs with great recipes, tips, and pictures.


Happy eating,
Claire

There's Nothing Like a Granola Bar!

Finally, my raw vegan granola bar!  This is what I would call a "base recipe" for a chewy granola bar, meaning you can add whatever mix-in's you desire...dried fruit, nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, etc.  

*UPADATE: I'm not sure how I feel about these, now.  There's some tweeking that needs to be done, but I just don't know where, yet.  I'm starting to think I don't like agave nectar dehydrated.  So maybe use all raw honey for the sweetener.  I'll keep you guys posted once I make these again with all honey, and see what that does.*

"Wet" Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
  
• 2 tsp. coconut oil/butter
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 2 tsp water

_____________________________________

"Dry" Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded dry coconut
• 1 cup dehydrated almond meal/pulp (left over from making almond milk)
  
• 1 cup RAW rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds

Process:

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.  Stir thoroughly.  Set aside.

Trace the bottom of a 9X9 brownie pan onto a sheet of parchment paper.  Cut out the tracing, and place the square sheet of parchment in the bottom of the pan.  Set aside. 

In a food processor, combine all "wet" ingredients and process to the consistency of a smooth nut butter.  Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients.  Stir thoroughly until wet mixture is evenly distributed, and "dough" comes together.

To shape, turn dough out into the parchment lined pan.  Use plastic wrapped over the top to press the dough evenly, and firmly, into the bottom of the pan.  Put in the fridge or freezer for a little it (approx. 10 min) to allow the oils in the dough to firm.  Once dough has firmed, invert the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, slide onto your dehydrator tray, cut around the edges of the paper to trim off the excess, and then peel off the original sheet that was once the bottom.

*If you do not have a dehydrator, you can cut into bars at this point, individually wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator.  They are perfectly fine to eat this way, but might not stay put together as well as a dehydrated, or baked (if you wish to go the non-raw route), bar.  They will also be easier to cut at this point the colder they are.* 

Dehydrate for a few hours @ 105 degrees.  At this point, invert onto a cutting board and cut into rectangles.  (I think I got 12 bars out of this.  I cut the big square down the middle both ways, and then cut each of those squares into three rectangles.)  Place cut bars back on the dehdyrator sheet, and dry at least overnight, or until the consistency you desire is reached.

I store almost everything in the fridge to be on the safe side, especially since the bars will not be 100% dehydrated at this thickness....hence the reason they're chewy.

Happy eating,

Claire