Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I hope you were able to spend time with family and friends, if not in person than at least in your heart. I had a great day.  My husband and all the kids sat around the table.  Everyone brought something to share.  We were missing a few grandchildren unfortunately but we still had a great time.  And the food was great.  I have so many things to give thanks for this year.  Health, home, family, friends, work, life, and the universe.

As far as blogging I have recipes starting to stack up that I need to post.  School's been a little heavy with homework lately.  I hope to have more time very soon and I'll get to work putting the post up.

I didn't eat raw for Thanksgiving.  Did anyone reading eat raw?  I would have liked too but none of the kids eat raw and it's their Thanksgiving also.  I use to beat myself up if I messed up and didn't have raw.  But I'm learning that for me its okay to be 'high raw'.  That's mostly raw but some cooked foods also.  I just make the cooked food healthy choices.  In fact I have a vegan cooked soup recipe that I made the other day that I need to post.  It was soooo good. 

Every individual has to decide what works best for their own body.  What feeds their soul and their health.  If eating healthy is your goal then you're on the right track.  I may end up all raw someday and that would be awesome but it's about the journey of life.  Being exactly right isn't the goal.  Being healthy, happy, and striving to grow is the goal.

Enjoy your day, your week, your year, your life!!

my brother's blog

Hi everyone!  It's a great day for blogging.  It's chilly outside and I would like to be curled up in a blanket with my laptop on my lap.  However....  that is not going to happen for me today.  But I do have the opportunity to work on this post.  So I'm taking advantage of that and putting in a shameless plug for my brother and my sister-in-law.

I just found out today that my brother started a blog.  He is writing reviews on Sci-fi and Sci-fi fantasy, Medical, Suspense, Mystery, and Commentary books.  He is also writing about Grand Rapids, Sandy's (his wife) website, his life, the good and the sad, arts, medical reform, and epilepsy (the sad). 

His blog is: http://maladjustedfantasy.blogspot.com/
I hope you'll visit it and leave him a comment with your thoughts on his work.  You'll learn from visiting his blog that he is working on writing a book himself.  I happen to know that he is getting fabulous reviews from professionals that have critiqued it for him.

Sandy, his wife, is a wonderful artist who takes old pieces of abandoned furniture and brings them back to life, often to a life better than they had when they were first create. 
Her website is: http://www.sitableart.com/
Her work is unique.  All her work is hand painted fun, creative pieces that are worth taking a trip over to her website to see.  She will also take furniture that customers bring her and match them up to favorite fabric and ideas that the customer has in mind.

I know my blog is about raw foods and health but I couldn't pass up the chance to spread the word for the people I love, my family.  I hope you'll check out these 2 sites and check back in with me again.  I have several recipes I need to get posted, along with photo's and !!!! I'm so excited !!! a link to Vita-mix with a free shipping offer that they are letting me pass along.

talk to you soon!

health bennies of eating apples

I love apples. And I love eating what is in season. The fresher and more local the better. It's better on my taste buds and better for my health...and yours.

It was a marvelous green smoothie this morning. I told myself to wait until I could post the photo along with it but I just can't stop myself from posting it now! Not only did it taste great but it was full of health benefits that I just had to share. Of course it had all kinds of great things in it but today I’m only focusing on the benefits of apples.

I usually have a green smoothie most mornings. And I often vary them a little just to shake things up. That way I don't get bored and stray from eating healthy and fresh foods.

I wasn't in the mood for my 'usual'. So I looked around my cupboards for something new to put in my Vita-mix. This is what I put in there:

1 Honey Crisp Apple
1 Banana (frozen) (peeled prior to freezing)

2 Kale leaves

1 T Agave

2 T coconut oil

3 T goji berries

2 T cocoa nibs

1 T grated ginger
2 T raw almond butter
1 T flax seed oil
water

Cut the core out of the apple and place the rest of the apple in the Vita-mix. Add all remaining ingredients except water. Fill blender to the 40 oz mark and blend on high.
If you use some other brand of blender besides a Vita-mix the smoothie may not be as smooth or easy to drink.

(After recipe please see note at bottom about the dangers apple seeds and the benefits of apples.)
Test taste and adjust amounts to your liking.
Drink
Enjoy
Mmmmmmmm

(If you don't have a frozen banana you can use a fresh one)

Super easy, super nutritious, super fast.

A vita-mix can even blend the apple seeds and some people may tell you that they are healthy for you. But apple seeds contain something called cyanogenic glycosides which is a cyanide containing compound. As you may know cyanide is a poison.

Most of us have probably ingested an apple seed or 2 in our time and our bodies have neutralized it or passed it through our systems without harming us. In small amounts you would probably be okay but large amounts can actually kill you. Don't risk it with your children or pets; they can not handle the same amounts as a healthy adult.

Some of the symptoms you may find from ingesting too many apple seeds could include seizures, headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, fluctuations in heart rate, changes in breathing rate, changes in blood pressure, vomiting. Consume enough seeds and you may develop breathing problems and then death may follow.

Okay now that I've given you the down side (which isn't even a down side as long as your remove the seeds which most of us have always done) let me give you some of the benefits of eating Apples. And, thankfully, there are many benefits. And I'm talking besides how beautiful they look and wonderfully sweet and juicey they taste and smell.

Most of us have heard of the fiber and antioxidants that apples contain. But did you know they also have a flavanoid called phloridzin. Phloridzin is found only in apples and it is believed phloridzin may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may increase bone density.

Apples contain Boron. This is an ingredient that strengthens bones.
Research has found that children with asthma who drink apple juice on a daily basis suffer less wheezing than children who don’t drink apple juice as often. Children born to woman who frequently eat apples have lower rates of asthma.

Apples contain quercetin which may protect brain cells from the free radicals that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
The pectin in apples (fiber) can lower LDL cholesterol. (That’s the bad stuff)

There is a study of 10,000 people who ate apples. Of those 10,000, the ones that ate the most apples had a 50% lower risk of developing lung cancer. This is believed to be due to the flavonoids quercetin and naringin which is found in high amounts in apples.

Another study, by Cornell University, using rats found that by feeding rats apples everyday they lowered the risk of breast cancer up to 44%.

According to the University of California, Davis Medical Center, eating as part of your diet can reduce the marker for heart disease in only a few weeks.

One study fed rats an extract from the apple skins and had a 43% lower risk of colon cancer.

The fiber from apples helps a digestive system stay healthy.

One study found that feeding an extract from apple skins had a 57% lower risk of liver cancer.

Galacturonic acid is the main feature of pectin. Galacturonic lowers the need for insulin. So apples may help with diabetics. (always check with your doctor first)

By filling up on fiber rich apples a person can lose weight faster!

So let’s revisit this list. Apples appear to help with or help prevent the following: Asthma, Bone strength, Alzheimer’s, Cholesterol, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Heart Disease, Colon Cancer, Liver Caner, Diabetes, and Weight Loss.

Apples are full of Antioxidants. What do antioxidants do? They run around your body trapping Free Radicals and stopping them from damaging your cells.

Anyone want an Apple? No wonder the saying goes… An apple a day…

Sorry I seem to have gone off in a tangent but health is very important to me. And sharing what I learn is also very essential to me. So next spring when you see the apple trees in blossom and you’re enjoying the beauty of it you can rejoice in the knowledge that those pretty little sweet smelling buds are growing true health gems for you come fall.

My dog was sprayed by a skunk!

Well that is the last title I thought I would ever put in here! I can't believe it! Last week, just like always, I let my dog out before going to bed. Only this time he started barking and barking and would not stop. It was that serious sounding bark that lets you know he is actually dealing with something alive out there. Bill ran to the door to call him in so he wouldn't disturb the neighbors so late at night. As soon as he opened the door ~ yuck.

I was in the bedroom and heard Bill say, "It smells like skunk out there." I ran to the door thinking ~ oh know, please not that. But of course as you already know... my dog came running up to the door rubbing his little nose on his paws the whole way. Ewwwweeeeee.

I use to think, lucky for me I had never had to deal with the issue before. To bad for me that now I was experiencing it. Oh well I guess it’s all just a part of life. But since I had never had to deal with it before I wasn't sure exactly what I was suppose to do. I had heard of the tomato juice bath but had also heard that it didn't really work. The smell was so bad that I think it may have been clouding my thinking. But I knew that I wasn't going to the store to buy a lot of tomato juice.

Bill put the dog in the bathroom and shut the door. I called my friend, Amy, who had just gone through this a couple of weeks ago. She gave me a wonderful recipe to stop the stink. So while she was probably hoping to be in bed she was instead giving me the following recipe. (Thanks Amy) :-)
The recipe is:

1 quart of hydrogen peroxide (if you don't have it you can use white vinegar but it won't work as well)
1/4 cup of baking soda
2 T dish soap (liquid, not the kind for the dishwasher)
mix and use IMMEDIATELY

put the dog in the tub and give him a bath with your mixture

dry the dog

pet him and let him know it is not his fault

You’re done

This worked sooooo good. I was absolutely and pleasantly amazed. The stink was gone! My little dog was himself again. And no… he was not allowed outside the rest of the night. :)

So tuck this recipe away for that some day when you least except it and your pet, your child, your friend, or yourself, comes in and you go... ewwwweeee.

Have a fabulous day
Live well
Sing loud
Cathy

The Best Sundried Tomatoes Ever!

I made the most marvelous sundried tomatoes!!!  They were absolutely awesome.  I could hardly wait to get the recipe posted. 

We have a wonderful garden this year.  We have had plenty of tomatoes growing in it.  We have the big juicy tomatoes and then we have some wonderful small (but not as small as a cherry tomato) tomatoes.  I was a little disappointed with them because they don't turn that marvelous red, yet they aren't the yellow non-acid ones.  And their flavor is not what I was hoping for.  But they were very abundant!  I didn't want to waste them so I filled a huge basket full of them, brought them in the house and decided to play.

The recipe for this is easy.  There are no measurements.

Ingredients:

as many Tomatoes as you have (best not to use the real juicy ones.  they don't turn out as well)
cold press olive oil
Italian spice
dill
pepper
sea salt
basil

You will need a dehydrator.  I use an Excalibur.  I have had others but once I got my Excalibur I gave the other ones away.  The 9 tray is the best.  If you don't already have one ~ you will fall in love with it ~ and you will find yourself filling every single tray on that baby.

I promised to add links for the equipment I use.  Here is a link to Excalibur.
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/vegetarian.htm

These tomatoes are about 2.5 inches across.  I sliced them into three slices.  I spaced them out on my Excalibur on a teflex sheet.  Some touched but none overlapped.  It makes it too hard to dehydrate that way.

Preparation:

Drizzle the olive oil over them.  (Drizzle is a line or two across each slice. Don't over pour. And don't cover them in oil)
Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over each slice.  How much you use is a personal choice.  It depends on your taste.  Spice them up.  I went fairly heavy with spice on mine, especially the Italian spice. 
Place in dehydrator at 105 degrees.  Leave them in overnight.

Take them out in the morning and place in a container with a good seal.  Store in fridge.

I used them on salads.  In sandwiches.  Ate them all my themselves as a snack.  Add them to your wraps if you do raw food.  And to your scrambled eggs if you eat cooked (and egg).

I'm not sure how long they keep I can't keep them in the fridge long enough to find out!  They're going to fast!  You will love them!

Enjoy

HELLO!

I am sooooo excited! I have finally made it. I have a blog! YEAH! I’m not even sure where to start. I guess what I would want to know if I were you is what I should start with. So…I think that I should be telling you a little about why I wanted to start my blog and then a little about me.

First about why I started my blog. I believe there are 3 things in life that help make us healthy and give us the happiest and longest life possible. My goal is to share these with you over time. And to share the new tidbits of info I learn along the way.

These 3 things are:

1. live a life with low stress

2. exercise

3. eat healthy

I feel like now that I stated those I should also clarify them. Most people ( I believe) feel they have a lot of stress in their lives. I am hoping to offer what I have learned in life that helps to lower stress. And to give you the reasons why you need to lower your stress. What it does to our bodies and mind. How to change what has happened and best of all how to prevent it.
I love exercise. Do I do it as often as I should? Not at the moment. But I’m getting better at it. In fact I’m thinking about maybe doing a 3K. It would be my first ever! I’m pretty excited about the thought. It’s not anything I ever thought I would want to do. But I love my treadmill so I thought … why not! I intend to share with you what I have learned about exercise, why it’s good for you, and how to go about it.

And eating healthy? Well I do sometimes eat fish. Other than that I’m a vegetarian who eats as much raw foods as I can get in my week. Which some weeks I’m better at than others. I want to share what I have learned about eating raw. The why and the hows of it. And why I don’t beat myself up if I don’t stay completely raw.

So these are the things I want to talk about. I want to share the things I have learned in life. Which brings me to me. You probably would like to know a little more about me.

I am in my early 50’s. And I have lived a life mixed with ups/downs, excitement/sad times, good times/bad times, with $/broke, good health/sick, I have had struggles and easy times. Gee! Sound a little like yourself I bet. I guess that’s my point. I am just like you. I have learned a lot through my life. In fact I consider life my favorite class, it is where I have learned the most.

But that doesn’t really tell you much about me. So here is more…

I have a bachelors of social work, I’m a raw food chef and teacher, I’m currently working on my massage therapy license. I still would like to take a photography class someday and possibly offer coaching to the public. One of my favorite things to do is write. I’m currently working on a couple of recipe books and a sci-fi book. (A couple of recipe books because I’m working on one by myself and one with my sister Carlene and niece Michelle)

I’ll try to add in favorite recipes for you as I figure out how all this blogging works. And I promise to share with you how I do the recipes, what tools I use, and I’ll contact the companies of the tools I use and make them available to you through my blog.

My first lesson I want to share is about life.

I grew up on a farm where nearly every Sunday my dad killed a chicken for our dinner. I remember watching the chicken run around without a head. I was oddly fascinated while at the same time revolted by it. I remember feeling like I wanted the chicken to hurry up and die because I didn’t like seeing it suffer. But my dad would tell me it was okay that it was just the nerves and that the chicken was already dead. I still wonder about all that. I reached a point I could no longer even watch. It was probably the start of my not wanting to eat meat.

Then I grew up and got married. I started volunteering at a local health food co-op and wanted to stop eating meat. I was married to a man that not only hated veggies but wanted his meat over cooked.

Years passed. Life lessons learned. Info in the public changed. I and my then-spouse became vegetarians in the early 1990’s. I started dabbling in raw foods around the early 2000’s I think.
I was married to a very controlling and abusive man. (But that’s a whole different story) I experienced things in that marriage that I have never talked about to anyone. They weren’t pleasant. I went silently on complaining about the parts that I felt safe complaining about. But that is where I was in life. And all that stems from childhood issues. Lol, another story all by itself.

Anyhow… I became a divorced woman. I was a wreck at that time in my life. I was busy trying to please everyone. Trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be. That’s all I knew how to do. And during that learning experience I met a man that, through his controlling way, convinced me to eat meat. So for 3 months I broke my belief systems that I had held for years of being what I called a vegetarian, (I was eating fish so I wasn’t really) just to please someone else.

Part of me still regrets that. And a part understands it was a very important part of my learning. It was an important lesson. Some lessons are hard. That one was. But I think the harder the lesson the more we tend to learn. What did I learn? I learned what I wanted to pass on to you.

Never ever under any circumstances try to be someone you are not just to please someone else! I was miserable! It wasn’t me. It wasn’t who I wanted to be. It wasn’t anything that made me feel good.

Once you are truly yourself your world can heal.

And, thank goodness, I learned before it was too late. I moved on. Then I took time to figure out, after all those years, who I really was. What I really wanted in life. Who I wanted to be.
For the first time ever I was happy inside. And that is important.

Since that time I found the greatest man in the universe. We married August 9 of this year. And if anyone would have ever told me that this is what love could be and should be like I would have told them that they were living in a fairytale. But it’s really out there. And I believe I found it because I was finally being the real ‘me’.

To put frosting on the cake… I was never able to have children with my ex. So in my 50’s I never imagined that I would be able to have a family. But my husband, the love of my life, Bill, comes with 3 wonderful adult children who I love very much. (actually 4 because the oldest son married the girl he started dating at 16. that makes her one of the kids in my book.) And 6 marvelous grandkids who are the light in my life. I love and adore each and everyone of the 4 kids and all my grandkids. My life is full and rich.

Why am I going on and telling you all this? Because I wanted to share. I want you to know that life is good. That in these bad times~ good things happen. And by taking the time to figure out who you really are and what you really want to be and do in life is important. And that once you do this your whole world can open up.

So that’s my lesson for today.

I’ll try to add a recipe in the next couple of days. And I’ll share more insights with you.

I hope you’ll leave comments so I know how I’m being received. I hope I help someone along the way.

Please leave suggestions, questions, thoughts, and opinions.

(I’ll get pic’s up here as soon as I can)

Thanks for reading.

HAVE A GREAT DAY.