1.07.2013

you win some...you lose some

when trying out a new recipe you always take a risk. it could be amazing or it could be a total flop. the last couple weeks i have made so many new things. i have had many successes and some real disappointments.  
first, i'd like to introduce you to the most delicious RAW vegan nori rolls. these babies are SO GOOD! i made a nut/veggie pate and added avocado, cucumber and baby greens. roll em up and dip them in some nama shoyu and BAM! you've got one hell of a meal :D
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ginger garden pate

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove
2 carrots
2 celery stalks 1 T grated ginger 
1.5 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 t sea salt 

process almonds and sunflower seeds into a powder and set aside in a medium bowl. next process ginger and garlic, then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until veggies are chopped into small pieces. add veggie mixture to your powder and mix by hand. 

add sliced avocado, cucumbers, baby greens or whatever you think sounds yummy and roll up in a piece of raw seaweed. i quickly ran out of seaweed because everyone (children included) loved these so much.

 
so, there you have one of my successes...now on to a complete failure!
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i give you the RAW carrot pulp cookie. wah wah wah! these were so gross that i actually threw them out. i will typically eat something even if i don't like it just because i don't like wasting, but i just couldn't force these down. i also made this raw miso soup that made me gag hahaha! would you like that recipe? yeah, i didn't think so!

why all the raw recipes you may be wondering? well, i am eating 100% raw all month. i've been incorporating raw foods into my diet for the last 4 years but have never gone all the way. i plan on giving a full report at the end of the month. today is day 7 and it's getting easier and i'm not having as many cravings as i was last week. the hardest part so far is dinner time. i'm still cooking for everyone else so it's been challenging. the other night i made this yummy (looking and smelling) penne pasta with chicken and sun dried tomatoes tossed in a garlic olive oil...yeah, that was a tough night but i'm very determined. 
overall it's been fun so far and if i had loads of money to spend on fancy ingredients you can bet i'd be indulging! but since that is not the case i'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. i have read so many testimonials over the years about people's physical and mental transformations by going raw and i guess i feel that i have to try it for myself. the last several months brought bouts of depression, confusion and just an overall lost feeling. i know that other factors were at play but i also know that by altering my diet i can greatly improve my mental state. and as a matter of fact, i can't tell you how much better i feel already! maybe it's the power of suggestion? i don't know? but i am very grateful to be feeling good again

♥anne

7 comments :

  1. I just brought home a giant pack of nori and now I know what I'll be doing with some of it.

    I've been wondering if you were raw or vegan from your instagram feed...question answered! I've toyed with the idea of raw over the years but when it comes down to it I never follow though. I'm excited to read about your experience...maybe it will give me the courage! Speaking of courage? Raw in winter?! That's ballsy.

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    1. haha! i'm super hardcore ;D

      i am excited too. it's something i have been wanting to do for a long time and it feels good to have set all those fears aside and gone for it.

      i usually show all my raw food on instagram because it's what excites me the most right now. maybe i should a big plate of chips or french fries? haha actually not eating chips or french fries has been really hard. i have a deep love for both :D

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  2. Your meals always look so yummy and fresh. I feel like it would be a huge challenge for me to attempt to go all raw, but then again I don't eat meat and people often tell me it must be so difficult when the reality is I don't even think about it. I know it would be hard to rethink how I 'cook' everything though. I'm not surprised there are a few kitchen disasters :)Good luck.

    xox Lilly

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  3. YAY! Those nori rolls look AHmazing. I tried the raw eating and vegan life for about 2 months, I really did feel pretty darn good, however my bank account didnt. It was so hard to cook regular dinners for the family financially and add in all "my" food. But I do plan on trying to incorporate it little by little again. I made raw vegan "peanut butter cups" with carob chips one time...they were too die for but you should have seen the look on my older boys' face after they bit into them haha NOT what they expected. Poor things. Do your kids eat some of this for lunch of breakfast or it is mostly you right now? There is just too much research and findings that prove eating raw is so good for you. Now if only I could get my kids to down some nori rolls!! Keep up the handwork it will pay off!

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    1. my three youngest will eat most of what i make. alex and shane both love the nori rolls. marianne goes crazy when she hears the blender and comes running over for her smoothie. the younger the better. max, my oldest, has not tried anything. unfortunately when he was a baby i fed him what everyone says you should feed a baby like grain cereals and such. he is the hardest, he would live off bread if i let him :/

      i agree that it can be expensive that's why i'm keeping it simple. over the past few years i have gotten in the habit of buying one of the more costly items every other week or so and slowly building up my stock of nuts, seeds and powders. i'll also switch off with what nuts and seeds i buy each week. right now i'm having lots of salads and fruit which i are things i buy anyway.

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  4. **Hardwork...or handwork I guess haha

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  5. Those rolls sound so yummy. I want to try to make them. Also, Goliath is incredible.

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thank you so much for stopping by. please feel free to leave a comment! i love reading them :)


anne