a raw Lifestyle portfolio

The Caribbean Bark ~ Mauby

2009-11-10T15:45:46-05:00

I am sitting at my computer trying to find my writing voice mean while feeling like I have so much to say but not wanting to reveal everything at once. Some of you may know that I am in the making of starting my own raw food company however there is a bit more that I want to share with you.

Growing up in the Caribbean has influenced me in many ways especially my food choices. The Caribbean is riddled with great food. We even have festivals dedicated to the foods of that particular crop. I grew up extremely modestly ok I am lying that’s just a fancy way of saying that we didn't have much. However there was so much love that I never felt it and we always made the best of what we had. Making the best of what we had also translated into our food choices, there was always something growing on the trees from breadfruit to sugar apple and even plum. We grew up finding creative ways to prepare these foods and Caribbean people are very creative. Seriously speaking we know food we might not all work as chefs in five star restaurants but when it comes down to taste we got it in the bag. Check out this favorite recipe of many Caribbean people mauby, yes we use tree bark to create healthy fun drinks.

Mauby is the bark from the Colubrina genus tree it is a small tree native to the Caribbean. Mauby is sweet and bitter but who knew that bitter could be so sweet. Mauby is well documented as a favorite Caribbean drink however its nutritional properties haven't been well documented until now. Mauby has many medicinal purposes it lowers cholesterol, Mauby helps with arthritis, reduces blood pressure and lowers diabetics blood sugar, over all it is extremely cooling and revitalizing.

Chai Redbush Cereal

2009-11-03T14:10:56-05:00

Creating a dish that has complex flavors and that is simple can sometimes be very hard, however when you know the spices that you like and which ones that go together you can most often come out with a nice result.

Chai Redbush is a combination of Rooibos leaf, Cardamom seed, Cinnamon bark, Ginger Root, and clove. These combinations of spices scream winter comfort.

I decided to make a simple winter cereal because I am the kind of person that loves cereal. The crunch and the flavor that the milk takes on because of the cereal I just love it all. What I don't love are the calories, high fructose corn syrup and other artificial flavors.

This cereal has it all I will surly me making this in my commercial kitchen for my customers. This one is special.

Brazilian nuts, chai seeds, and raisins

Cashew milk and one packet of chai redbush tea blend both together and serve over the Brazilian nuts, chai seeds and raisins.

Sweet Chai Redbush Cashew Milk

Enjoy

Please share your comments!

Dr Gary Fights back with Endophytes

2009-11-02T12:50:54-05:00

Dr Gary Strobel amazed me and gave me hope for the future of the pharmaceutical industry.

Ok so let me introduce this man who inspired me with his story so much that I had to blog about him. Gary Strobel is a Dr. and a plant pathologist whose job has taken him to every major rain forest and every continent except Antarctica. He has made such a name for himself that his hat yes this red one is in the Smithsonian. In 1987 Stroble made some key discoveries about pine trees that could have helped keep them alive and thriving however the federal government warned him about tapping those trees and threaten to put him in jail and strip him of his job. Dr. Strobel was in every major magazine and newspaper in America because of his decision to disobey the federal government.

Many years later Strobel is still practicing has plant discoveries; he studies plants particularly and their endophytes, micro organisms that live between the cells of plants. These endophytes have powerful organisms that can fight common aliments that kill millions of people each year like Malaria and cancer. The amazing thing about Gary is that he hasn’t just made these discoveries he has put these discoveries into action and has even sold some of these plant discoveries to major pharmaceutical companies; whose job it is to turn these disease fighting endophytes into drugs for humans. Gary has found an endophyte for malaria that he has sold to a pharmaceutical company; imagine that very soon there will be a drug made of plants that would help millions each year.

Gary’s work really gives hope to the drug companies of the future, if they are using plants to combat illnesses more and more people who are diagnosed with a chronic illness that they have tried to cure with nutrition and exercise alone but couldn’t could instead take a drug made of plants.

Share your thoughts

Destination Jamaica Conversation ~ Sugar Cane Mon

2009-10-27T17:34:51-04:00

toonsarah

Taking a trip to the Caribbean is like being transported to a real meet all your needs paradise. In the Caribbean people are simple and mostly loving. They hardly rush to go anywhere and with a cool island breeze most Caribbean islands although hot are bearable and cool off considerably at night.

Sugar cane is a major export of many Caribbean islands; it has and still sustains many island people. As a child I enjoyed sugar cane straight off the stalk. My mother would cut some cane peel it and store it in the refrigerator and we would eat it in handfuls out of the refrigerator for the entire day.

Many people are concerned about sweeteners like agave because they are saying that agave is loaded with fructose. Try using raw sugar cane juice in juices and smoothies; drinking cane juice freshly squeezed is delightful about your first cup in then it losses it appeal until the next day.

Sugar Cane Benefits

Sugar cane has many benefits, although it is very sweet it is also very healthy. It has less sugar in it than in a can of soda, and it has fewer calories than refined sugars or syrups. It helps digestion and even works as a mild laxative. It is a feel good drink because it is loaded with b vitamins.

Culinary uses: Try adding fruit juices like lime or raspberry for a new twist on a traditional drink.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/midorisyu/

Tamarind who knew sour could be so sweet

2009-10-22T19:52:33-04:00

Photo Credit jugalbandi

Growing up in Barbados allowed me the luxury of plucking these gems off of my Grandparents tree, there are many kinds of Tamarind varieties however the ones in the Caribbean are sour with a bit of sweetness. These earthly treats are a great snack option, you can grab a handful, crack them open and have an instant sour taste explosion. Many native Caribbean’s make a special candy called tamarind balls which are loaded with sugar to balance out the sourness in the tamarind. However you can eat them alone for a fun slightly sweet and sour snack.

Any experiences with tamarind ? Please share

Chocolate Mousse Tart and other Holiday favorites

2009-10-16T18:31:37-04:00

Cakes of all kinds can be redone in a more healthful way during the holidays. What we considered to be our enjoyment can still be fun and indulging if we take a little extra time to make it so.

Apple pie is a holiday favorite of many people and it can be redone in a raw way that is both healthy and appealing.

So can pumpkin pie which many people can't leave the table until they have a piece.

The secret ingredient to making all holiday meals and desserts appealing is making sure that they have the correct seasonings, Spices like pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract really give your foods that holiday appeal that you long for.

Check out this recipe for the best apple pie on the planet it truly brings in the holiday right.

Raw Apple Pie

This is real comfort food, sticky, chewy and bursting with warm apple pie spices, you won’t believe it’s raw.

Filling

5 mackintosh apples peeled and cored

Generous pinch of pink salt

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

2 table spoons of cinnamon

½ of lemon juiced

1/3 cup of agave

Step 1: Place all the ingredients into your food processor and process until smooth

Step 2: Set aside in a medium bowl

Crust

2 cups of almonds

½ cup of soft dates

½ cup of raisins

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of agave

Step 1: Place the almonds in the food processor and process until finely grounded.

Step 2: Add all of the remaining ingredients and process until the dough starts to stick together a little.

Step 3: Place the Crust in a pie pan and press in the form of the pan,pour in the apple filling freeze and serve.

Another Winner

2009-10-16T16:16:30-04:00

Elaine is the winner of the Raw for Desserts contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all of you who participated!!!!!!!!!

Head on over to Jennifer Cornblet's website to get her book and drool over her other products. Click here

Surprise Book Review & ~ Giveaway ~

2009-10-11T01:07:19-04:00

Raw For Desserts Book Review: Jennifer Corbleet created raw for desserts because she was inspired by all of the awesome desserts that she tried when she visited top raw food restaurants. Raw for desserts is a tasty balance between simplicity and tasty raw food desserts. Although these desserts don't call for all the prep time and ingredients that a traditional raw dessert might call for, they are not so simple that they lack any of the decadence and fan appeal. Each recipe is described and broken down into easy steps; Raw For Desserts really gives you all of the fun and flavor of a well made raw dessert without all of the complication.

Table of Contents

Fruit Desserts

Sorbets, Ice Creams, and Sundaes

Cakes, Cookies, and Bars

Pies and Tarts

Creamy Desserts

Candy

Jennifer's Website

State your favorite raw or non raw dessert that you enjoy having during the holiday’s, this will enter you in the contest and I will call the winner in 4 days. The winner will receive one copy of Raw For Desserts courtesy of Jennifer’s publisher.

Good luck !!!!!!!!

Jennifer Cornbleet Winner !!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-09T12:06:25-04:00

I would like to thank everyone for participating in this draw !!!!!!!!! I have another one coming up very soon so even if you participated in this one you are more than welcome to get in on this and future giveaways.

The winner is Nathalie Lussier of the Raw Foods Witch

Please send me your address and I will get this book right out to you !

Flu Season Solutions

2009-10-08T18:36:35-04:00

This is the time of year when sniffles and colds are the reality for many people. However if you have been following a high raw diet you probably won't be effected by this common ailment. For the rest of us cheaters we know just how terrible cold and flu season can be.

Nourishing a cold can sometimes be frustrating because it seems that no matter what you try nothing has that work right away effect. However there are some key things that you can do to ease the symptoms and cut your cold short.

Diet has allot to play in weather you catch a cold or not, if you are following a high raw lifestyle your immune system would be so high that it would be virtually impossible for you to get sick.

Tea Therapy: Teas like Peppermint and Echinacea tea are soothing to the throat and clear congestion.

If you are running a fever try a simple blend of ice, agave and one sliced and squeezed lemon, this is a delightful way to pamper yourself.

Purchase one bag of oranges and cut some into wedges this will double as your cold fighting nutritious snack. Also each morning you can also nurse your cold by juicing three oranges.

All in all the best way to nurse a cold is by drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest.

What is your favorite flu "medicine”?

Jennifer Cornbleet is here

2009-10-03T12:21:59-04:00

Jennifer Cornbleet is an author and raw food educator who takes the complication out of raw foods and makes it easy and more assable to everyone.

How long have you been raw and what inspired you to go raw?

J: I have always loved to cook, a health director counseled me about the raw food lifestyle and by choosing to practice it I was able to see results right away and all of my acute health concerns were eliminated. I practice a high raw food lifestyle and have been doing so for 15 years now.

What is your favorite recipe to reach for when you are really feeling hungry?

J: I love to reach for recipes like zucchini noodles with my nut meatball recipe.

What inspired you to write Raw For Desserts?

J: Raw For Desserts came about because when I visited raw restaurants and tasted how amazing their desserts were I couldn’t wait to redo some of them at home in an easier way that made them accessible for everyone.

What are your favorite raw dessert?

J: My favorite raw desserts are raw cookies and cream ice cream and brownie with warm chocolate sauce.

State a tip that can help you stay raw

J: Make sure you know how to make ten different recipes that tastes great every time .

What is your favorite fruit and why?

J: It is quite hard to choose because I love fruits of all kinds, especially blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.

What is the best thing about having your book published?

J: Having your book published gives you the ability to reach so many people and enrich the quality of their lives.

Where do you think the raw food movement is headed?

J: I think that it is headed in a more mainstream direction; more and more people are agreeing that fruits and vegetables are one of the most important keys to a better life and are more open to try the raw food lifestyle.

What is your favorite raw restaurant and why?

J: My favorite raw restaurants differ depending on what city I’m in, I enjoy Café Gratitude, Pure Food and Wine and Bonobos

Raw Food Made Easy DVD review: This DVD takes you through how to cut, store and even decorate raw foods for the best dish results. Also Jennifer takes you through how to prepare simple but tasty recipes perfectly. Some dishes that she expands on are salad dressings, sushi, and how to make the best pie crusts that won't fall apart under pressure. In summary this DVD explains how to make simple raw food dishes perfectly which allows you to get a great footing so you can move on if you like into creating more detailed raw recipes.

Giveaway !!!!!!State your favorite raw dessert and I will place your name in a draw and announce the winner in 5 days. The winner will recieve one copy of Raw Food Made Easy courtesy of Jennifer's publishers.

To find out more about Jennifer and her work check out her website Here

Also Don't forget to pick up her new book Raw For Desserts

Two incomplete post and a hospitalization

2009-10-01T17:19:50-04:00

I want to apologize to the two people whose posts I completely messed up and my dear readers. I had an abrupt hospitalization and the posts that you seen were ones that I was working on but didn't get the chance to complete before they were electronically due to come out. I have something planed for you so please stay tuned because I am back!

This Weeks Best 1-2-3 Meals

2009-09-20T18:37:30-04:00

Spicy Broccoli Meal, for this meal I used a few ingredients that really made a difference olive oil, salt, chili powder,a pinch of cayanne pepper and a drizzle of maple syrup.

This pudding and I really should find another word because it sounds so nursing “homeish”. However it tastes great and it is so fluffy and airy, Brazilian nuts, frozen fruit of your choice, agave, pink salt, water and blend.

What is your favorite 123 raw meal? Lets all participate I am also learning, I showed you mine show me yours. Or at least give me a better name for pudding.

The Weekend Detox

2009-09-19T18:07:11-04:00

Inspired by the Vegetarian Times

Have you been cheating on your raw food lifestyle lately and have been experiencing the tell tale signs of unhealthy food choices? Take the weekend to get yourself back on track and start fresh on Monday! The weekend for most is a time of relaxation and rest, why not treat yourself to a two day spa like detox right in the comfort of your own home.

Wake up and sip some fresh lemon water this will activate your liver and bowels to get into detox mode.

Take an invigorating bath with a dry brush, this helps to detox the skin cells making it easier for your body to cleanse itself.

Have a non dehydrated raw breakfast like a fruit salad, smoothie or a pudding.

Listen to your favorite music and move your body.

Enjoy a hearty green salad with all your favorite add ons.

Take a nap.

On Sunday repeat everything and prepare yourself for a healthier week.

This is some great advice, using the weekend to breakup the unhealthy pattern of your week’s bad food choices helps you to make better choices for the next week.

What is your favorite detox ritual ?

Black Sapote the chocolate pudding fruit

2009-09-17T20:29:42-04:00

Photo Credit

Yes it is true you can have it that good, Black sapote is a fruit that is amazing because it tastes just like chocolate pudding and nature made it that way. Imagine no chocolate powder and no cracking open young Thai coconuts and adding agave.

Black Sapote is a fruit that grows in Mexico, the lowlands in Central America and many other tropical regions.

The pulp can be mixed with nut milk and made into a dessert drink also you can use the pulp for a quick pie filling. You can also make black sapote ice cream, or eat it just the way it is.

Share your experience with this fruit! What do you think about it?

Victoria Boutenko is here for a quick chat !

2009-09-16T17:07:00-04:00

Victoria Boutenko is a leader in the raw foods movement and a women who has revoluntized the raw food movement with her special extra green raw food sludge aka

The Green Smoothie.

This is a new series on Raw Experiences called Chatted Up,where I chat up some of your favorite raw food leaders in a quick to the point way.

"Victoria reveals that her entire family rebelled against her new raw food way of life." "And Victoria also exposes the fact that she doesn't prepare raw food meals for her family, they all eat what they make for themselves "

So lets get into it !

S.C What was your inspiration behind the green smoothie concept?

V. My inspiration was to help my family to be able to enjoy eating more greens. I was also inspired by the health and strong immunity of Chimpanzees.

S.C What makes you most proud of the work that you do?

V. I don't feel proud, I feel fortunate that I was able to find some great solutions not only for my family but for other people to be healthier.

S.C Name one thing a raw foodist can eat or do to improve their raw food lifestyle?

Green Smoothies ( I so knew that was coming)

S.C Was it hard introducing the rest of your family to a raw food lifestyle?

V. Yes, but only for a short time. They all rebelled until they tried it and could see that it worked first hand. Since then they love it.

S.C What is your favorite raw food meal?

V. Green smoothies, however its constantly changes from day to day. Today I made a delicious one with tops of radish, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro and water.

S.C Does everyone pitch in to prepare meals daily or are you the head chef in your household?

V. In my family everybody eats what they prepare for themselves. We all eat at different times

S.C Do you believe that raw foods are the cure for all diseases?

V. No, I don't. I don't know any cure for all diseases, however I have never met even one person who's health was not improved by adopting a raw food diet.

S.C What is your goal for the raw food movement?

V. My goal for my life is to stay happy by dedicating my time to the activities I enjoy the most. I trust that the raw food movement will find the best direction possible.

S.C What is one of your save the day raw food meals?

V. Green smoothies have become my main staple and favorite meal. I never get tired of it.

Thank you so much Victoria for stopping by and sharing your truth, I seriously loved 12 steps to Raw and Green for life very practical and to the point.

For all you Victoria fans she has a great new book out called Raw Family Signature Dishes that is not only step by step but is loaded with over 100 pictures. For more information and to purchase Victoria's new products check out

Her Raw Family Website

Discovering Raw Discovered Me

2009-09-16T06:10:00-04:00

Discovering raw

I am so overjoyed that someone took the time to re create one of my recipes and snap such a perfect picture. This really proves allot of things one is that this recipe truly rawks and two as a chef I’m living out my dream of sharing my passion. When Erica said that this recipe looked too good to pass up she really meant it because look at what a great Job she did at recreating it. I was so pleased when I saw it posted on her Blog , so for all of you who missed this spectacular recipe here it is and to all of you who have this issue of Purely Delicious magazine try it the coast is clear.

Here is what my fellow blogger friend had to say about her experience with my recipe.

Discovering Raw

"Onto dessert! I’ll never forget how accomplished I felt after slicing into my first homemade raw cheesecake! This Tropical cheese cake is simply too good for words; the crust is a delightful combination of almonds, shredded coconut, coconut butter, cinnamon, and raw agave, almost akin to a macaroon! The cheesecake layer is comprised of cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, agave, maple syrup, and vanilla which make for an extremely decadent and rich filling. The topping is what makes this cheesecake stand out from the rest- a mixture of fresh mango, pineapple, coconut butter, agave, and vanillacome together to create pure magic. One bite of this cheesecake, and you’ll feel like you’ve just been teleported to the Caribbean! It is absolutely divine.”

My Tropical Cheese Cake Recipe

Raw Experiences

The end of summer is soon approaching, I can hardly believe it. There are so many fruits that we won't see until next year, I have really relished my last mango of the season. This recipe of mine was featured in this years summer issue of Purely Delicious magazine, enjoy .This cheese cake is something different and a bit exotic. It tastes like a well blended pina colada infused with vanilla bean. The crust tastes like a buttery vanilla coconut macaroon. This cheese cake is perfect for a summer picnic or social gathering.

This recipe serves seven people

Crust

1 cup of almonds

1 cup of dried coconut flakes

¼ cup of coconut butter

Pinch of pink salt

¼ cup of agave

Step 1: Process almonds and dried coconut flakes until finely grounded in the food processor.

Step 2: Add coconut butter, pink salt and agave, process until everything starts to stick together.

Step 3: Pat the crust into a 10 inch removable bottom cheese cake pan. You should have some left over crust.

Filling

3 cups of cashews

1/3 cup of coconut oil

4 lemons juiced or 1/3 cup of lemon juice

1 scraped vanilla bean (best) or two table spoons of vanilla extract

1/3 cup of agave

1/3 cup of maple syrup

2 cups of water

Pinch of pink salt

Step: 1 Place all of the ingredients in the blender, blend all of the above ingredients in your blender.

Step: 2 Pour the filling into the pan while leaving room for the topping.

Step: 3 Freeze overnight or until fairly firm.

Topping

2 Large Mexican mangoes or Red mangoes

1 cup of fresh pineapple chunks

1/3 cup of coconut butter

1/3 cup of agave

Half of vanilla bean scraped (best) or 1 table spoon of vanilla extract

Pinch of pink salt

Step 1:Peel and deseed the mangos

Step 2: Place all of the ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth

Step:3 Pour the topping over the top of the frozen cake and freeze until firm or about 8 hours and serve

Africa’s multipurpose upside-downtree

2009-09-14T05:05:19-04:00

Sometimes you have to look outside of your fruit and vegetable box and expand your horizons. Check out this amazing tree, it is specifically called a Baobab tree and it is native to Africa. There are many amazing facets to this tree, so let’s get into it. !

Photo Credit

The Tree: I'ts nickname is the tree of life and for good reason it is capable of providing food, water and shelter to the human and animal inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa. This tree can store many liters of water and is tapped during droughts. It is so spectacular that it was showcased in Walt Disney's Lion King and is the centerpiece in Walt Disney's animal kingdom.

Photo credit

The Fruit: The fruit is dried into a powder that is high in many vitamins and antioxidants. It is said that it has more vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than milk.

Photo Credit

The powder can be utilized in many ways to make things like smoothies, juices, cereal bars, snacks, ice creams, jams, sauces and even teas. Also because the powder has a high pectin content it is ideal for thickening sauces and other foods.

Photo Credit

The Flowers : Are the size of saucers and attract their pollinating bat.

What do you have to say about this one ?

The Raw Food Dish Grocery List

2009-09-11T01:05:12-04:00

When you are in the supermarket and you are choosing what to buy this little handy list will help you to make some delicious choices. Share your thoughts!

Melon Fruits like cantaloupe, watermelon and honey dew are great for the skin. You can make delicious juices and drinks out of them; you can also utilize them in fruit salads, smoothies and sorbets.

Berries like strawberries, blueberries, black berries and raspberries are low fat foods; they are used extensively in raw food cuisine. You can make wonderful berry smoothies, pies, icecreams, cakes, fruit dips and sauces out of them.

Sweet Citrus fruits like oranges are full of vitamin c and are great energizers. They give a great tropical flavor when added to smoothies. You can also make raw orange soda by mixing fresh orange juice with mineral water. Frozen orange juice can make great popsicles and orange rind and juice added to raw granola gives them great flavor.

Sour Citrus fruits like lemons and limes are very ph balancing and when consumed regularly give your skin a beautiful glow. They play a very important role in providing a pop and tangy flavor to all your salad dressings, raw chesses and cheese cakes.

Mangoes- Are a very popular fruit, delicious on their own and packed with many vitamins it’s a wonder why so many raw foodist can’t get enough. You can utilize them in many ways from ice creams, cakes, pies, puddings and fruit dips.

Coconuts-are a staple food item in raw foods, especially young Thai coconuts and for good reason. The water can be added to green juices and smoothies to add a natural sweetness and to cut down the harsh flavors of green and ginger juice. The meat or jelly can be blended and dehydrated into a crepes or rice wrappers for spring rolls. When blended the meat makes raw pies smooth and airy. The jelly can also be eaten by itself as a quick delicious snack.

Apples- An all American favorite can be used to make raw apple cobbler, apple sauce, apple pie, apple juice and frozen apple Italian ices. Also chopped apples are great when added to raw granola.

Bananas-There’s nothing like a just ripe organic banana. Bananas play an important role in raw cuisine. They are excellent in smoothies especially green ones. Also you can make amazing fruit leathers with them. Banana foster smoothies, banana cream pies, and banana ice cream are all things that can be made with bananas.

2009-09-10T03:18:41-04:00

Kiwano Melon

This is a melon that has been well photographed but hasn’t been investigated thoroughly. Until now .......

Kiwano melon goes by many different names, horned melon, African melon, melano and jelly melon are all unique names that are associated with this fruit. The Kiwano melon is native to the Kalahari Desert; these particular melons are picked green and then allowed to ripen. This melon has different stages of ripeness which determines their taste. When ripe it tastes like a cross between a cucumber and kiwifruit, and when fully ripe it tastes like a banana.

The best way to enjoy this fruit is to cut it in half and suck out the insides,the seeds aren’t toxic so enjoy.

Elizabeth D'angelo