Happy Easter!

This week has really catapulted me into the "Spring Spirit," with the weather warming up, spring cleaning/packing for my move, and ending of course with family get-togethers. I brought Megan Elizabeth's famous mango-chutney to a dinner party on Saturday, and her caramel apple recipe to a party on Sunday. I had to exercise a lot of self-control to not eat the ripening mangoes on my counter all week...but waiting until they were perfectly squishy also ensured that they were perfectly sweet and ready to go. It was a HUGE hit. People couldn't stop saying, "if I could have this everyday, I would have no problem eating fruits and vegetables!" I was grinning ear to ear. I made the caramel dip for my Open House last weekend and everyone loved it, so I figured it was worth a repeat. Unfortunately, Utah has these annoying things in residential neighborhoods that I call "negative speed-bumps," basically huge dips in the road between streets that require you to slow down in order not to bottom out your car. Just a mere few hundred feet from our destination, I rolled over one of these spots unevenly with my tires and it knocked half the tray of apple bites onto the floor. Grr. Not worth getting mad about. There were still plenty to enjoy.

So sweet, made with local Fuji apples from Santaquin, UT and organic dates from the Bautista Farm in California.

My sister Sarah with her baby boy Lukas. He will be 2 years old in May.

This week things are picking up on the farm; the greenhouse is filled to the brim with seedlings, some of which have 3-5 more weeks to go, others of which need to be transplanted pronto. As we move some out, the cycle continues. This work can seem monotonous and bland to the onlooker, and it's definitely not for everyone, but being a part of something alive and nurturing it through each phase, seeing it flourish or maybe seeing it not do as well as you'd like, it is all so remarkable to me. 

If you live in Utah and are interested in participating in the CSA visit the website HERE and be sure to send them an email saying I referred you. There are still Spring shares available which start May 13th! Spring is mostly greens, then it gets into other veggies in the Summer/Fall shares. If you live in Salt Lake County or Park City then we can even deliver the shares to your doorstep. 

EasyToBeRaw e-book package!

I'm excited to announce that I am officially an affiliate for Megan Elizabeth! [It's about time :)]

If you've been following me long on here, you know that I cannot recommend her recipes enough. They are always a party pleaser, they've helped me stay raw on multiple occasions, they're insanely simple and always always delicious.
The best package to get is the e-book combo of her book "Easy To Be Raw" and "Easy To Be Raw Desserts." Click HERE to check that out.

She has also has a lifestyle book called "You In Bloom" where she goes into more detail about what she eats seasonally and what she uses for make-up/does for workouts. Click HERE to get more info on that.

No matter where you are on your health journey, her books will help you get where you are wanting to go.
Click away! ...and buy through my links :)

Sweet Papaya Salad

Hold up. Before you skip past this recipe because the main ingredient is papaya, just wait. Papaya can be a weird fruit, as in hit or miss, but even if you select a sub-par fruit, you can [usually] still make the most of it. I really think this salad will impress even the papaya-skeptics out there. Here are the ingredients [for my one massive serving]:

DRESSING
Flesh from 1/2 large Mexican papaya
[The best way to get the most fruit out of your purchase is to use a peeler to get the skin off, that way you're not wasting any flesh]
Handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado [or a whole small one]
Juice from 2 limes
AND if your papaya wasn't as sweet as you'd like, just add a date or two

SALAD
2 heads of green leaf lettuce
chopped celery
chopped cucumber
fresh sprouts
mango/papaya chunks
1/4 C of finely chopped sweet onion [optional]

Blend the dressing ingredients until at desired consistency. Mix in with salad ingredients and serve!

 

Not the greatest photo, but possibly one of the best salads I've made in a while.

Where I Buy Food

Very often people will ask me, "Where do you buy all of your food?" and there really isn't one answer to that. My lifestyle requires that I grocery shop 3-4 times per week in order to continually have fruit at different stages of ripening, including the "ready to eat" stage. Lucky for me, I genuinely enjoy shopping for food. I look for the best deals, paired with the highest quality, and 80% of the time Organic. [I have yet to find a decent argument in defense of pesticides being good for humans. Yes, Organic is important.] So I've decided to list my favorite grocery stores, beginning with the ones I frequent the most and ending with other out-of-staters that make my list. Keep in mind that in the Spring/Summer/Fall I get the majority of my vegetables from Bell Organic [the farm I work on] and I also frequent the local Farmers Markets.
Where ever you shop, I strongly advise that you make it a habit of going to the same place weekly so that you can establish a relationship with the produce workers. They will remember you [especially if you ask for a weekly box of bananas] and are more likely to strike you a deal.

Sprouts Farmer's Market [previously known as Sunflower Farmer's Market]: Unfortunately this store is located close to my old empoyer doTERRA in a different town, so I won't be going here much anymore. It is a chain that is mostly out West [Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma] and has an impressive produce section. It's conventional produce doubles the organic selection, but both are top quality and listed at competitive prices. It also gets a thumbs up because they give me a 10% case discount [ask and ye shall receive!!]. Shop there on Wednesdays for double-ads and consistently save!

Costco Wholesaler: The biggest thing Costco has going for it is its customer satisfaction guaranteed returns policy. I've cracked open a bad watermelon, brought half of it back, and gotten a full refund on multiple occasions. It's organic selection is scanty, but their organic greens are very competitively priced. They also conveniently have locations all over the country.

Harmon's Grocer: Harmon's impresses me both with their organic selection [about 50/50 conventional to organic], prices, and exotic fruit selection. They have fruits that I would usually have to go to a specialty Asian/Mexican market to find, which make a fun occasional splurge. I always end up spending more than I planned there, but their quality is matched only by Whole Foods. The workers there are unusually friendly too, and will give me a case discount if I ask.

Whole Foods: Ah, notorious for taking your "whole paycheck," Whole Foods doesn't have to live up to that standard if you go in with a clear picture of what you are going to buy. I can easily get swept away at the beautifully displayed produce and end up picking up more than I wanted, so my best advice is go in with a plan! Most of their produce is either local and/or organic, which makes it a no brainer that the quality is basically unmatched. Also exceptionally friendly service paired with nation-wide locations.

The Good Earth: This is the health food store in my area and, just in case you thought it wasn't possible, the prices here can and do occassionaly rank with the high ticket items at Whole Foods. It has a whole lot of concoctions that I used to buy as a "gourmet" raw fooder, which you couldn't pay me to eat now. In a crunch though, Good Earth has served me well.

HEB: I have a lot of family in Texas and therefore have shopped a few times at HEB. I am impressed with their produce selection [particularly their tomatoes]. I would rate it a half step down from Harmon's.

Big Y: I can't do an entry about grocery stores without paying tribute to the original Big Y. I may not live on the East Coast anymore, but this was my local store for over 15 years [pre-raw vegan]. I frequented there last summer on a trip I took and have to say that, although their food was OK [average selection of organic], it was way overpriced. After thinking about it and going to a few other grocers in the area without finding many differences, I remembered that, "Massachusetts is a lot further away from Mexico/California than Utah." Duh. So the solution to that is...move somewhere else :)

Big Changes

Welp, there are some big changes heading my/our way here in the next few weeks: Today is officially my last day of employment at doTERRA, meaning I choose to be full full time on the farm, we have buyers for our house [keep your fingers crossed], Michael is moving to Illinois to do summer sales until August, and I will be moving in with my in-laws temporarily. At the rate that life has been moving, any one of these things could change at any moment, but for now it seems solid enough for me to at least post about it.

My employment decision was strictly based on the logic of good-better-best. I've been weighing the pros and cons of staying and leaving both jobs, and this option just makes the most sense: better pay, better environment, higher job satisfaction...It is bittersweet; doTERRA has treated me well and is growing exponentially, but it's growth is also one of the factors that turns me off. In the month that I've been back, I can sense a shift in atmosphere that can only be described as being a small fish in a big pond. Maybe I didn't notice this "drowning" feeling before because I was juggling so many responsibilities, but I feel it now, and I know it's time to [amicably] part ways.

Our house has been on the market for less than a month and we have buyers! Although we are dropping our asking price, we are still walking away with a hefty sum, which is encouraging [assuming all of the paperwork goes through].

Michael is leaving in 3 weeks to go sell security systems with a group of friends in Illinois. I know this will be an excellent experience for him, and his personality plus selling something he himself would buy is definitely a recipe for success, but GOSH that's a long time. He'll come back halfway through the summer to take a trip to Yellowstone/Montana for a family reunion that we've been planning, but still. The theme of our summer is basically, "work, save, repeat."

Moving in with my in-laws is something that I've been semi-planning on since I've been back and we decided to put our house up for sale. I am looking forward to getting to know them [and them getting to know me] on a more personal level and can only hope that they don't think I'm completely off my rocker when they see how many bananas I eat in a week :)
 In all seriousness though, any chance I get to show anyone how much I truly enjoy my diet/lifestyle is a good thing. Everyone assumes that I'm deprived of all the "good things" in life, when that could not be further from the truth. I feel incredibly blessed and grateful for every bite of whatever it is I'm eating; nothing compares to knowing that you are doing no harm. To the planet, the animals, and yourself.

As for what our life holds for us come September, we really can't say yet. One day at a time...

Spring [was] in the Air

The barometer dropped last week, bringing with it snow, which proved to be a disappointing kickoff to Spring. Luckily it was my first week of full-time greenhouse work on the farm, which meant I was able to enjoy getting sweaty and dirty in 80+ degrees: soil stamping, planting, and watering the fledgling  seeds that will make up all that is Bell Organics. [Or at least the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seeds.]It was a strange and powerful feeling to be responsible for starting the seeds of something which is [to me] a huge operation.

Ahh, greenery!

I discovered this local CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] last year when my dad generously signed me up for a Summer Veggie share as a Christmas present. I started getting their newsletters and was curious when I saw a "Volunteer" link. I clicked on and negotiated with the owners that I would volunteer weekly for 2 additional fruit shares. Working the fields instantly resonated with me; I loved being a part of something so simple and yet so necessary as food creation. When I started volunteering last May, I didn't see the vegetables from seed as we were already transplanting sprouted onions, garlic, and chard. I was particularly touched last week, handling such teensy-tiny seeds that hold such magnificent potential. [Metaphor much??]

The barely-there seeds that will soon grow into flourishing veggies

This weekend I was pleased to host a fruit-luck at our house, and had a great turnout of 5 local friends who all were familiar with 80-10-10, raw vegan diet/lifestyle. That helped me tremendously as I was able to jump into telling stories from my fast without having to cover much background. There wasn't a dull moment in our [over 2 hour] conversation! It was very informal and casual [just how I wanted it to be] as we bounced questions, ideas, and stories off each other over a table of scrumptious fruit. I think it's safe to speak for everyone there that it feels great to know that we aren't alone!

What a wonderful group of health-seekers! [missing Jennifer!]

Special Thanks to my good friend Lara for leaving me with a huge bowl of extra watermelon from the party. I blended it up for a perfect post-workout meal!

You're Invited!

If you live in Utah and are interested in catching up with me in the flesh, then come to my house this Saturday, 2PM! I am hosting a Fruitluck/Open House for anyone and everyone and will be answering questions and presenting a slideshow of my time in Costa Rica. I just ask that you confirm that you're going through the event page on Facebook here. Please bring your favorite fruit so that we will have an abundance of good food!

This is open to everyone, whether you're a local raw fooder, vegan/vegetarian, or just interested in the lifestyle. I hope to see you there!

Strengths and Weaknesses

Friends, family, and acquaintances alike have frequently complimented me on one obvious strength of mine: cheerfulness. I'm not sure how or why I was blessed with this trait, but I know it's true based on my comparison of myself and the not-so-dapper attitudes of the general public. It is extremely hard for me to be outwardly expressive of feeling "down," but that's not to say that I am actually always happy, inside and out. [And if I'm outwardly unhappy, it's pretty easy to tell.] I believe that confidence paired with a clear understanding of your purpose [finding and strengthening your talents] is a big contributing factor to how you feel everyday. I've often heard that "how you see yourself is what matters most" and thought to myself, yada yada cheesy one-liner but I'm realizing more and more the truth of this statement.
Recently I started thinking of people [public figures, athletes, celebrities] that I admire and wish to emulate. Then I thought of people I know personally who I want to emulate. They all shared a common trait: the ability to objectively look at themselves, see what they need to improve, act on it, and not let others hinder their progress. The longer I'm alive, the more I believe that if you're not actively pursuing self improvement then you are actively sliding backwards. Perhaps it is a slow slide at first, hardly noticeable, but it is as true with working out: Use it or Lose it. Although only I know the truth as to whether or not I'm having a good day, I also know that Fake it 'til you Make it can apply here, so my gift of having a relentlessly positive attitude does go a long way in curbing an actual "bad day."
Who do you admire and why? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses and what are you doing everyday to change them?

Alright, enough hokey-ness for one entry :) It's time for a recipe!
I was thrilled to come home yesterday to 2 packages! One, the three Shimono peelers that Vicki got for me in Hawaii [these are still available if you are interested. Click here for more info]! And two, a set of reusable bamboo utensils that I ordered off Amazon for $3! The peelers definitely called for angel hair zucchini pasta, which was good because I was thinking on the car ride home that I was feeling pasta tonight.
I wasn't particularly feeling up to following a recipe and measuring out ingredients, so I just threw these ingredients in the Vitamix and hit ON:

50/50 roma tomatoes/celery
handful of sundried tomato and sundried celery
1/2 cheek of fresh mango
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
pinch of fresh rosemary and thyme

Mm Mmm good. The dehydrated ingredients helped soak up some of the juices of the fresh ingredients [although I still would have strained it if I made this for company] and added a nice chunky texture.
I served it over a bed of greens, angel hair pasta, with sundried mushrooms, fresh cherry tomatoes, and sprinkle of chives.

Special thanks to my parents who got me this beautiful wooden bowl for Christmas last year

The texture of the angel hair is totally different than what I'm used to with my World Cuisine Sprilizer. I loved wrapping the tiny-slimy noodles around my super-lightweight bamboo fork that offered a completely different  eating experience. I'm liking this!

The handheld noodle-maker left behind "zucchini hearts" which I normally just add to the sauce, but instead I sliced them up and stuck them in the dehydrator for 5 hours. I'll warm them up again in the dehydrator and squeeze some lemon/chives on them for a warm addition to whatever I create tonight. 

Sunday Lunch

Yesterday we had my brother in law Jay and his wife Raven over for lunch. As our first guests post-Costa Rica, I was excited to present a 3-course meal to them that maybe resembled what they consider "normal."  Days leading up to it, I was asking Michael every night at dinner, "What about this?" "Would this be a good meal to share?" "What would they think of this?" When I lose sight of what the rest of the world thinks is normal [This happens quite often. It's easy to forget that other people don't eat as many fruits and vegetables in a week as what I eat in a meal.] Michael is sure to snap me back into reality. "Um no. Too green." "Tastes good, but add more avocado. They would like that." "Zucchini noodles are okay...the sauce was too soupy." He's in touch with the demands of mainstream America.
Raven had been reading this blog regularly while I was gone so she and Jay were both familiar with what I had been doing. They were expecting me to bust out some recipes, and weren't surprised when I announced the meal: sweet mango-cilantro soup [very similar to the epic soup that I loved in Costa Rica], tacos [complete with "meat" made from Kat Green's recipe book], and for dessert, mint-date balls [from Easy To Be Raw]. We all enjoyed the sweet then savory...then very sweet meal. After lunch we enjoyed Wren Family Home Videos from 1990-93 and had some good laughs.

mango soup looking more like "Shrek" soup after I added the cilantro...don't let the color fool you!

It's still delicious!

yummy rich "donut-holes", minty fresh

The longer I am back, the more I am realizing just how active I was in Costa Rica...even all things considered with me coming off a fast I was constantly moving, walking, hiking, working out etc. Now that I've been home for a few weeks it's finally hitting me that, Hey! I'm not moving as much as I was last month! Sure, I've been working out regularly, but that doesn't compare to what my body had been acclimating to. I'm also adjusting to my food situation at home. I will write more about this calories-in calories-out conundrum and how my body has been handling the adjustment. For now suffice it to say that it hasn't been as flawless as I'd hoped, but it's also been full of successes that have not gone unnoticed. I need to remind myself sometimes that You used to be tempted by that or That usually would have been hard for you. It helps so much to have Jennelle thousands of miles away experiencing much of the same things and constantly throwing emails back and forth with her. I have more friends and resources that support me than ever before combined with strong emotional poise that I need to continually work on to sustain. 

No matter what happens, I am resolved to treat every situation that comes up with understanding, patience, and kindness...and to not stress about "what ifs" because the only moment I have control over is right now.

March Thaw

With the exception of last year [which I believe was unseasonably warm all across the country] I can't remember a time in recent history when our March has been so mild. The phrase that it "goes in like a lion and out like a lamb" rings true, except maybe it should be "in like a frisky kitty cat, out like a lamb." All snow in the valley has melted and for the last week it's been in the high 50s, getting as high as 73 F two days ago and mid 60s yesterday. I can live with this. Granted it's cooled down to the 50s today and is supposed to rain tomorrow, but let me enjoy driving with the windows down for a few days before it all goes away!

The weather outside partially doesn't matter to me for the next few weeks as much of the work to be done on the farm is in the greenhouses, ankle deep in warm, rich, fertile soil. Yesterday I transplanted a few hundred baby beet plants, carefully spacing them and "tucking them in" to their new home. Working with beets reminded me of a notoriously laborious day last fall where all I did for 6+ hours was harvest, wash, weigh, and bunch beets. It was one of the more intense days that I remember last season, so I had to smile yesterday knowing that these same beets would most likely be causing me grief in a few months...and then I thought of the delicious food I would make with them and smiled thinking, "it's all good." 

If there's one thing that the farm has taught me well, it's been that the cost of good food should be a lot more than what we see in the store. I know first-hand the hard back bending hours that go into producing such incredible crops; even with modern technology and farming equipment, it makes complete sense that organic is more expensive. What doesn't make sense is that a head of lettuce is $3 and a Jr. Whopper is $1. Don't even get me started on farm subsidies and government regulation...

The beautiful beet haul from last year-the little sprouts I planted yesterday were smaller than my pinky finger!

We have officially put our house up for sale! It is exciting and a little bittersweet at the same time, but mostly just exciting. We've only lived here for one year, but a lot has changed, including Michael looking for new work and us wanting to relocate somewhere warmer soon(ish). Salt Lake City is looking like a decent prospect for us temporarily as it is closer to the farm, but who knows where we will end up in another year. 

We are taking it one day at a time, and trying extra hard to keep the house spotless as real estate agents will randomly call us for a showing. Today we left the house for 4 hours while strangers walked through. We got a good workout in and swung by Costco before making lunch and then taking a short hike around some foothills in our backyard. I will miss the jaw dropping view of Mt. Timpanogos that we enjoy every day, but peaking around the point-in-the-mountain and knowing the bustling city that lies just on the other side is also an exciting prospect of a new start...not to mention a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods at my disposal!

Sunrise in Saratoga Springs, our backyard

As beautiful as Utah Valley is, there is also a whole new mountain range that awaits us not far in Salt Lake Valley and brings with it new hikes and rocky structures to get to know. Michael is itching to get out of state; he's only ever really lived in Utah and wants to start somewhere fresh...it might not be long until we really kiss this place goodbye... 

Tomorrow we will have Michael's brother and his wife over for lunch, which calls for another recipe post/pictures!

Ode to the Banana + A Recipe

It is common knowledge among 80-10-10ers that in order to make the diet aspect "work," it is requisite that you get sufficient calories from fruit = high volume. Depending on where you live, this is generally not very challenging...except in the winter time. As fortunate as I was to fly south for 2 of the worst months, the sub-par fruit supply that I've come home to has been cause for me to take appropriate action...stock up on bananas. Anyone who knew me from my childhood/adolescent years would think I'd gone crazy. Bananas used to be my nemesis; I couldn't even be in the room with someone eating one. If you want the story on why I used to hate this wonderful fruit, and how/why I changed, click here.

In the 3 weeks that I've been back I've bought 2 boxes [soon to be 3] and had them strategically ripening at different stages in all corners of my house. Bananas are by far the most cheap, available fruit year round; this is the second year that they've been my staple source of calories from November thru March. A box [approx. 40 lbs] can range in price from $35 [certified organic, green] to completely free ["overripe" aka perfect for consumption]. When you compare that to other calorie sources, mangoes for example, at $1.50 each, it's a no-brainer.
Bananas are best eaten ripe, which can be a confusing thing for some people. A banana is ripe when the tops and bottoms do not have a trace of green left and they've started going spotty. I like mine with a decent leopard-look going on. Too much and the sugars have turned to alcohols. Too little and the starches haven't metabolized and it just isn't sweet enough for my taste [not to mention it won't digest beautifully].

Our banana bodega in Costa Rica. Each of these plants [about 1.5-2 boxes worth] was $5.

One of the things I just love love LOVE about bananas is how versatile they are. They are the perfect on-the-go-eat-in-the-car food and it's never a problem if I have a whole box ready to eat at once, because if I can't eat them all within that window of time, I'll just store them away. I always keep at least 1 gallon freezer bag full of peeled bananas: perfect for smoothies or *my favorite* banana ice cream! With a dehydrator you can slice them up and vary how long you keep them in for different taste/textures: 3-5 hours for warm "banana bread," 6-8 hours for "banana slugs" [perfect for a slug-sub: cram as many slugs as you desire into a head of romaine lettuce and munch away], and 10-14 hours for fruit leather.

Tonight was one of those nights where I had some spare bananas lying around and was  needing to get creative about how I was going to use them...so I made banana-cream pie! There are 101 ways to make this, so don't be afraid to do something different to cater it for you.

Ingredients:

20 medjool dates
raw "meat" from 1 young thai coconut [optional]
5-6 bananas, fresh or frozen
dash of cinnamon/pure vanilla extract

Process the dates with the coconut in a food processor using the S-blade until dough-like ball forms. Smoosh into the bottom of a pie pan. Blend bananas with cinnamon and vanilla in a blender and pour into pie pan. Let stand in freezer for 2 hours or until firm. 

Like I said, there are so many ways to change this. I had coconut lying around, so I used it. You could easily make it overt-fat free and just omit the coconut, or replace it with 1/2 C pecan or walnuts. You could also make it a chocolate pie by adding a tablespoon-ish of carob. You could blend mango into the cream, or add layers of fresh sliced banana to give it more texture...the possibilities are endless!

I couldn't wait for this delight and took it out before it was totally "firm." Still good!

Gadget Deal! $30 for 3 Shimono Peelers!

While in Costa Rica, there was a set of tools that I couldn't keep my hands off of. Katy [head chef] and her mom Vicki brought with them this very special set of 3 super-sharp peelers from their home in Hawaii. A bunch of us boggled at what these tools could do...Cuts, designs, and oodles of noodles [including angel hair], lightning fast with no mess!! We asked Vicki, "Where did you get these things?!? I want one!" and diligently surfed the web for all sources of these incredible hand-held tools. Neda reported back that they are nowhere to be found online. Tear.

Vicki had bought them from a vendor at the Kilo, Hawaii Farmer's Market.
Being the awesome person that she is, she offered to take our addresses and $20 [the cost of the tools] plus $10 [shipping/thank you] and promised to mail them to us directly.
She emailed me recently to tell me that she had bought a few extras, and to ask around if anyone I know is interested! Trust me when I say that I've used a lot of tools, and these babies surpass everything in the world of speed-spiralizing/slicing. Noodles are a breeze and there is minimal clean up.

Don't believe me? Check out this mesmerizing YouTube video of these peelers in action! There is no end to what they can do...

Email me at dotwren@gmail.com if you are interested!! Feel good knowing that you are supporting a small business man in Hawaii, a dear friend of mine, and that you are getting a steal!

Weekend and a Sweet Slaw

My birthday weekend was a nice relaxing break from the norm; Michael and I went to the movies, the gym, the farm, and had friends over, accompanied with a lot of sleeping in [I'm not a fan of day light savings].

There has recently been much contemplation between us as far as our future [where we want to live, work, play, opportunities for the future etc.] which  has been cause for exciting and somewhat stressful conversation. The factor that causes the most stress is the unknown; Michael and I both just hate not knowing what's going to happen! Could someone just give us a crystal ball??

Between our long talks we [of course] ate. I made a particularly delicious dish, completely out of nowhere with the ingredients I had available to me... and Michael loved it! Whenever I get his vote of confidence on a dish, I know it's good. It is hard to make raw fruits and vegetable taste "bad" to me [Michael often jokes that every time I make something, I say it's the "best"]. Someone has probably made this before, but I'll take the credit for it this time :)

Ingredients [to feed 2-3 people, or 1 hungry raw-vegan]:

1 head of celery

1-2 cucumbers, diced

1/3 C scallions

2 C mango

3 leaves of fresh sage

dehydrated pineapple/mango bits [optional]

Pulse the head of celery in a food processor using the S-blade til fine. Blend mango and sage separately until creamy consistency. Combine the celery, cucumber, chive, and dehydrated pineapple/mango in bowl and pour mango dressing over it.

Please note: if I had been bringing this dish to a party or serving it for friends, I would have drained the celery juices after processing it [celery juices are excellent for reconstituting sundried tomato, a base for a soup, or just for drinking up!].

I wasn't expecting this to be so popular between us, or else I would have made more and taken a picture. Let me know what you think!

Feliz Cumpleaños to me!

I've been telling everyone that I'm 23 since January, but now it's for real!
My day started out right by rolling over in bed and seeing Michael, alive and awake, hovering over me [this never happens. I always get up before him.] "Happy Birthday!" Aw.

I didn't give myself much time before needing to rush off to work. The Bells [the family I work for on the farm] are leaving today for a quick 5 day vacation before the workload really explodes, so I had to get there extra early to receive instructions on feeding the chickens and watering the high-tunnels. They live right by the most incredible Harmon's Grocery Store with a wide organic selection; I swung by on my way out to pick up a few ingredients for my special birthday dinner tonight.
I packed the shares that I am responsible for tomorrow [it feels good to be a day ahead] and then loaded 28 shares into my tiny Hyundai Accent and started my delivery route. Today I was trekking all around the heart of Salt Lake with my GPS to guide me through some neighborhoods that reminded me of Massachusetts, trees and all. It's kind of nice living somewhere for so long and then discovering completely new, different looking areas. One of my stops was at a Farmer's Market store-front. I gave myself a few minutes to browse their shelves and even splurged on a cute shirt. It's my birthday! The cashier was really nice and cut me a deal on my special day.

I got done with my route early and was on the road home by 4...quick stop at Nordstrom Rack! Gotta love getting a good deal on size 2 pants...gotta love fitting into a size 2...gotta love feeling the happiest and healthiest I've ever been...Life just keeps getting better!

I called Michael on the road home to forewarn him to snack on something now as I would be taking my sweet time with dinner-prep. I came home to a beautiful bouquet of roses, and a sweet card from Miguel, which caught me completely off guard [he's generally not a flower-y kind of guy, like ever].

Flowers, birthday card, groceries, what more could I ask for?

I had fun in the kitchen getting all 4 courses ready for us! I recently bought and downloaded Kat Green's Low-Fat Raw Vegan Recipe E-Book [I highly recommend it. Completely worth it.] and couldn't decide between her carrot soup or tomato stew...so I made both! And of course I couldn't resist attempting to recreate Dr. Graham's celery slaw and stuffed mushrooms from Costa Rica, so four courses it was. It was so good. I nailed the stew. Perfection. I wasn't expecting it to be my favorite, but it was. All of it was super-duper savory and delicious. To my own surprise, I didn't eat a single mango all day! [I know better than to eat them unripe.]

We ran out of bowls, so I served the carrot soup in fancy glasses

Overall I felt extremely loved and special today, both by people reaching out to me [my phone was exploding all day!] and by creating that experience for myself on what could have been just another Thursday. Bonus: I get to celebrate all weekend! Not quite sure yet what our plans are, but it should be fun :)  I see perfectly ripened mangoes in my future!

Simpler, Low-Fat Thai Dinner

I have really been on a Thai kick lately; I love the flavors of ginger-orange and the texture of slimy zucchini noodles...which led me to modify this dish and hopefully make it more do-able for the average person out there. Also, this new dressing is thicker and not as water-y [although I think both dressings rock]. I chose to put my dressing over zucchini noodles in a bed of romaine/fresh arugula from Bell Organics [the farm I work at], but it would do just as good over any salad green of your choice.

Here are the 4 ingredients [portioned for 2-3 regular servings, or for 1 very hungry raw vegan]:

3 oranges [peeled and chopped]

4 halawy dates [1-2 medjools if that is what is available to you]
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped

pinky-size sliver of fresh ginger [I'm obsessed with ginger and I used slightly more than this and it was a little overbearing for me. Use your best judgment. You can always add more later]

Blend and serve!

I live for dinners!

The toppings I added were: sliced red pepper, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and slightly dehydrated pineapple [fresh would work beautifully as well]. Other good toppings would be: daikon radish, carrot, sprouts, cilantro, cucumber, or sesame seeds. 

Feel free to leave your comments below and tell me what you think!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog entry on my birthday dinner! It's going to be epic! 

Can't Get Enough Pad Thai!

Greetings anxious recipe seekers! I just wanted to make a quick post about a dinner that I seriously cannot make enough of. I could eat this bottomless every night for a month and never get sick of it. Although I am working on making recipes of my own, this one is totally completely credited to Megan Elizabeth. You can see her YouTube video on exactly how she made it here.
The dressing is really what makes this recipe rock, combined in the the texture of leafy greens and zucchini/cucumber noodles. This is how I [slightly] modified the dressing last night:

1/3 C coconut meat
1/3 C scallions
3 leaves of sage
1 T raw tahini
1 C tangerine juice [Michael's parents brought back a huge bag of fresh tangerine's from his grandparents in California last week. Fresh juice really makes a BIG difference here!]
1 T lemon juice
nickel size sliver of ginger root
[I didn't have any cilantro, which is what the recipe calls for, but it still turned out great]

Blend and serve over zucchini/cucumber noodles, greens, red pepper, carrot, mushroom, and cherry tomatoes

My salad had a mix of greens, including some arugula which I love and it really adds a spicy kick. The dressing will come out kind of liquid-y, and that's okay...it's more to drink up at the end of your meal!

I dove into this salad before realizing I needed to take a picture. I just couldn't hold back!

Settling In

It's officially been 1 week since I arrived back in the USA, and I have gotten completely absorbed in settling back in, to the point where I obviously haven't been writing regularly. I plan on getting back on track every day [or every other day] this week as things calm down and get less hectic [will this ever happen? I wonder...].

To follow up on our Vegas trip: we were able to lay out briefly [in 62 degrees F, so cold] at our hotel before hitting up a juice bar and Whole Foods Market and heading northbound. We did stop at In-N-Out Burger before leaving town to get Michael a cheeseburger.* Funny story here: there was a sign outside of the establishment that said, "Please, DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS For Health Reasons." I almost died laughing when I saw this. I hate walking into fast food establishments just as much as the next vegan, but this was just hilarious. I joked with Michael, "it should say, 'DO NOT FEED THE HUMANS For Health Reasons.'"

*For those of you reading who are curious about Michael's diet: He eats like me 75% of the time, is extremely supportive and has read 801010. Another 20% of the time he'll eat potatoes, rice, or some other cooked starch and 5% of the time or less he'll indulge in In-N-Out. If he eats meat this is his preference and he has gone from eating 4 patties in one sitting to only 1. He notices a dramatic decline in his athletic performance at the gym for about 24 hours after he eats meat.

We stopped in St. George to meet Tim Trader and his wife Kris! [My camera died or else I would have a picture here.] Tim interned with Dr. Graham years ago and is a big name in Natural Hygiene. They were simply glowing, completely vibrant and full of warmth and hospitality. It was wonderful to get to know them in person, to know that people "like me" [and with mutual friends] live so close, and just to have another source of knowledge to go to. We didn't stay long as we still had 4 hours of driving in front of us and it was getting late. 

We got home safe and sound around 10PM and went straight to bed. In the morning I was tickled to be able to eat breakfast with Michael; in my head I'm still on my crazy 4:30AM work schedule. I can get used to this! The farm never sleeps and I jumped right back into full-time work Wed, Thu, and Fri.

The highlight of my week was working out with Michael. I really enjoyed him pushing me to my limits, seeing where my strengths and weaknesses are, and yes, strength training with real weights [not rocks]. We alternated spotting each other on certain workouts and doing our own thing, always moving to get the most in.

We sold my old laptop and used the money to buy an Excalibur Dehydrator; I haven't been able to stop making partially dried tomatoes, oh sooo good! I had bought a dehydrator when I first went raw 2 years ago and it sucked the life out of me. I was always busy making gourmet dishes 48 hours ahead of time, trying to fill up each tray, etc. When I found out about 801010 I instantly shipped it off to my parents without thinking twice. Now I know more about food preservation, flavor, and have an arsenal of recipes that require only partially dehydrated whole foods [no crazy nut patties, combo-abombos] and I am having so much fun using my new gadget!

Sunday we went to my in-laws and celebrated all of our families' March birthdays [mine is March 7th]! It was wonderful seeing everyone and I made a deliciously simple salad with a tahini-lemon juice dressing that was a smash hit. 

Phew! So yes, I have been busy post-Costa Rica...but that is not a long-term excuse to not be blogging regularly! Keep coming back for more and I promise not to disappoint. Many more transition stories, pictures, recipes etc. coming soon!