Chocolate Mint Smoothie and Moving Day!

Well, the day is fast approaching.... Moving Day!!! I have been planning/sweating/dreading/dreaming about this day for months. This friday, it will be here.

This will be my last post for awhile, I won't have internet access for a bit, and I'm sure that I will have lots of other things on my plate to keep me occupied!!!

And for those who are wondering, from the responses on my previous post, my "green" chocolate Mint smoothie goes something like this:

I add two bananas, fresh mint (usually a lot, I like mint - about 12-15 leaves and stem), crushed ice, water, 1-2 tsp cacao powder (easy on this one, too much is yuck) and spinach, and blend away.

I have to thank The Raw Diva's Green Smoothie Challenge for that recipe!

Rosie, hope yours was delicious! The one on the prior post, I added coconut butter to it (the white stuff), but I don't think I would do that again, I didn't like it very mucch.

My Lightbulb Smoothie Moment

This has been my breakfast all week, my green chocolate-mint smoothie.

I had my own little light bulb moment yesterday. It happened when I read Angela Stokes blog (I had just recently subscribed to it, so it just appeared in my inbox!).

I took a look at her daily intake of food/juice/etc. I have been noticing a lot lately, with my own diet, that if I do not make an effort to include the greens (smoothies or juice), I don’t feel as well as I could (less energy, etc.).

I have to admit, it takes a lot to eat all the greens that you need in a day, and I do find that I often "grab and go", like the banana, strawberries and nuts, making the "green" intake somewhat more of a challenge. I think that has always been my challenge with the raw food.

If I look at the daily intake of raw food, for this highly successful raw foodist, I notice that a lot of her green intake is done via juices. After reading "Green for Life", I know that it is hard for our bodies to process and break down the greens that we eat without proper chewing, and that green juices and green smoothies are the best way for our bodies to absorb these nutrients.

But for some reason, it took reading the blog, and reading the daily intake for the light bulb to go off.

So, more green smoothies and green juice, here we come..... Sometimes it takes me awhile!

Thanks to Rosie for referring to me in her blog!!! I'm glad you are feeling better, and would love to compare notes when the pollen flies!

Marinated Mushrooms

I tried a wonderful recipe (and easy too) this past weekend. It was from Gone Raw.

Mushrooms are one of my favorite things, raw or cooked, and a raw marinated mushroom is something that definitely worth the little effort it takes to prepare.

I simply put the mushrooms in a glass dish and covered with the marinate, and enjoyed in the evening. Two marinated mushrooms was too much to eat, so I enjoyed the smaller one for lunch the next day. Definitely better than any steak that I have eaten!

I love Gone Raw when I am in need of a new recipe. It is really worth a look. I like to look there when I am looking for something that I think the kids will eat (although the mushrooms where totally for my benefit!)

This recipe is one that has made its way into my "Raw Recipe Binder". Yes, I finally got around to making one!

Good Clean Living....

In January, I took my oldest to see "Mamma Mia" as part of her Christmas gift. Last night, I took my two youngest girls and my sister to see Avril, as part of their Christmas Gift.

I have been nursing a cold over the weekend (hence the post about the French Vanilla and the sore throat). Yesterday morning, I woke up with the cold finding its way into my sinuses and giving me a nice sinus headache for the day. Thankfully it didn't last the whole day, and by 5:30, we were on the road for Toronto, strawberries and bananas and water bottles in hand!

I did really enjoy the show, I do like her music and to see my girls having such a fun time was "priceless". We got back home about 11:00 last night.

So, this is where the good clean living comes in.... I have been very, very tired all weekend long. I have been sleeping in late, taking naps in the afternoon, and still tucking myself in bed by about 9:00. Yesterday at work, someone even commented that I looked tired.

As I was getting ready for work this morning (and of course, I had very little sleep last night), I was putting on my eye make-up and noticed... no bags... hey, thats strange..... I fully expected to see large bags under my eyes due to the cold and lack of sleep, but nope, nodda!

The only thing I can pin that one on is "good clean living"... thank goodness for those bananas and strawberries!

Hello, my name is Kathy....

... and I am an addict. I am addicted to comfort food. Every time I get a cold, I want a Tim Hortons French Vanilla to soothe the sore throat. When I am feeling down, I want a McDonalds Cheeseburger. When I have had an upsetting day, I want Ice Cream. When I eat out at a nice restaurant, I want cheesecake for dessert... the list could go on and on... Nothing makes this more apparent than raw food. I can compare raw food to smoking (as a former smoker). When you are smoking, your body is so used to the ill effects, that you no longer notice anything wrong. It isn’t until you quit smoking, and even then the return to "normal" is so gradual, that you do not notice too much good being done to your body, only the bad (withdrawal). It is when you break down, and you have that first cigarette after being smoke-free for a period of time, that your body informs you that it isn’t good for you. I remember trying to quit, and when I would return to smoking, that first cigarette caused my lungs to hurt, gave me a head-rush and made me feel sick to my stomach. However, I also remembering finishing that same cigarette, and grabbing for the next, as I was a nicotine junkie. I have been smoke free for three years now, and glad for it. I can use this in order to relate to another addiction; in this case food. It is much the same with raw food. It is hard for the first few days, your body craves the carbohydrates and sugars, then after you are done with the initial cravings, you feel great. Your body feels an amazing well being. It is something that has to be experienced in order to truly understand, much like quitting smoking. Then, the thought of the ice cream at the end of an upsetting day pops up; and you think, "well, I’ve been so good, what harm is a tiny bit of ice cream going to do?" That is when your body truly lets you know that raw food is superior (if you surrender to the ice cream). You begin to feel rotten. In my case I get a stomach ache, and I pay for it for the next few hours (I’m convinced that I am somewhat lactose intolerant). And, just like an addiction, the thought of the comfort outweighs the thought of the consequence the next time around. Not only will I attack the ice cream again, but I will think, "oh well, I’m being bad, lets see how MUCH ice cream I can consume before I start to feel sick"... sick is the right word here.... So, I have come to admit, totally with the help of raw food, that I am an addict. Some days I wish that I was addicted to lettuce or celery. But some days I think I am... When I don’t juice for awhile, I crave the carrots and celery, my body actually misses it... but much in the same way it will forget it just as quickly if I make bad food choices. Luckily there is help out there! I have ordered the Raw Divas Guide to Cravings and Emotional Eating and in between packing and yard cleaning, diving into this program is how I intend to spend a good part of my weekend. I am also hoping to go to Chapters and look for Victoria Boutenko’s "12 Steps to Raw Foods" which I hear deals with some of these issues as well. Wish me luck... I am an addict....

I love Shopping!

Especially when it involves raw chocolate and new tankies!

I ordered from Alissa Cohen’s Raw Food Store, and as usual, the package arrived in record time! I can’t wait to start non-baking with the raw coconut and coconut butter, and of course, I have already been enjoying the peppermint truffles!

I can’t wait to wear my new tankie. Of course, if this "deep freeze" doesn’t end soon, I just might have to wear it around the house as jammies for awhile! The next time I order from Alissa Cohen’s Raw Food Store, I just might sneak a Tote Bag in. There is a cute picture of Heathy with her Cherry Tote in this post (maybe if I get the tote, the trip to Bahamas will follow!)

I absolutely love Alissa’s book. It was one of the first things I bought on my raw journey, and highly recommend it. My friend Elizabeth also recommends Victoria Boutenko’s "12-Steps to Raw Foods". I think I will have to add that one to my "book wish list" for the next time Chris and I go to Chapters. I keep imagining a big bookshelf in my new kitchen for all the Raw Food Books that I am enjoying so much! I know that is a dream that I can soon make a reality.

Well, I guess I’m not the "fooling around" type. I missed the perfect opportunity yesterday and didn’t pull any April Fool’s Jokes. I liked Shannon’s, but I especially liked all the responses to her "Oops"! I even fell victim to a few April Fool’s jokes myself. Next year I will be better prepared.