Stocking up the Kitchen for my 28 Days of Raw & Green Smoothie Challenge

Keeping my raw kitchen stocked is the first step to success in eating raw.  As with any type of change in lifestyle as we begin to clear out the clutter we begin to fill it with items that will ultimately serve us.

To find success in your 28 Day Green Smoothie Challenge you will need to create space for all the healthy produce that you will need for at least 3-5 days at a time.

Here is what I have handy so that it is a snap to put together a green smoothie every day.
(choose organic as much as possible)

Greens 
Organic baby spinach, 1 large container
Organic mixed field greens
2 heads of romaine lettuce
1 bunch of kale, washed deveined and ready to go
Celery

Fruit
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Frozen strawberries
Frozen blueberries
Frozen raspberries
Frozen superfruit blend, black cherries, pomegranate seeds, blackberries, acai berries
Fresh or frozen pineapple
Fresh or frozen mango

Nuts and Seeds
Almonds
Hemp hearts
Flax seeds or meal
Chia seeds

Other Vegetables
Beets
Carrots

Liquids
Almond milk
Filtered water
Coconut water

Add ins
Cinnamon
Pumpkin spice blend
Cayenne
Fresh ginger
Thai young coconut meat (if available)

For more info in what I have readily have available in my raw food kitchen check out the following post at the link below.
http://rawfoodyogini.blogspot.ca/2012/06/looking-for-inspiration-take-tour-of.html

Join us on Facebeook and take part in and share your green smoothie creations in the 28 Day Green Smoothie Challenge.  You will not want to miss this as we will be posting our recipes right on the page.
www.facebook.com/RawFoodYogini

Need a Breakfast Idea? Try this!

A hardy breakfast that will keep you satisfied for hours!

Wholesome and very nutritious!

1/2 organic apple, sliced and diced to bite size pieces
1/2 organic banana, cut in half, then sliced
1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 cup sprouted buckwheat grouts
1 tablespoon organic Thompson raisins
4 raw almonds, chopped
4 walnut halves, chopped
1 tablespoon sprouted, dehydrated sunflower seeds
Cinnamon, a dash or two
Almond milk or nut milk of your choice, enough to cover.

Stir well to mix, let sit for a few minutes to allow the chia seeds to do their magic.
Re-stir and enjoy!

Handy Tips in Creating a Green Smoothie

Top 5 Tips in Making a Green Smoothie

Follow these and you will not go wrong!

1. Greens.  Start by placing 2 cups of your favourite greens into your blender. Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce etc.
2. Fruit. you have lots of options here so my general rule when making my green smoothies is no more than 1 cup of fruit.  Apples, bananas, berries, pineapple, persimmon, grapes, a mix of super fruit (pomegranate, cherries, blueberries, acai, raspberries)
3. Vegetables. Think of colour of the rainbow when adding other vegetables, red pepper, beets, carrots etc.
4. Liquid. 2 cups of water or a combination of water and nut milk, or give coconut water a try.
5. Supplements. For energy add maca, for protein add spirulina, a few nuts and seeds such as almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, chia or opt for a scoop of your favourite plant based protein powder. For boosting metabolism add a dash of cayenne pepper or a slice of fresh ginger or cinnamon. 

Join me on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RawFoodYogini, and take my 28 Day Green Smoothie Challenge starting February 1st.

Create your green masterpiece and don't forget to post and share your recipe with others so that they can enjoy it too!

Have fun rawk'n it out in your kitchen! 

Fortunata

The Raw Food Yogini

28 Day Green Smoothie Challenge

Take the challenge and join me during my 28 Days of 100% raw in enjoying a green smoothie every day!

Come on, take the challenge, and discover something new about yourself along the journey.

Keep rawk'n it out in your kitchen!

Namaste,
Fortunata
The Raw Food Yogini

Already enjoying a green smoothie a day? Then challenge yourself by eating more raw throughout the day.

Don't forget to like, post, and share your green smoothie recipe on www.facebook.com/RawFoodYogini

Here is a recipe to get you started!

2 handfuls of organic baby spinach
1 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk, home made or unsweetened store bought
2 medjool dates, pitted
1 tablespoon pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
dash or two of pumpkin spice, or cinnamon
a splash of vanilla

for added energy add maca powder and spirulina.

Blend and enjoy!

Stay posted for my list of what I have readily available in my raw food kitchen so that making raw, green, delicious, nutritious, green smoothies are easy!

Green smoothie challenge starts February 1st!

Who is joining me? State your intention on my FB page and rawk it out with a green smoothie a day, everyday, from February 1st to the 28th!

www.facebook.com/RawFoodYogini

Gearing up For my 2nd Annual 28 Days of Total Raw

February, one of the coldest month of the year here in southern Ontario and one of the hardest I find to get through.  Only 28 days but it seems like it so much l-o-n-g-e-r as we wait for the arrival of March and warmer weather.

28 Days in February

28 Days of Total Raw

28 Days of Self Discovery!

Questions that I get asked about my personal challenges of eating more raw:

When I first started eating raw, I challenged myself to eat raw fruits and vegetables at every meal, regardless of the meal as a means to eat more veggies and eat more healthy.  Before I knew it most of the items on my plate were raw.  I kept at it until, much to my surprise, my breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout most days were all raw.  Diner was contained both raw and cooked items to satisfy my cravings and also my families wants and needs.

My conclusions from last year's 28 Days of Total Raw last February and August still hold true today as my diet continues to be 80% raw 95% of the time.


Why go 100% raw for 28 Days?

Good question and one that I get asked a lot.  Did I say "a lot"?

You see it's not all about eating raw and whether I can do it or not.  It is about gaining a true understanding of Self and where I'm at on my personal journey to achieving balance.


Whats to gain?
Another good question!

When we are challenged regardless of what that challenge is, we can decide to resist and push back without being aware of this.  Creating tension, stress and anxiety (Believe me, been there, done that, and got the t-shirt, a gold medal too!), or we can accept it, surrender to the task at hand and create the balance necessary to move through it with ease. So ultimately you are gaining a better understanding of you and what balance looks and feels like.

Lets face it life is full of challenges that periodically throw us off balance and how we deal with them will ultimately determine the outcome.  Therefore, a small challenge, like going from 80% to 100% raw, teaches me, how I'm dealing with change and challenge.  It allows me to look at how change affects my interaction in the world, and what if any affects does it have towards achieving my personal goals.

Want to join me, then take my 28 day Green Smoothie challenge?

Enjoy a green smoothie every day for 28 days.  Post your recipe on my Facebook page and share it with others so that they can enjoy it as well.  I'll be right there with you as I too will be enjoying a green smoothie every day for 28 days of Total Raw.

Namaste

Keep rawk'n it out in your kitchen.
Fortunata
The Raw Food Yogini

Visit my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/RawFoodYogini.
 If you like it don't forget to share it! 

Eating Raw Doesn't have to be Complicated

The most delicious foods are the ones don't require much energy to prepare.  I like to play in my kitchen converting traditional cooked meals into raw, however on those busy days, and sometimes weeks, I just enjoy my fruits and vegetables in their natural state or close to it.  With a bit of chopping and seasoning these meals are my favourite and I find them the most tasty as well.

The bonus...lunch or diner in minutes! :)

Here are a few of my favourite meal items that I go to on busy days.

Italian Tomato Salad:
3 plum tomatoes, cut into chunky pieces
1/2 English cucumber cut in half and then sliced coarsely
1 small or half medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt to taste.

Toss together and enjoy.

Add a few slices of chilli pepper, deseeded, to give this salad a little kick! 

Lettuce Boats
4 large Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 Avocado, slices
Macadamia mayo (soaked macadamia nuts, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, white onion, Himalayan salt, blended until smooth and creamy using filtered water to thin as needed)
Plum tomatoes, sliced
Himalayan Salt

Place avocado, tomato slices, into the lettuce leaf. Season with a dash of salt,  drizzle with macadamia nut mayo, roll lengthwise and enjoy.

Delish!

Zucchini pasta with Sundried Tomato Sauce
2 medium zucchini, spriralized or use your vegetable peeler to make fettuccini strips
2 plum tomatoes, remove skins by scoring the rounded end, and place into a pot of hot water.  Allow to warm through then run a knife along the skin, peel, chop or place into a small blender such as a magic bullet and puree.
Finely slice or chop a couple of slices of sundried tomatoes and add to plum tomato sauce.  Season with sea salt, fresh basil, olive oil and add to zucchini pasta.
Drizzle with olive oil.

Easy, peasy, lemon, squeeze!

Dessert:
Fruit, plain and simple, wash peel or maybe not, depends I guess on what you are having, and enjoy!

Keep it simple and keep rawk'n it out in your kitchen!

Chocolate Coconut & Chia Pudding

Can you tell from the picture below that the Coconut Chocolate Chia Pudding was a big hit!

Coconut Chocolate Chia Pudding

1/3 cup chia seeds soaked in 1 cup coconut water
+ extra coconut water for thinning.
1/2 cup coconut meat, from fresh young Thai coconut
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons agave, add more if you like your puddings sweet

*Dash or two cayenne pepper for that added kick (optional)

Soak chia seeds in 1 cup coconut water till gelatinous (5-10 min) stirring occasionally to prevent them from clumping.

Pour chia seeds into your high speed blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend adding additional coconut water if too thick.  Blend until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

Pour into your favourite dessert cups or glasses and place in refrigerator to set or go ahead and enjoy.

Keep rawk'n it out in your kitchen!

Almost Raw Roasted Red Pepper Soup

During the cold winter months we all crave something warm and hearty.  One of my favourites is a roasted red pepper soup that you can whip up in no time.  Excellent on those busy days!

Almost Raw Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
6 plum tomatoes, deseeded if you are not using a vitamix 
4 sun dried tomato halves or 1/4 cup
2 red peppers
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
Nutritional yeast (optional)
Filtered water to thin if required

Makes 2 servings

Cut peppers into quarters, deseed and place on a baking sheet. Broil skin side up until skin is charred. Keep our eye on them for it doesn’t take long to get to this point.

Place in a covered bowl and allow the skins to soften. Peel and set aside

Add all ingredients except for olive oil in vitamix and blend on high till warm to touch. If not using a vitamix, blend until smooth, pour soup into a pot and warm on stove top until warm to touch.

Pour into your favorite warmed soup bowls, top with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and some fresh cracked black pepper.

For added goodness sprinkle a few pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or pine nuts on top. Keep rawk’n it out in your kitchen! 

Almost Raw-Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Thai Young Coconuts! Wahoo

It's Friday and my day to play in my raw food kitchen.  I can't believe our local small grocery store is going to have thai young coconuts in this week.  3 guesses where I'm going today?  I wonder if they will sell me a case? He he he he.

I think I freak the produce guy out every time I go in there to pick up exotic fruits and veggies that no one else seems to know what they are and how to enjoy them.

For example persimmons...couldn't find them anywhere so when I asked him where could I find them. His response, "no one around here knows that they are so we just leave them in the refrigerator."

Really....come on...if you leave them where no one will see them, then they will really never know what they are and how good they taste.

I'm dreaming of coconut chia pudding, coconut smoothies, coconut manicotti wraps, macaroons.....

Gotta run!

Check back later I'll be posting a recipe for an almost raw roasted red pepper soup, perfect for a cold winters day.

Keep rawk'n it out in your kitchen!
Cheers!

Strawberry Vanilla Delight

Strawberries and vanilla makes this green smoothie a dreamy delight.

It's one of my favourite go to recipes, especially when I find fresh strawberries at the market.

1.5 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1 large handful of baby organic spinach
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
12 raw almonds, soaked if you have them
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave
1.5 cups filtered water

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Great for breakfast or as a mid afternoon treat!

Top 3 Questions I Get Asked on a Regular Basis

Meals have been light since my cleanse last week and  I'm just starting to incorporate some cooked food back into my diet.  Mostly lentils and beans, quinoa, and such.   Although I do go 100% raw during cleanses and a few times of  the year, I do follow an 80% raw diet most of the time.  That is something that I find personally works for me.  Everyone of us is different and understanding what works for you is key in any type of lifestyle you choose.  

I thought today I would address my top 3 most asked questions about eating raw.

Q. Don't you feel hungry during a cleanse or eating raw?
A. Plain and simple the answer is no.  I think a lot of people associate cleanses with not eating at all and just consuming large amounts of liquids.  The 3 day cleanses that I do every season consist of eating clean.  Lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day in smoothies, in salads, and in juices.  Handful of nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts in particular are my favourites) throughout the day as well or when needed.  I eat till I'm satisfied and if I am planning to be very active on a particular day then I take fruit, nuts and seeds with me to satisfy my energy needs.

Q. Where are you getting your proteins from?
A.  Leafy greens such as kale and spinach are rich protein sources, I do eat a lot of both.  Other veggies high on the protein scale are beets, broccoli sprouts, as well as nuts and seeds.  Fruits such as avocados, dried apricots, dried figs are good too.  Hemp hearts, chia seeds, make their way into my day as well, which are great sources of protein and omega-3s. Quinoa, beans and lentils all good sources of protein as well.

More information on protein content can be found on the USDA website or at this link: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR17/wtrank/sr17a203.pdf

Q. Do you take a multivitamin?
A. I do take a multivitamin at times to ensure I am getting everything my body requires for good health.   Especially during the winter months.

Hope this information helps anyone who is considering adding more raw into their day!

Happy Monday everyone!

No Room in my Schedule Today!

Day 2 of the new year and my schedule is full.  No time to prepare food today and play in my raw food kitchen.  So a little organization last night makes an easier day today.

To make my day a little lighter I planned and prepped my meals last night except for breakfast. All that is left to do throughout the day today is to open my refrigerator, or my lunch bag and grab my meal

Keeping it simple and yummy today with my favourite fruit bowl for breakfast, large kale salad topped with lots of veggies and walnut pieces to go and a 50% raw dinner of a medley of fresh raw chopped vegetables with couscous dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Keeping snacks very simple, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit!

Have a raw-some day everyone!

January 1, 2013~ To New Beginnings

2013

A new beginning with renewed intentions to gain more energy, clarity, and vitality!

Cheers to a very healthy new year.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Fortunata
The Raw Food Yogini