Kabobs

My Nan, mom and I decided we'd have a little barbeque just the three of us and it turned out quite well. We're very capable of doing these things by ourselves....we only burned a few of the kabobs :) But really it turned out great, we did a bunch of veggie ones and then a few with scallops! My mom got really creative and also wrapped some cauliflower in foil and then threw it on the grill. We over cooked that a bit too, they were very mushy but she enjoyed them. We served the kabobs with quinoa, which we all love and it was delicious! The weather was perfect we sat outside on the patio and watched the sun go down.

You'll need...
-Zuchinni
-mini yellow onions
-cherry tomatoes
-mushrooms
-scallops
-balsamic vinegar
-dried basil, oregano and thyme
Slice zuchinni in big chuncks and peel the onions. Toss everything in a bowl with balsamic vinegar, dried basil, oregano and thyme. Then stick them on the kabobs and throw them on the grill. Watch them because they don't take too long, 15 minutes or so and they burned quickly once there done.

Barbequeing doesn't always require boys ;)
<3 Dani

Kale Chips

Ever since I got a dehydrater for Christmas, kale chips have become one of my favorite raw snacks. There so crispy and you can add any of your favorite spices, I like curry the best. They do take a bit of time to dry out though but it's worth the wait!
TO MAKE:
1) Take a head of curly kale, de-stem and rip into bite size pieces.
2) In a large bowl, add some sort of liquid, any oil, bragg's, or lemon will work. You could also use balsamic, red wine or apple cider vinegar also.
3) Add spices like curry, dill, basil, or nutritional yeast.
4) Toss well to coat and layer on dehydrater trays.
5) Set temperature on 115 degrees for no more than an hour and then lower to 105 degrees for the remaining three or four hours or until crispy.

Enjoy, and be careful they go fast so make a lot! My favorite combination is bragg's and lemon with curry powder. But the possibilities are endless, mix and match and find your favorite. If they are completely dry they can be stored in an airtight container and will last a week or so.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
<3 Dani

Juicing

Juicing is one of the most beneficial things you could do for your health. Really, my mom and I both began juicing the day I read The Hallelujah Diet and experienced a lot of healing. We were both dealing with a lot of illness at the time. To this day we both continue to juice and have really grown to love it.

The Benefits
The amount of vitamins and minerals your body can readily absorb when you drink freshly extracted vegetables juices nourishes your body more than any solid foods. The process of digestion can be difficult for our bodies especially if you've chosen less nutritional foods as the main part of your diet for the last few years. But with juicing your body bypasses digestion and can simply absorb all of the nutrients at the cellular level. This is where diseases and illness reside so with juicing your providing your body with nutrients at the level needed most and when your body doesn't have to work to get those nutrients it can begin to heal and become stronger.
Juicing works wonders to build up your immune system and help your body defend itself against foreign invaders. Juicing provides your body with living enzymes and phytochemicals which are necessary to help fight off disease. The National Cancer Institute found that phytochemicals are one of the most powerful forces to help keep away and even cure cancer. Pretty impressive, huh? This juicing thing is for real guys!
Now, this is no way replaces the vegetables you need to be eating everyday because the fiber in those foods is also essential to your health. The National Cancer institute recommends 5 servings of vegetables a day and sadly Americans get only 1 and 1/2, please do your body right and eat your veggies!

What to Juice
Start with carrot juice and allow your taste buds to adjust, trust me they will begin to love carrot juice! You can also add some apple or orange if necessary at the beginning. But you want to be careful with fruit juices because they can spike your insulin levels. After awhile add in another vegetables to a carrot juice base such as celery, romaine lettuce, cilantro, beets, spinach, chard, broccoli. The list is endless really, get creative! Wheat grass shots are great as well, which is pictured here. It's harder to juice and takes longer but once in awhile it's a nice change to the usual vegetable juice.

Purchasing your Juicer
Investing in a juice may seem expensive but it's well worth it. My mom and I went cheap and bought the Jack O'Lane juicer. After about a week we returned it and bought the Champion juicer, which I recommend, it's easier to clean and can juice greens a lot better. It also grinds nuts to make nut butter, grains to make flours, and frozen fruits to make sorbet!

<3 Dani
p.s. My brother even drinks carrot juice now!

The Ultimate Stew

I have been wanting to make this stew from The Hallelujah Diet forever, it contains all these great grains and vegetables! I know it's not very pretty but it tastes great! It's flavored with marinara sauce, I made Ani Phyo's Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara which is fantastic but you could use any store bought marinara as well. Be prepared that the stew takes a long time to cook because of all the grains, I started two hours before dinner. You'll need to be around to stir it every once and awhile but other than that you can just let it simmer for an hour and half to two hours. It makes 8-10 cups so it serves a lot! I ended up freezing most of it to save for later.

Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara
2 C tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 C fresh basil leaves
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
1 t date
1 t oregano, fresh or dried
1/2 t rosemary, fresh or dried
1 t sea salt
3 T sun-dried tomatoes
Blend all ingredients in a food processor.

The Ultimate Stew
water
marinara sauce
1 t olive oil
1 C split peas
3/4 C lentils
1/3 C millet
1/3 C barley
1/3 C buckwheat
1/4 C rice
1 t curry powder
2 potatoes
1 onion
2 large carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 zucchini
1 1/2 C broccoli florets
3 garlic cloves
1/4 t cayenne pepper
herbs of your choice (such as oregano, cumin, parsley, thyme)

Begin by boiling a large pot of water, I started with 7 cups to boil. Add in the oil, split peas, lentils, millet, barley, buckwheat, brown rice and curry powder. Once boiling, lower heat to bring to a simmer. The grains will need at least an hour and half to cook fully.
While the grains are cooking begin chopping the vegetables. I added the vegetables in after the stew had cooked for about 45 minutes. The stew is meant to be thick but you might need to add more water when adding in all the vegetables. Throw in the garlic and other herbs. Don't be shy adding in herbs!
Be sure to not add too much though because you will be adding the tomato sauce in at the very end. I used the whole of Ani's recipe which is probably about 2 cups. This is where the stew gets all it's flavor, so be sure to use a good marinara! Stirring throughout the cooking time will prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Enjoy, it's delicious!
<3 Dani

Sesame Maple Roasted Tofu Stir-Fry

Dani found this tofu recipe for me at the local coop in Goleta. I have never baked tofu before so I was excited to see how it turned out.

Here's what you'll need:
1 16 oz package extra firm tofu cut into one inch cubes
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 medium red onion
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbs sesame seed

What to do:
1. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels, whisk tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup and vinegar until combined. Marinate the tofu for a while in this mixture
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
3. Toss the marinated tofu, onion, olive oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl
4. Spread the tofu mixture on a large baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown on the outside.
5. All done!

I ate it on top of brown rice and chard, but you could have it with quinoa, tossed in an asian pasta, or even on a sandwich!!



Love, Bianca

Lavender

I love lavender and have been dying to do something crafty with it. I was planning on making some lavender sachets for my dresser drawers but have not gotten around to it yet. Last week at the farmers market I discovered a stand that had all sorts of lavender goodies. I bought a big hunk of dried lavender and put it all around our room in cute little vases. This is such a fun and cute way to make your room smell super good. Try and it let me know any creative ways you have discovered to use dried lavender!

Love,
Bianca

God has really been reminding me lately how valuable our bodies are. We've been given bodies that are wonderfully and beautifully made and it is our responsibility to take care of them.

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

I think it's easy to loose sight of what constitutes "healthy eating" with all of the conflicting information regarding nutrition in the media and the overwhelming amount of processed foods in our grocery stores. But God made it so simple. Whole foods, the foods He himself created from the beginning are to be the main components of our diet.

"And God said, 'See I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." Genesis 1:29

A diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts is the best possible way to properly nourish you body. And large component of these food groups should be eaten raw, not heating them over 106 degrees, in order to maintain enzymes for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. I continually hear people asking me if this diet is more expensive. I haven't calculated it out but I haven't noticed any dramatic difference and if we believe in a God who provides all things then what is a few dollars more every week? More importantly, your health is going to cost you a whole lot more in doctors visits and pharmaceutical drugs when your diet catches up with you. I'm not trying to sound harsh but the reality is that diet is a huge component towards better health and I think it's time people wake up to that fact.

"My people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

For 20 years I thought I was eating normally when in fact my diet contained little of the foods God made for me to consume. I understand that many people do not know what it means to be healthy or where to begin. I've listed some sources below that have taught me so much about health and proper nutrition. This diet is not difficult, God has grace for you to be able to do this, it's possible for anyone and He will bless you for turning to Him with your health.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31


Books:
The Hallelujah Diet by George Malkmus
The China Study by Dr. Collin T. Campbell
www.hacres.com

Applesauce

As soon as I started eating raw I created this amazing raw applesauce that has become one of Bianca and I's favorite breakfasts! It's really easy and there are so many great variations it's hard to get tired of.

The Original Applesauce Recipe:
1 large apple, or 2 small
2 T ground raw flax seeds
1/2 t cinnamon
Process in a Cuisinart, adding a little bit of water accordingly to create a thick but thoroughly blended mixture.

Variations:
-Alternate between golden and brown flax seeds, the golden seeds have a much nuttier taste.
-Blend in additional fruits such as persimmon, apricot, pear, cherimoya, or kiwi. Hachiya persimmons are my absolute favorite! Remove cinnamon in all combinations except pear.
-Top with sliced or chopped fruit such as bananas, strawberries, raspberries, or peaches.
-Soak dried goji berries, drain and add to the mixture before processing.
-Remove cinnamon and add stevia.
-Add nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
Flax seeds have so many wonderful benefits and have been used for thousands of years. The seeds can also be eaten whole but they can't be digested that way so you miss out on the fiber, protein and essential fatty acids they have to offer. The seeds are easily ground in a coffee grinder if you buy whole but they can also be bought already ground as flax seed meal. I recommend buying whole to maintain the most nutrients. Store whole and ground seeds in the freezer as they last longest that way.

Please try this one and let me know what your favorite combination is!
<3 Dani

Shredded Zucchini Salad

I love discovering new simple salad ideas that are just so great. Shredding vegetables adds variety and different texture to salads. Here I shredded zucchini and layered it over chopped romaine lettuce. Sliced some tomatoes, avocados, and green onions, drizzled Bragg's and lemon juice for dressing, then topped it off with some raw sesame seeds. Delicious!

Enjoy!
<3 Dani

Real Food Daily

Bianca and I had a fabulous weekend in LA browsing the Getty on Saturday and running the Santa Monica Classic on Sunday. But the most delicious part was dining at the best organic vegan cuisine in the city, the Real Food Daily. This place is great guys, the environment is friendly and the food is spectacular. Any non-vegan would walk out happy too!



Bianca always changes what she orders at the last minute and really likes to get the waiter's opinion. Her requests were for something delicious and filling. The Supreme Burrito dry perfectly hit the spot. I ordered the Pizza You Can Eat-za. The herb corn meal crusted pizza was topped with sun-dried tomato pesto, spinach and basil. The best part was the melted mozzarella and cashew cheeses. Millie, our LA local who housed us for the night always orders the Grilled Veggie Wrap with tofu but Bianca told her to switch things up and she ordered the El Bandito Rojo instead. Our other local friend, Cassie took Millie's advice to order the veggie wrap and loved it...and she's not even vegan.

Now for the best part, the Real Food Daily has a Bakery right next door! We ordered three dishes and all dug in; the German Chocolate Cake, the Banana Crunch Cake and the Double-Layer Chocolate Cake, which was gluten free but probably one of the best desserts I have ever had.
It was around this time in the night that we discovered the sad fact that we're all single...we laughed at the sight of the four of us single ladies stuffing our faces with chocolate cake and banana pie. Our extravagant Saturday night was forced to come to an early end since we had to be ready for the Classic the next morning. Really, it was quite the ladies night out :)
This restaurant is fabulous, if you are ever in LA you must stop here!
<3 Dani

Baby Bok Choy

I have really taken to the Asian vegetables at the Farmer's market. I buy almost all of my produce at their stand now. Anyways, I've been trying different things and I decided to grab some baby bok choy. I had totally planned to cook it and then at the last minute I chopped it up and created a delicious salad! I had never really even had bok choy before and now I love it!

Baby Bok Choy Salad

5-6 baby bok choys
1 shredded carrot
2 green onions
1/2 avocado
T chopped fresh ginger
lemon juice from half a lemon
splash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Chop up the bok choy, leaves and heads. Throw in thinly slice green onions and carrot. Add in avocado and chopped up ginger. Squeeze in the lemon juice and splash with Bragg's. Toss well in a bowl mashing in avocado well. Top with sesame seeds.

Delicious, enjoy!
<3 Dani

Doughnut Holes

Probably surprised to see a post called doughnut holes, but really these raw treats are so delicious! Ani Phyo certainly knows how to do great raw desserts, this recipe is taken out of her book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. This is a great book if you're wanting to venture into raw foods, the recipes are simple and she does a great job explaining the benefits of a raw diet.

Dreaming about Donut Holes
1 3/4 C raw almonds
1/2 t sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 T vanilla extract
2 C dried pineapple, chopped
2 C pitted dates
1/3 C shredded coconut

You can soak the nuts before, I like to because it increases digestibility but Ani's recipe doesn't require it. In a food processor, grind almonds, salt and vanilla. Next, add in chopped pineapple and dates and blend well. Mix in the coconut by hand. Using an ice cream scooper or spoon form donut holes out of the mixture. You can refrigerate them or freeze them like I do, there so much better really cold. If you soaked the nuts, the mixture will be creamier and you will most likely want to freeze them so they harden.

Optional: Roll the donut holes in shredded coconut after they've been shaped.

Love, Dani

p.s. I prefer 'doughnut' over 'donut' because it just looks so much more doughy and therefore makes a better treat :)

Toiling, Pruning and Picking

Trav and I had a great Mother's day down in Rancho with our Nan. We spent a lot of our time working in the backyard, gardening, planting tomatoes, picking citrus fruits and pruning the peach tree. God never ceases to amaze me with His creation and how beautifully it illustrates so much about His character and relationship with us.

My Nan always plants tomatoes around this time each year. She bought seven little plants and was waiting to plant them until I came up. Trav was in charge of the weeding and placing the little guys in each of the wholes Nan had dug. I'm fairly positive this was his first time in any garden :) Nan put me in charge of patting down the soil and then digging a little mote around each one to keep the water around the roots. As my Nan was watering the plants, my brother kept saying, "I think that's enough, I think that's enough!" As if he knows anything about watering plants...but the crazy thing is that the plants really need a lot of water to grow. This is their life source; without it they grow dry and weary and eventually fade away. This is how much we need our source of life, JESUS, everyday! And it's so evident that we think we're doing fine and we don't need more, but we can NEVER have enough of Him! Ah, He is so good to overflow our cup and let His living water flow through us. "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

Now, the pruning, OMIGOSH did He show me so much about the importance of pruning. My Nan has a little tiny peach tree but it seriously must have thousands of little green peaches growing. Now, if we simply left it like that and allowed it to do it's own thing they would never be able to grow or produce any fruit at all. JUST LIKE US! We need pruning in order to be able to bear good fruit for the kingdom. We're completely incapable with out God teaching us lessons and bearing up through hard times. Even more, I realized how difficult it is for him to prune us! Pruning the tree was anything but easy for me guys, I was having such a hard time picking off the little green peaches and just throwing them away. I didn't really want to at all, but my Nan kept saying we had to for the sake of the peaches. This is such a picture of His heart for us, He doesn't want us to suffer or struggle but it has to be done for the sake of bigger and better things to come! It's because of His deep deep love for us that He does it. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit." John 15:2


My Nan has a courtyard with around ten or so rose bushes that are beginning to bloom. The colors we're just radiant! Now really, who can look at these and not stand in awe at how truly beautiful God's creation is.

And for the citrus fruits. Trav was needed for reaching the highest of oranges and he helped gather some lemons. He was so helpful today :)

Hope you had a blessed Mother's Day!
<3 Dani

Hand-Made Sushi

I have been wanting to make sushi ever since Bianca and her family had such a success with trying it over Christmas break. So finally, during our weekly dinner with our friends Emma and Erin we gave it a shot. It was actually really fun, laughing at each as the rolls fell apart all over the place. We sort of ate the whole roll like a burrito, without slicing it at all, it was hilarious. Bianca certainly had the upper hand and the rest of us needed serious help throughout the rolling up process. Once you get the hang of it though, it's not that bad.

What you'll need:
-brown rice, cooked with a little bit more water because it needs to be sticky
-a bowl of water to dip your hands in with working with the rice
-sushi maker, we used a magazine inside of a big zip lock bag, We get creative, I know :)
-a sharp knife to slice the sushi rolls into pieces
-plenty of julienned veggies, we used carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers
-lots of avocado!
-freshly pickled ginger
-dipping sauce, we used Bragg's, tamari or soy would work also
-chop sticks, we'll we tried to use them :)
-seaweed paper

To make sushi:
STEP 1: Place seaweed on top of your sushi-maker. Layer a good amount of rice on top of the seaweed, spreading evenly. The rice needs to go to the sides of the seaweed but leave about an inch at the top.
STEP 2: Layer the vegetables and the avocado on top of the rice, all the way to the sides again.
STEP 3: Now, this is the tricky part. Wet the last inch of the seaweed that doesn't have rice. Grabbing the end of the rice paper closest to you with your sushi maker, fold over and attempt to land directly where the rice ends and inch before the end of seaweed. You need that last inch of the seaweed to roll over the sushi and stick to the outside, securely holding it together. It's going to feel awkward but in order to do this you simply continue rolling and rolling with the sushi maker. Un-roll and wallah!

This is really fun to do with friends!
<3 Dani

Double Decker Veggiewich

Bianca came home the other day starving, or should we say completely ravenous. This is not uncommon around here and I know that I'm known for exaggerating but really I'm not. We've all learned the ways of Bianca and when she's hungry, she is H-U-N-G-A-R-Y. So in a matter of a couple minutes she created this masterpiece and it hit the spot...just perfectly :)

To start you must have on hand Bianca's infamous hummus which I can not believe I have not shared with you until now.
Recipe:
1 C cooked or canned garbanzo beans
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
2 t cumin
2 T tahini
1 clove of garlic
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.

Spread hummus on sprouted wheat bread. Layer thinly sliced cucumber, tomato and bell peppers on one half, stuff the other half with sprouts and top with a think layer of avocado.

I dare you try it!
;) Dani