Our first Snow of the season

Hello Every one,
A blizzard left us with a thick blanket of snow. The day after was very quiet.


Our complex just planted this cute little tree for the holiday, the strong winds almost knocked it over.



The morning scene was people performing balancing acts, and carry multiple plastic bags from the super market.


The streets were better underfoot.


Until I can afford garage space......I'm not getting a car. I don't feature myself struggling to get my car out or searching for it or finding it buried under piles of snow.


I found a path in the sidewalk, finally.




Today I wanted to increase on my green intake. Preparing a spinach and avocado soup was perfect. This recipe comes from a new book on the market,"Health Journey" by Lillian R. Butler and Eddie D. Robinson.

SPINACH AVOCADO SOUP - (6 Servings)
5 cups filtered water
2cups spinach
1/2 avocado
1 cup soaked cashews
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth and creamy. Taste. Adjust flavors as needed. Serve.
Enjoy.
Note: Soups are a huge part of a live food diet. It is important to try different recipes to find the flavors you like. Soups are great for a quick nutritious meal.

Here's the scoop on Avocados..............For all this time I thought they came from the areas of South America, Central America and Mexico. The fact is, Avocados came from Persia. The Next fact I found hard to believe.........there are over 400 varieties of Avocados. ( I'm not shopping at the right store )
I remember seeing ancient drawings in an art book of the Aztecs eating this neutral fruit.
The Avocado at its peak contains a rare fruit oil. The fruit oil gives the Avocado the smooth, mellow taste and nut like flavor. The fruit oil also gives the Avocado its high energy food value. Avocados are low in carbohydrates. Another good plus for this fruit, it contains minerals that help regulate body functions and growth. Not bad at all.

Vintage lamb fur hat - Dandelion Vintage clothing

Vintage Faux Fur coat - Rags A Go Go

Belt -thirfted

Thank You for Reading
Peace and Light to You

X-MAS EVERY ONE !

Hello Every one,

Hope you are enjoying the season. For those of you who are over bubbly with joy, give some of that joy to each person you meet. Don't forget those who might be alone this season. Let us give something to each person we meet: Joy, courage , assurance , wisdom, philosophy, a vision for the future.

I like to prepare a Date Nut Torte to bring with me when I'm visiting during the holiday. This dessert is fudgey, creamy and sweet. It is one of the quickest desserts to make. You can't believe how simple it is to make.

Trust me, my dessert does not come out looking like the picture in the "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen. I don't garnish with the raspberries.

DATE NUT TORTE

Base of Tort:
2 cups raisins
2 cups walnuts

Frosting:
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked
1/2 lemon

For Base:
In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts and blend until well blended and moist. (This will take a few minutes and you may see it forming a ball. Just make sure the raisins come out like a fudgey mixture and are not still grainy).
Remove from processor and mold onto a plate in a round circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.

For Frosting:
In a food processor, combine dates and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
Spreading the frosting on top of the torte.

Note: Serve at room temperature as the frosting and torte are still sticky, but if you want a firmer texture that will be easier to slice, refrigerate it for a few hours.

Enjoy.

Jacket/tank - thifted
vintage wool skirt- Rags A GO GO
costume jewelry/head band - Alexia

Thank You for Reading
Peace and Light to You.

Winter Begins

Hello Everyone,

Winter Begins and I want to make sure I'm getting sufficient Vitamin C intake. Had time today to search for new soups to make. Found this soup which is full of vitamin C. From the "80/10/10 diet."

CABBAGE TOMATO SOUP
8 oz. cabbage
8 oz. fresh -squeeze orange juice
4 oz. romaine lettuce
4 oz. tomatoes

Blend orange juice, cabbage, and lettuce. Pour puree into a large bowl, and sprinkle with diced tomato.

Very simple soup recipe. I ate this as a snack while I was preparing Almond Butter and Raisin Cookies the "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen. These cookies remind me of tea biscuits because they are not that sweet and they compliment tea.

ALMOND BUTTER AND RAISIN COOKIES

2 cups sprouted buckwheat
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup raisins, soaked for 1 hour

Place all ingredients, except raisins, in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Remove mixture from processor and place in a bowl.
Drain the raisins, and mix them into the other ingredients by hand.
Form into cookie shapes on a mesh dehydrator screen.
Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 8-10 hours
Enjoy!




The year is almost over. WOW! What a year it has been. I know - don't remind you. If you haven't accomplished everything you wanted to see in your life ........just be kind and gentle to yourself. It doesn't matter in what area you wanted to transform/change/make new, just keep working on your personal transformation and improve yourself in the way most natural to you. Make a change in some positive way. There is an exciting life that we can write about from our own unique history of human revolution each day.



Winter Begins with a vintage fur handed down to me. It's a beautiful mink stole my Great Aunt Wore. I paired it with 70's knickers and a belt. I'm crazy about black sports jackets with white stripes down the arm. I call this look my "Sporty Mink".

Thank You For Reading
Peace and Light to You.

Chips and Pizza for lunch

Hello Every one,

Chips and pizza for lunch.

Raw Foods gave me the opportunity to enjoy the most popular comfort food. I can eat a Raw version of pizza without feeling guilty.
A trip down memory lane...... Being a teenager meant having two slices of pizza and a big bag of chips. Hey, no problem for me. Did I worry about the amount of fat? NO. My metabolism was high and I was thin as a rail. The years caught up with me later with a slower metabolism. Giving up the foods I loved, like Pizza made me angry. Getting older meant I couldn't enjoy the fun foods anymore. This sucks !! And that concept of eating smaller proportions didn't work for me either.
I carried anger inside.............Why must the foods I love be so fattening?!

The anger left after eating Raw Foods. Freedom felt good for a while. Then an old problem surfaced. After the first year I noticed weight gain over the summer from the increase of nuts and fruit. It was not the same weight gain from eating cooked foods. The big lesson to learn - Just because I eat Raw Foods doesn't mean I'm free from the Fats. I still need to watch wear the fat comes from. Raw Fooders can average 60% of fat intake. It is true. The nuts and seeds that are eaten, replaces meat and diary. In every Raw food kitchen you will find Raw nuts, seed loafs, nut pates and nut cheeses. These are our staple. The fact is, nuts and seeds contain larger amounts of calories than meat.
Don't get me wrong Raw fats are without question far better for you than cooked fats or fried. The Raw fats coming from the whole plants are healthier as opposed to extracted oils or cooked animal products. But like everything else, too much of a good thing is not a healthy practice.
What to do? Go on-line and look up Diet Analysis sites to see the nutritional value of your intake of food. The key is to maintain a successful balance on a Raw food lifestyle.

Tomorrow I will have a simple menu. The Eggplant pizza is prepared with a delicious walnut cheese. I've been feasting on this for three days.
Here is my menu.

Breakfast
one medium size Papaya fruit.

Lunch
2 bananas with half a bunch of Romaine lettuce to make a smoothie.

Dinner
A celery Red Peeper Soup. One celery, one small bell pepper and one large tomato.
A fennel Salad. Romaine lettuce and fennel, with a few figs. Oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy.






In memories of the 80's , I found this vivid sweater. Love the mixture of pink and orange. A while back I was visiting the Fashion Library and had fun looking at a reprint of a Sears catalog from the 1900's . I remember reading about the invention of Sweaters . They were called "knitted shirts". These knitted shirts first appeared on various British and Irish islands. Sweaters were knitted by the wives of fishermen. The natural oil in the wool could absorb the rain or salt water without feeling damp. By the 1800's the "jersey"was being used by the American college athletes, who called it the Sweater. Would you believe the word " sweater" was too bold for genteel people to mention in polite company. Today every body has a wardrobe of sweaters. Who could get insulted about that.

vintage 80's sweater

black leggings

shoe boots- John Fluevog

Thank you for reading
Peace and light to you.

Stay Raw during the winter

Hello Every one,

A big myth I had to overcome in the first year of eating Raw Foods..........The temperature is dropping and how am I going to keep warm with just eating Raw Foods ? Will I have enough food consumption to create heat. I Couldn't see myself maintain this lifestyle in the winter time. I knew I would be off this lifestyle the moment I wanted a hot plate of food. That was when my connections with other individuals who ate Raw Foods gave me encouragement to continue. They were my actual proof. I was told to do a calorie nutrient percentage to increase food consumption. Notice the activities I'm doing and maintain an average of 1,500 calories to 4,500 a day. Calories has nothing to do with the climate change. If I wanted to generate more heat just eat more Raw Foods. You can serve some Raw Foods dishes warm.






I told you I will find a recipe for raw food pancakes that didn't require nuts. This book is sold in the restaurant that serves raw foods - "Raw Soul - Health Journey" by Lillian R. Butler and Eddie D. Robinson. The size of the book is small enough to carry around in your bag. This book has easy instructions to show you how to lead a balanced life and put your health back on track. They have a recipe for Blueberry pancakes that takes oat flour and golden flax meal. I added strawberries instead to the recipe.
Here it is.

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
1 cup oat flour
1/2 large papaya
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 cups golden flax meal
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
filtered water
2 cups fresh blueberries

Place oat flour in large mixing bowl. Place remaining ingredients, except water and blueberries in blender. Add water to 8 cup level. Blend until smooth. Add to bowl. Add blueberries. Mix well.

Using a 1/2 cup measuring, place individual cups of batter onto a telfex dehydrator sheet, 3 to a row. Moisten hands with water. Press each pancake into 1/4 pancakes. Dehydrate for 4 hours a 110F. Flip. Dehydrate until pancakes are spongy, but not wet inside. Serve Warm.
Enjoy.

This was the perfect way to keep me warm inside and enjoy the taste of pancakes again.

velvet coat- Made in America Outlet
blouse, pants, belt- thirfted
wedges- John Fluevog
head band- Ricky's
vintage copper bracelet

Thank you for reading
Peace and light to you.

Hello Every one

The holiday is the time to make homemade Blueberry Pancakes. Remember the one made with butter. I'm craving it badly. Spent a few minutes searching for the perfect Raw Food Pancake recipe. Too many sites to look at. I did Find an interesting raw food international community called "Detox your world"and "Shazzie". I would like to find a recipe that doesn't use large amounts of nuts. My search continues....
Winter time will limit my outdoor pictures. So I will make do with the indoor pictures. This side of the apartment has enough light in the early morning to take pictures.
Made Veggie Stew today. I don't need to follow the recipe anymore. I'm creative to add a variety of vegetables and use less spices. Speaking of Veggies, I have plenty of Broccoli in the refrigerator. I think tomorrow I'll make Broccoli soup for lunch. This is a very creamy soup but it is not one of my favorites to make. I find it very bland. This is why the cumin and sea salt are very, very important to add to this recipe to bring out the flavor. From the "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen

BROCCOLI SOUP
3 cups of water
1 cup almonds
1 teaspoon of honey
2 cups broccoli
1 avocado
1/2 to 1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt( add more sea salt is this taste is bland.)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a blender or Vita-Mix blend water, almonds and honey until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy.
Enjoy.








I'm decking the halls as well.(More like scotch tape extravaganza) .

No hook on the shelf was left naked.
While decorating , I served fresh Apple Sauce and Sea salt Vinegar potato Chips as a snack. The Apple sauce is easy to make, you just need red apples, cinnamon, small section of Vanilla bean , agave nectar, fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Place in blender. Leave the Apple skin on for a red festive appearance. (also for fiber)If you have company, serve it with a cinnamon stick.






















This is what I do for the chips . This time I added one turnip to experiment.
3-4 potatoes
Add enough Apple Cider vinegar to cover potatoes in a large bowl
Sea salt

peel the potato in a spiral slicer or some kind of machine that will make nice thin slices.
Place potatoes in a large bowl with enough apple cider to cover them and let them soak for 10 minutes.Remove potatoes from the vinegar and place on dehydrator screen. Sprinkle with sea salt and dehydrate for 5-10 hour or until crisp.

I added some Parsley and Garlic powder.

white beaded hoops - O el Funke

Jones New York Sun Dress
black turtleneck- thrifted
socks- sock dreams
MJ shoes- John Fluevog

Thank You for reading
peace and light to you.

Food Drying

Hello Every one,

I didn't start out with a Dehydrator Machine. I was told that I could use my gas oven at a very low, low temperature. My low heat settings started from warm - to 125 degrees. As long as I didn't go beyond 1o5 degrees, the food would be alright. The oven was fine for the Carrot Pecan Burgers, Spinach Mushroom Quiche or a pie crust made of Walnuts, dates and shredded Coconuts. These dishes have more moisture in them. The other dishes with less moisture came out overdone or burnt. One day I thought about Sun Drying. I remember reading how our ancestors created sun drying techniques to preserve the harvest. But, I couldn't imagine sun drying in New York City with all the pollution and people coughing. That idea went out fast. Buying the "Excalibur Dehydrator" Machine was the best investment I could have done. (Yes, it is way too big for my counter top.)




I understand why the "Excalibur Dehydrator" is the top choice for the Raw Food Movement. I experience the difference between the oven temperature and the Air temperature. The dehydrator machine has a fan in the back of the machine that blows warm air across the food. Moisture is then evaporated from the foods surface, causing a cooling effect the keeps the temperature cooler than the air temperature. This is why the foods keep their color. The air is distribute evenly for the foods to dry. No more taking the pan out of the oven and peeling off the food or one side of the chip is dry and the other side wet. The oven temperature was becoming too hot for the food.

Here I prepared and cut fruits and vegetables with similar drying times. This saves spending money on healthy fruits and veggies snack bags in the store. You don't see it but I have broccoli in the back of the tray.
The dehydrator is fun for making fruit leathers and fruit rolls. Leftover fruits or vegetables can be pureed, sweeten & spice top be made into tasty, nutritious high energy snack food.
Enjoy!












knit cap - Anthropologie

vintage cardigan/skirt - Rags A Go Go
white sweater top- thrifted
textured tights - sock dreams
boots - John Fluevog

Thank You for Reading
Peace and light to you.

Holiday Shopping and Curried Yam Bisque

Hello Everyone,

Getting the last glimpse of the fall flowers that bloom in my neighborhood . I'm not sure but I think this is a wild rose bush. I was drawn to the unusual rich green color of the leaves that smell very pleasant. The shoots are hard, thick and woody. The leaves glitter in the sun light. The petals are open wide. The Pink red is a great color to start the holiday season with.

Here's a Raw soup I make often for this time of year. It comes from the "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen.

CURRIED YAM BISQUE

1 cup yam
1 1/2 cups cashew milk(cashews and water with honey or date to sweeten)
1/2 cup green apple
1 teaspoon mint
1 teaspoon curry(or less)

place all in blender or Vita-Mix.
Enjoy!

When it comes to holiday shopping , I like to finish by the 11th. I did a majority of my gift shopping on line. I got goodies from my two favorite online shops. Sheila Satin of Satin Crystal shop in California - a gifted spiritual Jewelry Designer who creates one of a kind items to wear. Each of her creations carries an affirmation. The second one is Carol Baker of Dandelion Vintage Clothing - cute, fun and affordable vintage clothes, accessories and jewelery.


SATIN CRYSTALS SHOP www.idigcrystals.com

They stones came nicely wrapped and protected. The earrings: Amazonite stones. The wires are steel covered with gold. The affirmation is "I am prosperous"
The necklace : Green - white -orange , Aventurine . The affirmation is " abundance of all kind".
The Bracelet : Amethyst . The affirmation is " I am spiritual "
Awesome !

DANDELION VINTAGE CLOTHING

This is my new spring hat. Light green soft straw hat from the 50's-60's era . Strips of straw in dark green, ivory and yellow decorate the middle. Floppy brim narrows towards the back. This hat is in excellent condition. No flaws were found.

The bottom picture on the left is a knit yarn acrylic hat with faux fur from the 70's. Very warm. The Ivory fluffy fur hat on the right looks like a fake , but it is actually a real thick lamb fur from the 60's.



























Pretty navy blue silk scarf as a gift. It was right in the box when I open it. Thanks Carol Baker.




I wanted to keep you updated with the dress from the 1930's slip dress pattern I am continuing to redesign. This will be for the spring of 2011. I recycled an old skirt to add to the design. I am patiently waiting to find the right African print material to combine with the flowers and tiger print.


Thank You for reading
peace and light to you.

After Thanksgiving Project - To look Slimmer

Hello Every one,

Hope your holiday went well.

Kinda weird for a Raw person to talk about looking slimmer. Before I went on raw foods. I was like every one else feeling the ten pounds invading my middle area. I went raiding into my closet for garments to slenderize my weight gain. Purchasing a few long jackets and tunics that sat below (way, way low ) helped hide the hips. Belts were out of my closet for years.
For those of you who are beginning raw foods or experimenting with the possibility, I can share my tips I learned through the years.
1. Following the old standard rule of having V necks is a must. They will draw people's eyes from your full face and double chin. The shoulders will appear wider and the waists slimmer. A Wrapped dress or anything with a plunging neckline is a plus.
2. I keep boot cut pants as a staple in my closet. Cropped pants were a no, no to. The boot cut has a way of balancing the bottom of you. Make sure they are hemmed for the height of your heels.
3. I see this type of cut pants on women too much. THE LOW RISE. Honestly do you want to create that muffin top. I beg you please, please stop showing the overflowing flesh. There is nothing wrong with high waist pants or skirts.
4. I love stripes !! Pin stripes are sexy in a boot cut. Pinstripes and vertical lines add length.
5. Subtle patterns give you a soft look. Avoid that loud bold print. Trust me it will make you look larger. If you must wear a bold loud print seek a scarf or other accessories.
6. Black was always a great slimming color. You can go for darker colors as well. Try Navy, chocolate, dark wine and a few dark grays.
I hope this helps.

My Thanksgiving was very peaceful. There was
plenty of leftovers for me. I wrapped the mock turkey with a cabbage leaf. The cranberry sauce came out fine. This was my first time preparing cranberry sauce without sugar. At our dinner table, no sugar was served at all. Not one sugary dessert. We enjoyed the Banana/Papaya Pudding and the Straw Berry Pie. I was amazed that my Mom didn't ask for her piece of chocolate after wards. My determination is to get her off of all sugar completely. It is important to respect her life and not push my lifestyle on her. It's just that I know the damage sugar does to the body. I am thinking of finding a book for her about the dangers of sugar.


One sad little thing about my wardrobe that my not concern some of you , when you get to your proper weight you do loose favorite garments in your closet. I keep holding on to my faux suede white coat. Its huge on me now. The size is large and I'm a medium. The wind is getting into it and it is gaping like a triangle in the back, but it is hard to let go of a loyal garment. I will give it away with love to someone who can use it. This will make a nice Christmas gift for someone who needs a short coat.

Speaking of white , I'm inspired to make a Vanilla Bean Ice Cream . Yum , Yum !
I'm gonna use ...............
2 cups of soaked cashews
Meat from one young tender coconut
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
one vanilla bean
1/2 tablespoon of sea salt
water
I will put all of this in the Montel Blender and add the water to keep it from becoming too thick . I have a stainless steel bowl to place it in the freezer.
I will Enjoy !!

Thank you for Reading
peace and light to you.