It's almost here!!

My exciting weekend is almost here! Tonight we are picking up vegan cupcakes from a vegan bakery in NJ!! So exciting.. I don't know how I am going to wait until tomorrow to have one! He He! We might have a change of plans for Sunday. T asked me if I would rather go to Pure Food and Wine instead of Candle79.. now I can't decide. But I was going to get all raw food at Candle anyway, and Pure Food has more variety since it's an all raw restaurant. The reason we weren't going there in the first place is because last time we went we ended up spending a fortune. But T realized I wouldn't be drinking so the bill wouldn't be so high. So now I have to make a choice..

Here's my co-op box from this week: Golden delicious apples, beets, yellow carrots, sweet potatoes, chives, green beans, romaine lettuce, red peppers, tangeloes, grape tomatoes, broccoli, KALE, STRAWBERRIES, and bananas. Kale is one of my favorite veggies and strawberries are one of my favorite fruits! Happy day!
Here are the greens.. crunch crunch crunch! I already used one of the kale's for a massaged salad yesterday. I just couldn't resist!

Last night I made a rawco salad. I used Ani Phyo's recipe for the meat and put it on top of a bed of lettuce with olives, avocado, scallions, green bell peppers, tomato and some black beans. I used olive oil and salsa for the dressing. Not 100% raw, but close enough! This was fabulous! I love raw Mexican food!!

I won't be posting again until Monday since I will be pretty busy this weekend! So I will have lots of birthday treats for that post! Have a nice weekend everyone!

SNOW DAY!

This week could not go by any slower! Only because I have such an exciting weekend ahead! On Saturday we are having a pizza party for T's, and bro-in-law's and my birthdays. Vegan spelt crust pizza, homemade in my in laws brick oven! We are also having vegan cupcakes that T and I are picking up from a vegan bakery in NJ! Then Sunday... CANDLE 79!! Yay!!

Here's my new favorite lunch: massaged kale salad. I added hemp seeds, olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, sun dried tomatoes and the left over raw sour cream. So delicious! I didn't buy enough kale this week so I only had this once. So disappointing!
A few weeks ago T and I were watching Lidia's Italy (our favorite cooking show, it's on PBS..she's Italian..it's great). We saw a recipe we had to veganize! Eggplant fried in olive oil, green olives, capers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes on top of gluten free pasta. She put hers on top of tuna. This turned out so amazing!! We were in love with this dish! Mmmm.. fresh parsley to garnish!

Today was a snow day! Yay! I made a special snowy day smoothie: frozen durian, frozen mango, banana, goji's, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, coconut water and spinach. Didn't keep me warm, but WOW I felt good!

Today for lunch I made a raw wrap. I put sprouts, cucumber, sprouted beans, sun dried tomato, avocado, seasoning, raw parma, and scallions in side a collard leaf and wrapped it up and enjoyed! So crunchy and fresh, who need a sandwich?

I made soup for dinner since T was working in the snow all day! I used dinosaur kale, canellini beans, carrots, veggie stock, one potato and rice pasta. This was so filling! We are nice and toasty now! Perfect meal before curling up on the couch later to watch American Idol. Awww, this is the life! :)

I get my co-op box tomorrow. I haven't been taking pictures of it because I thought it was boring, but if I remember I will take one and post it! I am in love with fresh raw veggies right now, but it's been hard to not eat hot meals because I am cold all the time!!! Where are you SUMMER?

T's Birthday!!

Today was T's birthday. We ended up going into the city earlier then planned with my brother in law and his girlfriend. It was pretty cold, but all in all a great day! Here's a picture of us driving in.. no traffic, how great is that?
This is where we went for T, it was rated one of the best pizza places in New York and is in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die in North America. T and brother in law enjoyed pepper and onion pizza and said it was definitely the best pizza they've ever had. Brother in law's girlfriend enjoyed a house salad (she read the entire Skinny Bitch book last night and says she is going vegan). I enjoyed some Pellegrino and patiently waited for where we were going to stop at for my dinner..

PURE FOOD & WINE: TAKEAWAY!!!!!!!!!! It wasn't far from where they had pizza so T said we could stop by and I could pick up some food to go. Brother in law's girlfriend came in with me and was so shocked by all the raw treats. She was fascinated with the place and even got some dessert to go. I ordered the Tortilla Wraps, which was spicy sunflower meat, avocado and tomato salsa. They were filled with guacamole, YUM!!! They also gave me a side of sour cream, which was so close to the real thing (smell and all) that I almost couldn't eat it (but I did!). I remember when T and I went to the Pure Food and Wine restaurant I ordered something that came with sour cream and I had the same reaction. These were so rich and filling! I have half of one left over that I am saving for lunch tomorrow. Can't wait!!

I brought everything home and waited until dinner time to eat it (don't ask me how!), I had a Lara Bar and some fruit to hold me over. I also ordered the S&M salad which was greens, avocado, hemp seeds, dulse, rosemary crackers and a mac-lime dressing. Holy amazing! So fresh, so delicious!

I HAD to get some dessert. They had soooo many great looking things! It came down to the tiramisu or the moon pie. The two people working said the moon pie was the best, so I went with them.. and boy were they right! I need to go back there on a regular basis just for the dessert!! They gave to many choices, but my mind (and wallet) were telling me one was good for now. Hopefully, we can go back soon for some "to go" treats!

The guy and girl working at the takeaway were so freakin nice! Brother in law's girlfriend and I looked at each other when we left and said wow, what great people! Definitely another reason to go back..!

T said he had a wonderful birthday! I sure enjoyed it! He he! One week till my 25th birthday, like I said, we are going to Candle 79, I plan on ordering a raw meal (they have a few raw choices) I hope it can live up to Pure Food and Wine's raw food!!

Being the best ME!

So I am finally making a New Years resolution (I usually wait till my birthday, which is next Sunday), but I need to get my act together so I am starting today! My goal: Be a better me! This means, healthier diet (more raw), happier person, being more thankful for all my blessings, praying more, and seeing my family more. I have been a little slacker in a few ways lately and it's really not me, so it's time to get my act together!

Anyway, here's a lovely picture of my bubby Ginger, she was caught in the act of messing up her bed (she digs and thinks she's going to actually get somewhere.. to cute!).
During the week I made broccoli mashed potatoes and some garlicky kale. For the mashed potatoes I boiled Yukon potatoes then steamed some broccoli and put it all in a bowl with some olive oil, Earth Balance, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and some sauteed garlic, shallots, and onions, then I mashed them all together and added some fresh parsley! These were a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Another dinner during the week: Melody's Quinoa and Eggplant Soup. I added more quinoa then it called for to make it a thicker soup (T and I both like thicker soups) and I also added a ton of kale. This recipe was outrageous!! Everyone needs to make this soon! It's going to be a staple soup (like escarole and beans and pasta fagioli) in my house for now on!

For lunch on Friday I made Ani Phyo's Mediterranean Dolma's. I LOVE DOLMA'S! They were really good raw and I had all the right ingredients from my co-op box! I usually don't buy dill. This was a perfect thing to use it in!

Today T and I went out west to my favorite health food store/cafe for lunch. I got a really refreshing juice-cucumber lemonade! Mmm.. so detoxifying, perfect for my bettering myself plan!

T got the TLT I blogged about last time. He said it was so delicious and refreshing! He wants to go back soon, can't wait! Here's what I got- a big salad with cucumbers, orange peppers, red onions, carrots, sprouts! So much color, and I enjoyed it with some raw crackers (pizza flavored) and washed it down with a Kombucha.

Tomorrow is T's birthday! He is going to be 27.. wow the years FLY BY! I will try to take pictures of the pizza place we are going to. I know I mentioned we were going to a place that offers vegan pizza, but I told T we could go to a better rated place, and I will just get some veggies and a salad. So we are going to a high rated pizza place called John's. My brother in law and his girlfriend are coming, so I don't know if I will have to courage to take pictures of my food..haha!

Traditions..

Sunday seems to be mine and T's Italian night. Growing up we always had our Italian meals on Sunday (usually an early 3-4:00 dinner). In my house it was usually pasta (which we ate probably 4 times a week, in different forms) with marinara and meatballs (Yuck, I was never a fan of red meat in ANY form). As we got older my mom started making Turkey or Chicken balls since we were all into health (little did we know that wasn't any better). Now it seems T and I have started this tradition in our own home. Just the two of us! This week we make Eggplant Parmesan without the Parmesan (at least for me, T made his with it). We used two small casserole dishes and had plenty left over. I didn't want to use fake cheese because #1-I don't like the taste of cheese (never did, even as a kid (some Italian I am), never drank milk either growing up), #2-I don't like using processed food unless I am really craving it, and #3-it taste great without it! It was so tasty and delicious. We coated the eggplant with olive oil and then covered them in gluten-free breadcrumbs, baked them till crispy and then assembled the layers with basil and sauce in a casserole dish. Mmm, soooo good! P.S.- T is STILL a vegetarian and he is enjoying it!!!
I got a new teacup I had to show you! How pretty is that? I love tea cups, anything dainty is right up my alley. I am a true girlie girl! By the way, this tea..amazing! T and I drink it every night!

Here's a salad I made last night: romaine, olives, cucumber, sprouts and artichoke hearts. I enjoyed it with a bowl of Corn and Roasted Pepper Bisque from Trader Joes.

My alternative breakfast lately (smoothies are still my FAVORITE): toasted (in the dehydrator) buckwheat groats, with banana, blueberries, goji berries, Thai coconut meat, dried figs, flax seeds, chia seeds and pistachios, and fresh made almond milk on top! YUM!

Sunday is T's birthday! We are going to the city (New York) to a restaurant called Slice, a pizza place that offers vegan pizza! Can't wait!

This is a part of my backyard, I thought it looked so pretty after the few inches of snow we got Sunday night. I just wish it would warm up!

P.S. How great does it feel to be an American right now? For the first time in awhile I can say, I am so proud of my country!

Juicy Love and Grocery Finds

I've really been enjoying my green juices lately. I feel so great and vital afterwards, they are so worth the work! :) Here is one from last week: 2 apples, collards, celery, lemon, half a cucumber and broccoli. I took the picture along side the sand dollar T found the first day we got to the Bahamas to get married. Everyone thought it was a sign of luck. I stays on our TV stand now.. it's our good luck charm!
The other day I wanted to make Ani Phyo's Sun Burgers, I got a little creative and decided to just make my own. I put sunflower seeds, almonds, flaxseed, onion, broccoli, kale, and green peppers in the food processor and ground them up. I added seasonings, olive oil, and water to the mix and formed patties. I popped them in the dehydrator for 5 hours and voila! Lauren's Raw burgers! I had it on a sprouted grain bun with mustard, sprouts, avocado, and tomato., along side a big salad. Mmm.. I froze a few of them so I will be enjoying these again soon!

Here's yesterday green goodness: parsley, lemon, collards, 2 green apples, and celery. The color was so magnificent! I feel like my body is glowing after drinking green juice. I am totally hooked!

Over the weekend T and I went to the health food store near our parents. I got lots of loot: Pesto Pumpkin Seed Raw Crackers, Pizza flavored raw flax snax (little crackers...soooooooo good!!!), Italian flavored Nori Wraps, Organic dried Goldenberries, Nori Snacks, Raw Monukka Raisins (these are unbelievable, so big and juicy!), and a Peanut butter Lara Bar. Not pictured: buckwheat groats and Kombuchas.

We also hit up Trader Joes yesterday. Here's the goods: Cream Corn and Roasted Pepper soup, Raw Almonds, Creamy Vegetable Medley soup, Green Olives, Raw Pistachios, Yogi bedtime tea, and Turkish figs (OMG, THESE ARE FABULOUS!! They were a new product, I need to go back for another bag..yum and unsulfured too!)

So that's some of my weekend. I still have some pictures from yesterday and today on my camera, so I will be back again soon! I have be cooking and un-cooking up a storm lately! He he!

My Junky Post

I have lots of fun raw goodies for my next post. But for now, here is the "junk" food I was talking about. Nothing terrible, but I definitely didn't feel great after eating this stuff. I am not use to processed food, but once in a while (ahem, you know what I am talking about ladies...) I NEED some comforts. So I indulged. I can't say I felt good afterwards either. Next month I will try to stick to healthier/non processed/raw junk when my friend comes to visit..! Here is a Health is Wealth Chick'n Pattie on a sprouted grain bun with avocado, sprouts, tomato and mustard. I had this for lunch one day. I LOVE these patties. In my opinion, the best vegan ones out there!

The same night, I made a tofu scramble with peppers, potatoes and some smart bacon. I was having a mean tofu scramble craving lately. I definitely fulfilled it! Nothing like breakfast for dinner!

It was pretty cold here this weekend. A cold front came in and the weather men weren't wrong this time (unfortunately)! This was Ginger on Friday morning. She was sleeping as close to the steam heater as possible. Poor little bubby! :) Lucky for her, she sleeps in her Mommy and Daddy's bed, nice and warm, every night! She's a really good cuddlier!
P.S. I bought raw buckwheat groats to make some raw cereal. Do I cook them in the dehydrator or eat them raw? I can't find anything online about this. Anyone know? Thanks!!

I might turn green..

From all the kale I've been eating!! I had to save the rest of it because I need to make kale chips for my mother and mother in law.. I am going through withdrawal! :) This was dinner the other night, kale sauteed with garlic and olive oil and wild brown rice with daikon radish and some other seed in it (it was from Trader Joes). This was really good. I didn't cook the whole bag, so expect to see this again soon!
Lunch the other day: a massaged kale salad. I seen this on many blogs but never tried it. For some reason when you massage the olive oil and seasonings into the kale it wilts it a little and gives it a wonderful rich flavor. I added lemon juice and pine nuts to this as well. I need to have this again soon! I can't wait to get my hands on some more kale when we go to the store this weekend! Mmm..

Well, if you haven't heard we are having record low temperatures here in New Jersey. It's been freeeezzzing! Brrrr.. I can't seem to ever get warm.. no matter what! I blame it on my anemia. I made Pasta Fagioli as an attempt to heat my body. Delicious.. but I'm still freezing!

Have a nice weekend everyone!! I had a real junk food feast yesterday.. don't worry, I took pics. You will probably be laughing at me, because what I consider junk food, really isn't (tofu, fake meat, white potatoes). I think I'll be eating super healthy the next couple of days. I need a little detox anyway!

"Raw"some..My 100th Post!

In honor of this being my 100th post, I am dedicating this blog entry to all raw foods! Yay! I have been eating high raw for almost a year now (on and off, due to being sick). I really enjoy this lifestyle and I can't wait until it gets warmer here and I can shop at the farmers market again! This summer I will be more educated in raw foods, and I have a dehydrator, so it won't be boring old salads everyday! Although, I could live on them! :)

The other night I made a raw dessert for T and I. Something I just made up awhile back, but with different fruits this time. Frozen banana, frozen, strawberries, frozen durian, Thai coconut meat and water, and a handful of gojis. All thrown in the blender and then put into cups and in the freezer for about an hour. Raw ice cream!! So healthy and such a nice treat!
For lunch the other day I felt like a REAL green juice! Nothing sweat in this bad boy! Parsley, broccoli, celery, kale and lemon. This was so strong! But I felt so wonderful the rest of the day. I felt like it left me with a nice glow too! That's always nice!

I FINALLY used my dehydrator! I used a recipe I got from We Like It Raw for green patties. I used the pulp from my juice and added olive oil and seasonings and formed patties then "cooked" them in the dehydrator. YUM! What a great idea! I put it on a sprouted grain bun with avocado, tomato, mustard, and kale chips. Along side a big salad and some more kale chips. Speaking of kale chips, HOLY YUM!!! WOW! These are so unbelievably delicious. T and I ate 2 and half trays of them! T said they reminded him of popcorn (which I can't really eat, it's bothers my tummy). I had the rest of them for lunch yesterday, I couldn't resist! I told my mom and my mother in law I would bring them some on Saturday. The only problem is, when I had the left overs yesterday they had lost some of there crunch. I figured it was from being in a plastic baggie.. any ideas of how to keep them crispy? I am thinking paper bags?

I've been in the mood for cereal lately. Not sure why, maybe having a cold smoothie in the morning after being outside in the cold isn't really doing it for me? ;) So I bought a few things at Whole Foods and decided to make my own. I cut up a banana, and an apple and added it to a bowl with some Thai coconut meat, goji berries, a raw trail mix (almonds, dried goldenberries, dried apricot kernels, yellow raisins, dried mulberries; sprinkled it with chia and hemp seeds, then put some more Thai coconut meat in the blender with the Thai coconut water and poured it on top, like milk. Another AMAZING meal! This was so filling, and sooo nutritious! I would love to have this every morning, but I can't give up my smoothies! He he!

So there you have it! I am officially in love with some new raw foods! Tomorrow I am going to make Ani Phyo's Sunburgers. Any other dehydrated recipes I have to try? Let me know! I can't wait to make more kale chips..crunch crunch..

The Sunday Scoop!

On Sunday we went back to Whole Foods for lunch (it's only 10-15 min away). I usually designate one day on the weekend as my cheat day. I really don't go crazy, I just eat more cooked foods, and more quantity. If I am daring I might have dessert! :) Ha ha! At Whole Foods I couldn't decide what I wanted, so I got everything! This is a small cup of vegan split pea soup. Yum! This was my favorite out of everything.
I also got a medium container of broccoli rabe. Sorry about the sideways picture. This was okay. I think I (or anyone in my or T's family) can make it a lot better! ;) It was kind of dry and bitter. They obviously didn't blanch it first. Normally I don't mind the bitterness, but without any olive oil to help, it wasn't the greatest.

I was really looking forward to a sandwich. They only had one vegan option though. I got raw veggies with hummus on a whole wheat wrap. This was pretty tasty. The hummus was really flavorful. I really look forward to my "weekend sandwich" and this wasn't what I wanted, but it turned out to be worth it in the end. Yum!A few months back, T and I stopped by my Naunee's house to check out the garage sale she was having. T was really excited to see she had an old fashion pasta maker. So I told him to steal it, and we did! Ha ha! Naunee thought someone else had stolen it and was worried, so we had to tell her it was us. But she didn't care, she gave it to us anyway.. for free! Naunee is a hip lady, she has been doing Jazzercise and walking daily for 40 years! She rocks! She even wears the cutest clothes and always has gorgeous shoes on. I told her I am going to be like her when I am old! :)

So anyway, for dinner on Sunday T and I finally broke out our pasta maker and made some semolina/whole wheat pasta! YUM! Nothing tops that! For a sauce, we made Happy Herbivore's scampi! They didn't have oyster mushrooms at the store, so we got a mushroom blend that had them in it. I also added a little whole wheat flour to thicken up the sauce and a TON of parsley..mmm.. I LOVE PARSLEY! It tasted more like a pasta picatta because of the changes I made.. but it was soooo flavorful and delicious! I suggest everyone makes it, because it is that good! T looooved it!

I be back soon with some raw yummies! I finally used my dehydrator yesterday! :) Stay tuned!

Snow Storm?

Another great weekend has come and gone! On Friday they were calling for a huge snow storm here! 8 inches and an inch of ice! It was suppose to happen Saturday into today. So T and I cancelled our plans to go to my in laws. I was so disappointment because I really enjoy spending time with them. My mother in law is like a girlfriend to me (one with better clothes ((we are the same size, we can share!)) ). But T said it was going to be to icy to drive the parkway, even with his four wheel drive. We rushed to the store (along with a million other people) to get our groceries for the week. I picked up some brown rice sushi for dinner, avocado cucumber and veggie (carrots, cucumber and avocado). Yum, hit the spot!
Along side I made some collards. I had to have some greens with my meal! These were so delish! Lots of garlic and olive oil! I don't buy them very often, I couldn't understand why?! They are so good and good for you! They are anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer. Nothing beats that!

Back to the snow, Saturday morning we woke up, not a snow flake in site. T assured me the weather men said it could start anywhere from 9am-12noon. So we went on with our day rushing around to get everything done before the storm. We went to Whole Foods to pick up the groceries we couldn't get at the regular grocery store. We also picked up lunch. I made a big salad with edamame, green beans, huge canellini beans (by the way, these have real name, not sure what it is though..anyone know?), roasted peppers, olives, peas, raw onion and some other veggies.

When we left Whole Foods it was snowing! Finally, the storm decided to show up! T and I took our lunch to a lake nearby and ate it while enjoying the scenery from the warm car. I washed my salad down with a Strawberry Kombucha.

The snow wasn't coming down hard at all! It would have to pick up A LOT for us to see 8 inches. T and I went on with our day. In fact we invited my brother in law and his girlfriend over to play some Cranium with us. They live only 15 minutes away, so the snow didn't scare them. Before they came over I made Taco Soup for T and I. I got this recipe from an email from VegNews. It's going to be in the upcoming issue. I garnished mine with tomatoes, raw onions, and avocado. This soup was superb! T really enjoyed it as well, he added tortilla chips to his. We froze the leftovers for another day. Definitely holding on to this recipe!

So, I bet you are wondering how much snow we ended up getting in the end? Ha.. the huge storm turned out to be a dud! We stayed home for nothing (not that we didn't have a blast playing Cranium). Total snow accumulations.. about 2 inches! We have lots of leftover ice though. So much for the "big storm".. I am no longer paying attention to the weather. Ha ha!

Lot's of "Yum Yums!"

In case you are wondering, we call it "Yum Yum" to Ginger when we feed her. :)

Nothing exciting going on here. Just had to get an ultrasound on my ankles yesterday because they have been really swollen. My doctor thought it could be a blood clot (just what I need), but it turned out it's not. Probably just water from being on Prednisone. If it's not gone in a few weeks I am going to have to see my doctor and get to the bottom of it.

T said we can go to dinner instead of lunch on my birthday! Yay! In case you don't know, my birthday happens to fall on the same day as the Superbowl this year. So T was telling me back in September that we should have a Superbowl/Birthday Party. No thanks! I hate football! Now that his team is out of it (another secret Whoohooo!), he said we should go to dinner instead. But early so he can watch after kickoff. I couldn't take the Superbowl away from him..what kind of wife would I be? So I made the reservations, Candle 79.. can't wait!

Here's the rose I took a picture of a few weeks ago, for some reason it doesn't want to die. It just started to dry up and I love the look of a dried rose. So artsy..ha ha!
The other night I made Quinoa pasta with peas and onions! YUM! I grew up on this stuff, only with white pasta a tons of butter! ;) "Macaroni and peas" we called it. Anyway, this was my first time using Quinoa pasta. I tasted it while it was cooking and thought it tasted like dirt, but with the peas, onion, garlic and olive oil it masked the "dirty" taste.

Another dinner this week, a concoction I made up. Quinoa Soup! It's quinoa, carrots, onion, garlic, canellini beans, chickpeas, and parsley. Yum! We had some left over and T said we HAD to freeze it so he could have it again! I love parsley!

Here's my lunch from yesterday: apple, pear, and cucumber juice. So refreshing! I felt like this would be a great "skin" juice. Cucumber is great for hydrating the skin, and apple is good for detoxing the liver, which keeps from toxic build up in your body, which can cause acne and wrinkles! Don't forget, what you put on your inside effects your outside! Bye-bye chemicals! :P

I enjoyed this salad with my juice: Cucumber, sprouts, crunchy sprouts, avocado and a couple of artichoke hearts. For dressing? Lemon juice, pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt. Another beautifying meal!

This was dinner last night, broccoli, yellow and green zucchini, and eggplant with tomato sauce and sprinkled with Raw Parma. Yum! Of course T had his with some gluten free pasta.. no need for pasta here! :)

Have a nice weekend everyone!