I’m in a juicing phase.

I go through phases … for several days, even weeks in a row, I’ll make green smoothies in my VitaMix. Then I start to get bored with the smoothies, so I’ll pull out my juicer and go through a juicing phase until I get tired of the little bit of extra work involved in juicing, and then I’ll back to making smoothies.

Sometimes I live a really wild life and have a smoothie for breakfast and juice for dinner … but I digress…

Right now that little bit of extra work is so worth it when I sip on my juice creations. I say ‘sip’ which is what I try to do … savour and enjoy every drop. But sometimes the flavour and enthusiasm of the liquid yum gets the better of me and I find myself gulping it back like I hadn’t had anything to drink for days.

That’s what happened with today’s juice. I fully intended to take a picture of the ingredients and the finished product to show you … but somehow I got lost in the creation and enjoyment of it all and before I knew it … all that was left of my experience was this empty glass and my body saying ‘thank you for the liquid yum.’

Liquid Yum is:
- Alkaline
- Diary Free
- Gluten Free
- Raw
- Vegan

Ingredients (for each person)
1 apple
3 stalks celery
¼ – ½ stalk broccoli
¼ – ½ bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
¼ head romaine lettuce or 1 cup of leafy greens
2 ice cubes (if you like your juice chilled)

Directions
1. Wash all ingredients
2. Chop into appropriate sizes for your juicer
3. Put the ingredients through the juicer
4. Place the ice cubes in the juice while you clean the pulp out of the juicer (It’s much easier to clean a juicer immediately after using it, before the fibre bits have dried.)
5. Stir the juice and remove the ice
6. Pour into a glass and enjoy … sipping and gulping allowed

Quinoa (pronounced “keen wah”) is a super-nutrient grain-like product that comes to us from high in the Andes Mountains of South American.

Botanically speaking, Quinoa is a member of the Goosefoot Family (Chenopodiaceae). Other distinguished super-nutrient members of the Goosefoot clan are Beets, Swiss Chard, Spinach, and Amaranth.

That’s quite a line-up of stars from one family!

Quinoa seeds cook up quickly and are as versatile as any food I know.

I like to keep a cooked pot of either Quinoa or Brown Rice on hand in the fridge to use as the base for breakfast cereal, super salad, or as a quick snack on its own splashed with a little Tamari sauce.

Quinoa supplies nutrition and bulk to soups and stews.

The uncooked seeds can be ground up and used as gluten free flour.

If you are into the raw lifestyle, Quinoa can be soaked and/or sprouted and incorporated into raw recipes.

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, calcium, iron and B-vitamins

Cooked Quinoa is:
- low alkaline forming
- dairy free
- diabetic friendly
- gluten free
- vegan

Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa seeds
2 cups filtered water

Directions
1. Put Quinoa seeds into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water
2. Add rinsed Quinoa seeds to water in medium sized pot
3. Turn heat to high just until the water starts to boil, then turn heat to simmer and place lid on pot.
4. Let simmer with lid on for 20 minutes.
5. When 20 minutes has passed, gently lift the lid and tilt the pan slightly to the side. If the Quinoa holds in place, it is ready. If the Quinoa starts to slide, there is still too much moisture in the pot, so put the lid back on and return it to the heat for a few more minutes. But watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.

See Brown Rice for Breakfast for ideas on how to use cooked Quinoa as a breakfast cereal and simply substitute Quinoa for rice.

For lunch, dinner or untraditional breakfast, use cooked Quinoa in a super salad … tomorrow’s entry.

As a quick and nutritious snack, toss cold cooked Quinoa with Tamari soy sauce, or your favourite spices, and enjoy. 

Cooked Quinoa will store in the fridge for up to a week.

Almond milk is easy to make at home … really!

When you make your own almond milk you avoid having to deal with the cartons, both lugging them home from the store, and sending them back to the recycler. And home made almond milk is much more economical than the commercially prepared brands, especially if you purchase almonds in bulk and store them in the freezer.

Another advantage of making your own almond milk, is you can sweeten it how you choose … or don’t sweeten it at all. And you can filter it or not. This flexability allows you to create almond milk to suit your particular need. For instance, if I am going to use the almond milk in a recipe that already contains sweetening ingredients, I make an unsweetened version. I make a sweetened almond milk to pour on my unsweetened breakfast cereal (usually cooked brown rice or quiona).

The only time I filter my almond milk is when I am going to drink it on its own.

It takes less than 5 minutes to make a full litre of almond milk that will keep in the fridge for several days.

Almond milk is
- low alkaline forming
- dairy free
- diabetic friendly
- gluten free
- raw
- vegan

Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
4 cups filtered water

Optional Ingredients
Sweetener: 1-2 pitted dates OR 1 tbsp honey OR 1 tbsp maple syrup
Flavouring: pinch of sea salt, splash of vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean, 1 tsp cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg
Enhancer: 1 tbsp organic coconut oil (adds richness to the finished product) 

Directions
1. Place almonds and water into high speed blender (Vita-mix works perfectly for this)
2. Blend on high for about 60 seconds
3. Decide what type of almond milk you want and follow the appropriate directions below.

For unsweetened, filtered milk:
- Pour it through a strainer or nut milk bag. The ‘pulp’ will keep in the fridge for several days, or can be dehydrated and ground up into almond flour. 
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For sweetened, filtered milk:
- Pour it through a strainer or nut milk bag. The ‘pulp’ will keep in the fridge for several days, or can be dehydrated and ground up into almond flour.
- Put the filtered ‘milk’ back in the blender
- Add your choosen sweeteners, flavourings and/or enhancer and blend for about 30 seconds. When using dates as a sweetener, you may need to blend a little longer to ensure the dates are completly broken down.
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For unsweetened, unfiltered milk:
- You’re done!
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For sweetened, unfiltered milk:
- Add your choosen sweeteners, flavourings and/or enhancer and blend for about 30 seconds. When using dates as a sweetener, you may need to blend a little longer to ensure the dates are completly broken down.
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

This decadent, rich, creamy sauce can be served warm or cold. It can be drizzled over cakes and cookies, poured over ice cream, or used as a dip for fresh fruit.

Maple Cashew Creamy Dipping Sauce is
- Low Alkaline Forming
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Vegan

Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
½ cup maple syrup

Directions
1. Soak cashews in filtered water for one hour
2. Discard soaking water and place cashews and maple syrup in Vita Mix or other high speed blender
3. Blend for 60 to 90 seconds. The mixture will be slightly warmed and a rich golden colour.
4. Serve immediately if you like a warmed sauce. If you want a cold sauce, place in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Today I’m taking a respite from the plastic insanity to bring you this raw food tidbit and low crap recipe.

Have you ever wished there was a way that you could get all the goodness of a big salad everyday without the fuss?

You wish is about to come true!

I’ve been doing some serious lurking in the online raw food movement for almost a year, experimenting on myself to see if eating raw food would make any type of significant difference in my health. The answer to that question is “absolutely”! And I will be blogging more about raw food in the future.

For today I want to tell you how you can ingest a full days worth of raw veggies and fruit in one sitting … without a fork. The way to do that is by making a blended salad, where all the salad ingredients, including the dressing, are blended up and served in a glass.

Sound gross? … only until you try it.

The trick is to put in one sweet fruit such as apple, pineapple, peach, etc and a little bit of something acidic such as lemon, lime or apple cider vinegar, and then go wild with the rest of the ingredients. I also like to include a clove of garlic for its health giving and protective properties.

Making a blended salad is much faster than making a regular salad because you don’t have to chop anything – the blender does all the work. Which also makes clean up a breeze. A quick rinse of the knife, cutting board and blender when your done, throw the produce trimmings in the compost and your good to go! Another great thing about blended salads is you can easily take them with you in a ‘go cup’.

Below are some guidelines for making a blended salad, but don’t be afraid to experiment with what you have on hand.

Ingredients
1-2 handfuls of leafy greens (spinach, beet greens, cilantro, lettuce, kale, chard, etc)
1 tomato
½ – 1 sweet pepper (red, green, or orange)
Cucumber (long English, field, etc)
1 clove garlic
½ – 1 cup sweet fruit (pineapple, apple, peach, mango, etc)
½ lemon or lime OR ½-1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
½ – 1 cup Filtered water (depending on how thick you like your blended salad)
Optional: 1 or 2 pitted dates; ½ tbsp honey or maple syrup; ½ carrot; ½ beet; fresh peas or beans; fennel or celery stalks; other salad ingredients

Directions
1.Place all ingredients in blender
2.Blend until smooth. You may need to use the blender’s plunger.
3.Serve in a wine glass, over ice if you like your salad cold.

Quick, satisfying, easy cleanup. Raspberry Shake can also be frozen in popsicle molds for a nurishing cool off on a hot afternoon.

Raspberry Shake is:
- Low to medium alkaline forming depending on what nuts you use
- Diabetic Friendly
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber

Ingredients
½ cup raw nuts (macadamias, cashews, almonds or your favourite)
1 or 2 dates, pit removed
2 cups water
1 cup frozen raspberries or if you want to use fresh raspberries, add ½ cup of ice cubes
Splash of Vanilla extract (optional)
¼ inch fresh ginger root (optional)

Directions
1. Place nuts, dates, water, and fresh ginger root (if using) in blender and blend until smooth
2. Add raspberries and blend again until smooth and frothy
3. Enjoy!

Rolled Oats Raw is quick and easy to prepare. Mix it up before you go to bed and it will be conveniently ready to eat when you wake up.

Rolled Oats Raw are:
- Low to Neutral Alkaline forming
- Diabetic Friendly (use caution with sweeteners and fruit)
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber
- Raw

Ingredients
½ cup rolled oats per serving
1 cup water per serving
¼ cup plain yogurt or to taste

Optional Ingredients. Remember you don’t need to use all the optional ingredients. Just pick and choose what you like and what you have on hand.
- Chopped raw nuts: almonds, walnuts, filberts, pine nuts, etc
- Seeds (whole or ground): sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, salba, hemp, etc
- Chopped dried fruit: raisons, currents, apricots, dates, coconut, etc
- Sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, etc
- Fresh or frozen fruit: berries, apples, peaches, bananas, etc
- Dash of flavouring: cinnamon, ginger (fresh grated or dry powdered), dark chocolate (grated), allspice, vanilla extract, carob powder, lemon or lime zest

Directions
1. Place rolled oats and what ever optional ingredients you are using into a glass bowl
2. Add water and stir well
3. Cover with an upturned side plate and place in fridge over night
4. In the morning the oats and other ingredients will be plumped up by the water
5. Spoon yogurt on top
6. Serve and enjoy

Contrary to popular believe porridge cooks up quickly, in about the time it takes you to dry your hair or put on makeup.

You don’t have to buy those sugared up individual little packets to have porridge in a hurry. Purchase organic ‘quick’ rolled oats in bulk (using your own reusable bag) or buy the paper bagged version.

“Quick” oats are simply rolled oats that have been ground up a little so they cook more quickly. You can make your own by whirling steel cut oats dry in the blender for a few seconds.

Rolled Oats Cooked are:
- Low to Neutral Alkaline forming
- Diabetic Friendly (use caution with sweeteners and fruit)
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber

Ingredients
½ cup ‘quick’ oats per serving
¾ – 1½  cups water per serving (depending on how thick you like it)

Optional Ingredients. Remember you don’t need to use all the optional ingredients. Just pick and choose what you like and what you have on hand.
- Chopped nuts (raw or roasted): almonds, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, etc
- Seeds (whole or ground): sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, salba, hemp, etc
- Chopped dried fruit: raisons, currents, apricots, dates, coconut, etc
- Sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, etc
- Fresh or frozen fruit: berries, apples, peaches, bananas, etc
- Dash of flavouring: cinnamon, ginger (fresh grated or dry powdered), dark chocolate (grated), allspice, vanilla extract, carob powder, lemon or lime zest
- Milk or Milk substitute: almond, rice, hemp seed milk, etc. If you make the porridge ‘sloppy’, i.e. you add a little extra water during cooking so it doesn’t thicken up as much, you won’t need to add milk. This is a great way to serve porridge to lactose intolerant individuals without incurring the expense of milk substitutes.

Directions
1. Stir oats and water together in a pan and bring to a boil
2. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 3 – 7 minutes, stirring often
3. When enough water has evaporated so the porridge is the desired thickness, remove from heat
4. Add optional ingredients if using
5. Serve and enjoy

Hint: Remember to put the pot to soak right away to make clean up a breeze.

Quick to prepare, this raw dish is perfect for those last minute potluck get-togethers.

Garlic Broccoli Offering is:
- Medium Alkaline forming
- Diabetic Friendly
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber
- Raw

Ingredients
2 stalks broccoli
6 garlic cloves (adjust to your preference)
½ tsp sea salt (adjust to your preference)
¼ cup hemp or olive oil
Juice from two limes
Handful of chopped cilantro and/or parsley (optional)

Directions
1. Finely chop broccoli and garlic
2. Mix all ingredients together
3. Enjoy with a friend

Orange Juice with a Fresh Green Twist

Do know where orange juice comes from?

Ok that’s a bit of a smart-ass question … but to make a point I thought I would ask.

Of course orange juice comes from oranges. But most of the orange juice for sale in supermarkets has been pasteurized and hot packed in plastic bottles. So you are buying an inferior product in non-degradable packaging. Sure it’s inexpensive and convenient, but at what cost to our health and our environment?

Why not make your own orange juice with your blender. (A VitaMix is ideal for this task.)

And while your at it, throw in some fresh greens and you’ve got a high fiber super drink at a fraction of the cost of purchasing powdered green super food, which by the way, is also a processed food housed in a pesky plastic tub.

OGJ is:
- Neutral Alkaline forming when made with spinach
- Medium Alkaline forming when made with Kale
- Diabetic Friendly
- Gluten Free
- High Fiber 
- Raw

OGJ is best enjoyed fresh and it will keep in fridge for up to 12 hours.

Ingredients
1 orange peeled
1-2 handfuls of any leafy greens such as spinach and kale
¼ lime peeled
¼ – ½ inch fresh ginger (optional)
2 cups water
Ice (optional)

Directions
1. Wash all ingredients under running water.
2. Place all ingredients in blender (put leafy greens in last)
3. Add 2 cups filtered water
4. Blend until all ingredients are well pulverized (30-45 seconds in a VitaMix) and the OGJ is a frothy bright green
5. Serve over ice