Jody's Kitchen

Gluten Free Lasagna

2010-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

I cant believe it! It has been over a year since I last posted on the blog!!! Just after the last post, we bought a house and I found out that I was pregnant! I gave birth to my sweet baby girl on June 28th! Now I am just getting back into the swing of things, and have some time to write some recipes on the blog again!
Here is my Zucchini Lasagna Recipe!

Jody’s Turkey Lasagna
1 lb Lean Ground Turkey Breast
Onion
1 clove Garlic
Basil
Oregano
Marjoram
Fennel seed
1 jar Good Quality Pasta Sauce (no added sweetener or artificial sweetener)
Stevia, applesauce, or agave nectar and Balsamic Vinegar

Add onion and garlic to a cast frying pan with water (if not cast iron or non-stick use oil) being careful not to burn. Saute on medium high heat until translucent and add turkey and spices, cook breaking apart until the meat is no longer pink. Add Pasta Sauce and mix.
Add sweetener and balsamic vinegar to taste.

“Ricotta”
Cottage Cheese
Basil
Oregano
Garlic Powder
1 egg
Mix together

2-3 Zucchinis
Cut off ends and peel
Slice vertically and thinly with a knife or mandoline
Steam until Tender

1st Layer zucchini on the bottom of the dish
2nd Layer marinara
3rd Layer cottage cheese mix
4th Layer zucchini
5th Layer marinara
Top with small amount of part skim mozzarella, bake at 350 until cheese starts to brown.

Spring Collard Rolls with Thai Ginger Curry Dip

2009-09-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

The forecast for tomorrow says snow....I am not ready for it, especially a week before my birthday:( Its warm fall nights like this, right before a snow storm that makes a person want to move to Arizona. I love Montana in the summer, but the winter is hard to make tolerate sometimes. Hopefully today's recipe will help you to stay warm in the days coming :)

I have decided to make this post about preping before hand, since healthy food preparation for busy folks is my specialty! When dealing with raw food, we are using foods that are full of water, and that separate easily, so it starts out harder to make everything before hand but there are a few things that we can do ahead of time to make things go smoother, and faster. Here are a few examples...

*Take just one hour out of your busy week to make a meal plan that will fit into your schedule for the next week, there is nothing worse than going to the store and not knowing what to get...as soon as you get home you will remember everything you forgot.

*When you get home from the farmers market, or grocery store(or if you have a garden) make sure to take time and prepare and cut all of your veggies. If you get home from work, you are tired and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to look in the fridge and find a huge amount of veggies to be cut before they are put into a salad.

*It takes just over 3 hours per week for me to prep the meals for the week for both my husband and I. This saves us money and time later in the week, and we are less likely to cheat when we have our meals planned and ready to go.

Here are some examples of raw meals that can be prepped for the days ahead:

*Spiralized Zucchini, Marinara, and "Neatballs"(Separated)
*Salads with chopped veggies(dry) Make dressing and store in a glass bottle.
*Collard wraps with nut pate
*Spring Rolls with sauce separate

Recipe for a DELICIOUS make ahead meal

Spring Collard Rolls with Thai Ginger Dip

Collard Wraps(cut into two parts down the middle on each side of the tough stalk)
Bell Peppers cut into long strips
Zucchini cut into matchsticks
Carrots cut into matchsticks
Sprouts of choice

Lay the halved collard wrap on a cutting board with the dark green side down.
Fill with bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and sprouts.
Roll up!

Thai Ginger Curry Dip:

½ c apple cider vinegar
1c water
¼ c olive oil
4 T almond butter
2 T sesame oil or tahini
3 T nama shoyu
3 T agave nectar
2 cloves garlic
4-5 leaves basil or cilantro
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T curry powder
1 T fresh grated ginger
¼ c sun-dried tomato bits
Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Add everything to the blender and blend on medium speed until creamy. Dip Rolls in dressing.
Enjoy!

You NEED to give yourself some Transitioning time!

2009-09-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes even though you just want to jump into the raw food revolution, you just have to force yourself to transition slowly...Some people do this, and some people just cant wait...like me! When I first started eating raw foods I started to feel really sick, almost like morning sickness for about 3 weeks. I had read that people need to take the transition time seriously, but I wa so gung ho about it that I decided that I would take the chance on becoming sick...well if I knew better I would have not done it that way again.

This is what tends to happen especially to young people the funny thing is that you would think that younger people would have an easier time detoxing because they dont have as many toxins to get rid of...but from what I have seen, younger people get sicker when they have no transition...my theory is that younger people have a harder time just switching to all raw foods because they are still young and their bodies respond more readily to the enzymes and their body is more efficiently expelling toxins than someone 30 years older than them.

I really value Natilia Rose's books because of this. She gives you a quiz to find out where you are in the scheme of things(eating habits) does your diet consist only of dairy, starchy carbs and red meat? Does your diet consist of mainly wild fish and organic veggies? Or have you been a rawfoodist for 5 years? She lays out a plan for you according to your level, and gives you ideas about transition foods that you can use to get you to the place you want to be. If you are switching from a highly processed diet with almost no organic foods use these as transition foods to substitiute unstead of your regular fare.

Bread- Sprouted Grain Ezekiel Breads(tortillas, bagels, and pitas)
Potatoes- Baked Yam or Sweet Potato
Sugary Cereals- Steel Cut Oats or Multigrain Cereal
Peanut Butter- Raw Almond Butter
Sugar- Stevia, Agave Nectar, Raw Honey
Milk and Yogurt- Coconut Milk and Coconut Yogurt, Almond Milk
Pasta- Brown rice, kamut, quinoa pastas or zucchini pasta(made with spiralizer)raw
Muffins- Manna Bread(Date, or Cinnamon Raisin)
Ice Cream- Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
Cheese- Goat Cheese
Rice- Brown Rice
Meat and Fish- Wild Salmon, Lean cuts of Grass Fed Beef, Free Range Organic Chicken
Eggs- Local Free Range Eggs
Nuts- Preferrably always soaked and raw

Tips for Transitioning:

*Drink a green smoothie or juice every day

*Try to limit Meat, Poultry and Fish to 1 serving per day if at all.
(make sure it is the best quality flesh products,you dont want grain fed beef, even if it is organic,the best is grass fed and organic beef, you want only wild fish, and only free range organic chicken with no antibiotics or hormones)

*If you have room for a garden, dig it! If not look for CSA's and farmers markets, buy local produce whenever possible.

*Dont focus on what you are missing...focus on what you are adding to your life!

*Eat one large salad everyday.

*Eat raw until dinner, then you can eat Salmon and salad, A baked yam and a large salad with avocado, or steamed veggies and a good tasting organic marinara sauce with some goat cheese melted on top.

*Keep your goals in mind.

*If you run into a healing crisis, and are detoxing, add in plenty of greens in your diet, such as juice and green smoothies, making digestion easier for your body and try adding in a few steamed veggies or Baked sweet potato to help slow down the detox, so that your body can handle it better.

The Best to the Worst

*All Raw fruits and vegetables

*Lightly Steamed Low Starch Veggies(everything but potatoes, butterbut squash and pumpkin)

*Raw Nuts and Seeds

*Vegetable oils including olive, flax and hemp oils.

*Cooked Starchy Veggies(sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin etc.)

*Raw Unpasturized Dairy Products especially goats milk

* Whole Grains(brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, whole wheat

* Flesh Products and Pasturized Dairy

*All non whole grain flour products

*Sugar

*Cooked Animal Fats(lard, processesed soy products, mainstream meat products)

* Chemicals, artificial coloring, unnatural additives.

Transitioning food ideas Meal Ideas for the Aspiring Raw Foodist

*Steel Cut oats Or multigrain cereal with dried fruit and nuts

*Raw Granola and Almond Milk

*Smoothie with Banana, Pineapple, water, and Spinach.

*Large Green Juice with Cuke, Chard, Lemon and 1 Apple...add stevia to sweeten

*5 oz Baked Salmon with a large green Salad and good
quality olive oil and Balsalmic Vinegar

*Large Green Salad with raw veggies of your choice, 1 Baked Yam and avocado

*Good Quality Marinara Sauce with Steamed Veggies, and or Brown Rice Pasta or Zucchini Pasta, add shredded goat cheese on top if desired.

*Large Salad or Collard Wrap with Nut Pate

*Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sundried tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Asparagus

Asian Marinated Veggies

2009-09-20T15:51:00.001-07:00

Asian Marinated Veggies

This asian inspired dish is easy to make, marinating the veggies in the dressing helps to break down the wood-like fiber which makes them tender, and enhances the colors.
Feel free to double the batch the veggies just get better as they sit in the dressing!

Ginger Dressing
½ c sesame oil
½ c apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic
½ inch peeled Ginger
Stevia to taste
Place everything in the blender and run on low until combined

Veggies
1 head broccoli trimmed
1c peeled carrots cut into bite size pieces
1 handful bean sprouts
1c shredded or thinly sliced red cabbage
3 green onions

Place everything in a large bowl and pour dressing over everything,
toss and let marinate for 30 minutes at room
temperature or in the refrigerator over night!

*Serve on a bed of “rice” made with celery root or Jicama and sprinkle with almonds or sesame seeds for a gorgeous presentation!

Meditteranean Dolmas and Heirloom Tomato Salad

2009-09-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today I am brainstorming about classes, what do people want when they go to a cooking or "uncooking" class???

Do they want information on the foods they are using? Do they want tips to use that would make prep go faster and smoother?

Do they want to know how we should eat and discussion on nutrition? Do they want a Theme meal such as Southwestern Cuisine? Or do they want a Beginniners or Advanced Class?

Do they want more hands on or do they want some good quality recipes, and to see how to do the basic techniques just to get started on their own?

I am sure people want a combination of these things, but I would like to get some imput from others about this so that I can form classes that will keep my students informed and feel like they are getting their money's worth. So let me know what you would want from a class.

I love Tomato season! Heirloom Tomatoes are my favorite, green, yellow, purple, and orange tomatoes...how beautiful! I went to the coop the other day and found these colorful tomatoes and had to get them! I picked up some purple basil as well and this is what it turned out to be! The dolmas are wraped in Collards...usually make my own recipes to put on the blog but this time I used Ani Phyos recipe and it was Delicious!

Ani Phyos Mediterranean Dolmas
1/4 c chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 T chopped dill
2 T raisins
1/4 pine nuts
1 T olive oil
pinch sea salt

Collard Leaf Destemmed and cut into 4 peices

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl, exept for the collard leaf. Mix by hand and roll a tablespoon of the mixure into the destemmed quarter of the collard. Repeat.

Heirloom Tomato Salad
4 Heirloom Tomatoes(different colors)
1/4 red onion chopped
1 T balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1 T fresh basil cut into long strips (chiffonade)
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add everything to a bowl, mix, plate and Enjoy!

Cooling Cilantro Lime Soup with Strawberry Peach Pico de Gallo

2009-09-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

I have been really enjoying the Strawberry Peach Pico de Gallo that I posted last...yummy. Today was pretty warm, I wanted to make a delicious cleansing meal for dinner, and have been eyeing a similar recipe in one of my raw books...Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis...I love her books! I have a dream to go to pure food and wine in New York some day!

Anyway...I wanted to make something beautiful. To tell you the truth, I have only made one Raw soup that I really enjoyed,which was the gazpacho that I posted a few weeks ago, and tend to shy away from them for that reason. I thought this soup was also exceptionally delicious and will make it again for sure!

The cucumber in this soup is so cooling on a warm summer day, also it is a natural diuretic, so it will help the cleansing process along. The cilantro in this soup will help you to purge any heavy metals in your body...feel free to add more if you like...I love cilantro!The avocados are a wonderful source of fat for women that have a harder time to digest nuts, even when sprouted. Feel free to make this in the winter as well, and use oranges that are in season when you make the salsa.

3 cups of cucumber with peel on and seeds included
3 medium avocados pitted and peeled
2 1/2 c filtered water
1 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh garlic
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 large handful cilantro leaves
1 T sea salt

Blend everything until completely smooth, and add additional water and salt as needed.

"Chocolate Chip" Cookie Bars

2009-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up refreshed and vibrant! I took my morning shower and had a big green juice with chard, lemon, cucumber, and apple. Yum! I went to gesundheit to pick up protein to make my protein brownies for two of my favorite clients.

When I got out to my kitchen I started making the Raw Brownies that I am selling to Montana Harvest...OHHH NOOO! I didnt have cacao powder!!! So I decided to add some cacao nibs that I had...omg!!! This is the best accident that I have ever made! They taste just like chocolate chip cookie dough...I had to do a double take, wait...these are RAW! No sugar! No Dairy, No Flour or Gluten...and they are about the easiest thing you can make! this recipe will change the way you look at cookie dough forever! YUMMM!

3 cups raw walnuts soaked and dehydrated
1 cup dates
1/4 cup cacao nibs
few cranks of sea salt

Put the walnuts in the food processor and grind until the oil releases and the nut flour starts to stick together. Add the rest of the ingredients and process for about 1 minute until it balls up. Press into a cookie pan. Top with more nibs and chopped walnuts. Freeze until solid and cut into bars!

Southwest Carrot "Couscous" with Peach and Strawberry Pico de Gallo

2009-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have been craving lighter food lately, less nuts and more veggies and fruits, probably because all of the delicious produce in season. I found montana grown heirloom carrots, peaches, cilantro, red onion and tomatos at the last farmers market. I decided to make something delicious with this wonderful cornucopia of foods...this is what I came up with.

Carrot Couscous:

2 cups local organic carrots chopped
1/2 tomato chopped
handful cilantro chopped
hanful carrot tops chopped
2 Tbs red onion diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander or whatever southwest spices you want to use
a few cranks of sea salt
*Process carrots in food processor until the carrot peices are the size of couscous, transfer to a bowl. Add everything else and mix.

Peach and Strawberry Pico de Gallo:

2 peaches diced
4 strawberries diced
2 Tbs red onion diced
1/2 tomato diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
handful cilantro
few cranks of sea salt
*Put everything in a bowl and mix.

Transfer everything onto a plate and garnish with avocado!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Hummus

2009-09-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Its late summer here in Montana, and the zucchinis are thriving...while trying to find a good recipe for my friend that has zucchini growing out of her ears, I decided to use the zucchini she gave to me in some delicious zucchini hummus.

I didnt have enough tahini so I used a little bit of almond butter and it tasted wonderful. I also used kalamata olives and carmelized garlic infused Italian olive oil...it was so delicious! Next time I might add some sun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper, or whatever else sounds good at the moment.

This is a good recipe to play with. It is very forgiving so make your own! I love to serve this in a collard wrap, or with fresh red orange and yellow carrots, bell peppers and celery. This is such an easy recipe and oh so delicious!

Oh ya forgot to tell everyone...my husband HATES olives, and he absolutely LOVED the hummus, he can usually detect them in anything, but he didnt this time!

Zucchini Hummus

2 peeled and cubed zucchini
1/2 c raw tahini
1/4 c almond butter
1/2 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 t sea salt
1/2 T ground cumin

Put everything in ur blender and blend until creamy!

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

2009-09-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

The 29th was my Papas 52nd Birthday! We had such a great time. We went to Missoula for the 4th annual Roots Fest, that is put on by a good friend. Connecting with old friends is always so great! We got to see some of the people that we meet up with every year at Rockygrass, including Michael Hornick of Shanti Guitars, Ellen, and Chuck Midgley. We also took my sweet neices to Splash Montana and had a good day in the sun. We stayed at my Aunt and Uncles house in Lolo, had long conversations, and lots of fun. Needless to say I didnt have time to make my dad a Birthday Cake, so I made one last night that I think he will love.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

Serves 12

*Brownie Bottom:
3 cups walnuts
1-1 1/2 cup dates
pinch salt
process all ingredients in your food processor, until everything forms a ball and sticks together

*Cherry or Berry(Raw Dairy Free agave or stevia sweetened)
Ice Cream Bought or Homemade

*Raspberries

*Dark Chocolate(Raw Dairy Free agave or stevia sweetened)
Ice Cream Bought or Homemade

*Fresh Raspberries

*Chocolate Ganache
1/2 c agave syrup
1/2 c melted coconut butter
1/2 c cacao powder

prepare brownie bottom and press into a 9" springform pan
add the softened berry ice cream, and top with fresh raspberries,
freeze until firm
add the softened chocolate ice cream top with remainder of raspberries
freeze until firm
prepare chocolate ganache by mixing melted coconut butter with agave and coconut.
cut into desired slices
drizzle ganache over top

Guacos with Shredded Beets and Micro Greens

2009-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious and fresh rendition of tacos, and it only takes a fraction of the time that my other recipe does. Just fill the "tacos" with guacamole and your fave veggies and they are ready to go! Yum!

Serves 1-2

Guacamole:
1 mashed avocodo
1/2 lemon
few cranks himalayan salt
1 tomato
1/4 red onion
handful cilantro

mix all ingredients together and fill romaine leaves with guacamole. Top with shredded carrots, beets, scallions, more cilantro and micro greens. Enjoy as many as you want...these are oh so satisfying.

The Importance of a Healthy Colon

2009-08-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Most people think that detoxing is just taking a pill or eating a very strict diet, and in that way you dont need to do anything else. That is only the first part of the puzzle. The toxins must be eliminated. If you are not eliminating the toxins that you have released into the blood stream again, they will just recontaminate the body.

If it is neccesary, a person should look into hydrocolon therapy. I know people that have gone in for colonics, and 6 sessions later, were 15lbs lighter. This is for people that are NOT overweight.

The colon is also reffered to as the "second immune system" this means that if your colon is unhealthy or you dont have enough good bacteria in your gut, it can bring your immune system down, and you can get sick easily, as well as develop a candida condition that will need to be taken care of. Scientists estimate that 70 percent of people have Candida colonies in their intestines or mouths or on their skin. If you already have candida issues it is good to have colonics done, and introduce plant enzymes and probiotics into the diet.

Typical symptoms of candida overgrowth may include jock itch, depression, dry, itchy, flaky skin, anxiety, recurring irritability or mood swings, heartburn, indigestion, lethargy, food and environmental allergies, joint soreness, chest pain, acne or other skin problems, migraine headaches, recurring cystitis/vaginal infections, premenstrual tension, and menstrual problems. We make no inference that this product will treat any of these imbalances. We only provide this information as a public health service. Only the body can heal itself and only when given the proper raw materials.

If candida is present it is a good idea to cut out all sugars in the diet, and only eat low glycemic fruits, no fermented foods like vinegar, soy sauce etc. Breads are another food that candida feeds on.

Southwestern Gazpacho

2009-08-21T18:44:00.001-07:00

When it is hot outside and all you dont feel like putting much work into dinner, I always make this tasty dish! Its easy and all you need to make it is a blender, and a kitchen knife. Serve this in a bowl and use your favorite toppings to dress it up, and make it chunky!

3 Large Tomatoes(preferrably local and vine ripened)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 c packed sun dried tomatoes(soaked in water)
1/4 c red onion
Juice of one lime
1 T mexican seasoning
hand full cilantro
1/4 packet stevia
himalayan sea salt to taste

Pick your fave toppings:
Scallions
Avocado
Cilantro
more lime juice
fresh corn cut off the cob
micro greens
minced bell pepper
minced red onion
chopped heirloom tomatoes

Put all of the ingredients for the gazpacho in the blender...blend on the lowest speed. Blend until most everything is liquid but still a little chunky. Transfer to a bowl. Top with your favorite ingredients!

Enjoy!

“Cheesy” Fried Kale Crisps

2009-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

“Cheesy” Fried Kale Crisps
The name sounds like the junk food you used to love when you were a kid right?
Well let me tell you it tastes even better than it sounds. I love to curl up to a movie with a bowl of these yummy chips it’s the next best thing to the trans fat
laden popcorn they serve at the cinema only better!

2-3 bunches kale

Dressing:
¾ c raw tahini
¼ c nama shoyu or tamari
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ c water
2 scallions chopped
1 clove garlic or teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of one lime
3 cranks or ¼ t pink himalayan sea salt
1 tsp curry powder

Cut kale into bite size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
Place all of the dressing ingredients in the blender and run until smooth.
Pour the dressing into the kale and massage with your hands to thoroughly coat the kale.
Place kale on 3 teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 6 hours at 115 degrees.

My Daily Green

2009-08-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

Every morning when I wake up almost without fail, I enjoy a large glass of green juice. Consisting of chard, lemon, apple and cucumber. I usually will only use
1/2-1 apple in the juice depending on the size, and then sweeten it with stevia as needed, to keep the glycemic index low.

Green juice in particular is AMAZING stuff! Here is some potential benefits of greens such as chard, kale, collards,etc.
Greens contain...

- more vitamin A than carrots
- more vitamin C than oranges
- more vitamin E than whole wheat
- more vitamin B2 than milk
- quality proteins (with a good amino acid profile)

Frederic Patenaude, co-founder with Victoria Boutenko of the 'Green for Life says, greens "provide essential alkaline minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are found in insufficient quantities in fruit, nuts and seeds, not to mention in other more conventional, acid-forming foods." They are also rich in potassium, iron and zinc. All of which are essential for human health.

Here is some things you can do to get more greens in your diet.

*Green Juice of course
*Green Smoothies~add some spinach to your post workout shake with some yummy fruit!
*Make a raw green soup!
*Kale and Spinach Salads
*Kale Chips
*Add spinach to lasagna
*dip some raw veggies into homemade avocado spinach dip
*Use a collard green to make a wrap, fill with whatever your heart desires!

So go ahead and chug those greens!

The Importantance of Exercise

2009-08-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Weightlifting, Crossfit, Running, Swimming, Hiking, Yoga etc. Whatever you are doing is helping your blood circulate more freely through your body, eliminating toxins built up in your system, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. If you arent doing any kind of exercise...I encourage you to! Exercise is much more important than most of you think! Feeling and looking great are just side effects of a healthy body.

Weight training helps to prevent osteoporosis in females, shapes strong lean bodies, and breaks down old muscle fiber to make room for the body to make new. Women! Dont be scared of hitting the weights! You will not end up looking huge and bulky, before I started weightlifting, I felt I had an unproportional body because my legs were naturally muscular and my arms were twigs. I now finally have guns and feel like I look much more proportional than ever before.

If you are having a hard time starting with a program or are stuck and feel your at a plateau a personal trainer can be very helpful. Lisa and Chris Lupo are some of the sweetest people I know and have just opened a crossfit gym in Bozeman. Please check it out. They are both Personal trainers and can get you on the right track right away!

Eating cleansing foods is also a very important factor in detox and overall health, but in my experience it is best to use both to get the best results possible. If you are eating foods that contain artifical ingredients that cannot be absorbed by the body, they will just be absorbed into the cells because the body doesnt know what to do with them. Try to find the least processed foods available and eat plenty of veggies and fruit, to help your blood stay alkaline and to wash out all of those nasty toxins that are helping to cause drowsyness, a foggy mind, memory loss, weight gain, cellulite, and so many other ailments.

Here are some of my favorite shakes I drink after getting home from a hard workout.

Strawberry Lime Postworkout Shake

1 Lime with the peel cut off
1 c strawberries
1 scoop protein, your preference

Banana Cacao

1/2 banana
1 date
1/2 c almond milk
1 scoops protein, your preference
1/4 c ice cubes
1/4 c cacao nibs

Blend banana, dates, almond milk, buckwheat, and ice cubes and protein until smooth. Add cacao nibs and run on low for a few seconds, but make sure to leave some whole to add crunch and texture to your smoothie.

Be Local Buy Local

2009-08-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

To follow up on my last post I decided to help people understand the importance for people to buy and eat locally and seasonally. Its much harder here of course, since we have such a short growing season here, but if everyone was to either plant their own garden, get to the farmers market a couple of times a week, or even hit your nearest grocery store that carries local produce they would see that it is well worth it!

Everything just tastes better...especially home grown carrots and tomatoes...there is no comparison what so ever! Some produce such as tomatoes are picked before they are ripe to be shipped. This makes them mushy and much higher glycemic than a vine ripened tomato(seems strange since vine ripened taste so much sweeter.)No to mention the fossil fuels used up to ship the produce long distances. You might start to see produce in your local store 3-4 weeks after it was picked.

The problem is the sooner you pick the produce, the less nutrition it has, and the longer it takes to get from the farm to the table, the more nutrition the food has lost. This is a double whammy...for your food. So make the choice to eat locally. Really you are supporting your community and getting more bang for your buck when you buy locally and seasonally.

I went to the farmers market at the fairgrounds this morning and filled my basket up with 3 huge bags of chard(for juicing), 2 bunches of heirloom carrots, one bag of sugar snap peas, and one bag of lettuce for salads. So even if its just for the summer, support your local farmers and make your tastebuds happy while your at it!

2009-08-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today I prepared all of my customers meals and delivered them. Its hard starting your own business, but it is also rewarding in its own way. A few days ago while talking to some friends, a realization hit me hard and almost knocked me clear off of my feet...I knew it already but just didnt want to exept it. People want CHEAP food no matter what the cost...either to them or the envioronment. This really makes me sick knowing that a person would give up their health and vitality for their brand spankin' new Jeep Wrangler. It all comes down to what you make important right now. Yes I made my little mini cooper that I bought recently, more important than clothes or makeup. That was my choice and I am glad that I made it, but I always count my health and wellness first. Gym Membership CHECK
Healthy Food in my fridge...CHECK.
My Usana nutritionals...the best multi-vitamin ever...check.

Its funny when I talk to most people it isnt about the taste of the food at mcdonalds that makes them coming back for more...they usually aggreee that a grass fed burger tastes just as good or better if it is made right but it is all about price to most people. The biggest thing is that people need to resort their priorities and decide that what they are feeding themselves and their kids needs to be high on the list of priorites.

A big Ribeye Steak is a real MANS Food...at least that is how it is here in Montana. I would like to challenge that belief. Lean Grass Fed Beef off of your neibors ranch is one thing, but what you get at most large chain grocery stores in the US is excuse my french...SHIT! I was raised in Montana and grew up watching the cows graze in the tall lush grass all of my life...hell we had a cow that roamed free in our horse corral for years. When I came to know of the lives that the beef and nearly all of the meat animals had, I couldnt believe it. They are given hormones so that they grow to be slaughter size in less than half the time, they are given antibiotics because all of them are literally sick from eating the corn that they arent made to eat and can't digest properly in the rumen. The cows you see on feed lots are obese and sick...no wonder so many americans are the same. You are what you eat. I am happy that a few people are starting to realize what our food industry has turned into. With just one person at a time we can help to educate our society.

Now that I am down off of my soap box I would like to share the recipe for "Mock" Tuna Salad. I had this yesterday for lunch. I make it quite often...It tastes just like the real thing...and it is so easy to make!

Mock Tuna Salad

Cashew Mayo:
2 c cashews(soaked)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c lemon juice
1/4 c filtered water
1/4 c stone ground mustard
a hand full of fresh dill
1 1/2 t salt or to taste

"Tuna":
3 c sunflower seeds(soaked)
4 stalks celery(chopped)
3 scallions or 1/2 red onion(chopped)

Process cashews garlic, filtered water, mustard, salt and dill in the food processor until it reaches a creamy texture. Pour into a bowl.

Place the sunflower seeds in the food processor and pulse just briefly for a chunky texture. Remove to the bowl with the "mayo". Add celery, scallions and whatever else sounds good. Mix everything together and taste. Serve atop a beautiful colorful salad or in a collard as a wrap.

Enjoy!

Homemade Coconut Yukon Bar

2009-08-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I felt an intense craving coming on to go to the store and purchase a package of Klondike Bars...of course laden with all of the preservatives, refined sugar and dairy I decided against it.

I thought that this would be the perfect time to turn to Dr. Raw's experimental kitchen...Mwa Ha ha!!! So I started searching for different ideas for the wafer and the ice cream...I decided that the base of the wafer could be made of oat groats made into flour using the vitamix, and could be held together with coconut oil as well as sweetened with agave. I then pressed it unto a pan and dehydrated it for that cookie like consistency.

For the ice cream I added a new twist to my original cashew ice cream recipe...I didnt want a huge amount of sugar content, and I wanted some coconut flavor so I added some thai coconut meat, coconut water, shredded coconut and sweetened it only with stevia.

The hardest part as always is waiting...but I was thanfully busy yesterday and that kept my mind off of the yummy treats that I would eat that night.

We played at the farmers market yesterday and before we started playing I was all set with fresh local organic produce for the next few days. We played for about two hours and packed it up at 8:00 when we got home, I assembled the Yukon bars and made some hot tea for myself let me tell you it was well worth the wait...heres another one for the cookbook!

"Yukon" Bars

makes 8 bars

Wafer

2 c raw cacao powder

2 c oat flour(made with oat groats in the vitamix)

1/2 t sea salt

1 c agave syrup

1/2 T coconut oil

1/2 t vanilla extract

Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add all wet ingredients and kneed with hands until it sticks together nicely. Press thinly into a half sheet pan and dehydrate @ 110 degrees for 8-10 hours. Cut into 16 squares.

Ice Dream

1 1/2 c cashews

1/2 c thai coconut meat

1 1/2 c coconut water

1/2 c shredded coconut

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t sea salt

3 pkg stevia powder

1 t coconut oil

Blend all ingredients in the vitamix until smooth. You may need to add more water if needed, and use pusher to help the machine mix without forming an air bubble. Pour into a pan 1/2 the size of the first and freeze until firm.

Enjoy!

August Raw Food Potluck

2009-08-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last friday we had another successful raw potluck in Bozeman! Jennifer hosted this one and boy let me tell you...she is such a sweet and gracious person! She made homemade Kim Chi that she insisted was too spicy...oooohhhh it was so delicious!

Dorothy made homemade kombucha, and rhubarb crumble. Dad brought a marinated kale salad with avocodo, cranberries and red peppers that was to die for! I always meet the sweetest people at these meetings, and this time was no different. I met Stephanie for the first time, though I had seen her picture on our Gallatin Valley Raw Foods site, she is such a wonderful warm person, Stephanie brought amazing avocodo dip and local carrots and snap peas. I made a marinated local beet and carrot salad and my famous New York "Cheeze" cake.

When everyone was about ready to leave Jennifer pulled a few of us away to give us some of her home grown Chinese lettuce and chives. She was bounding happily back and forth through the grass to make sure that we got enough produce to last us a week...just like something my grandma would do...it makes me miss her, but im happy to have such fond memories of her.

We went home to get ready for our gig in Livingston which started @ 10pm, we left just in time and got the bose set up and ready to go @ the Murray! My good friend Hayley showed up which was great! The sound wasnt the greatest...but I had fun anyway watching drunk people get out of hand. Plus its always fun playing music with Ash, Marcus and Russ.