This will be the final post on this blog!
 
All future posts will be on my new blog which is listed below. The focus of the blog is on how to make a healthy lifestyle work for you: Recipes, "Uncooking" classes, Raw Events, Potlucks, Green Smoothies, Health, Kitchen Tips, and the Environment.  

Here is the new address:  http://ezrawliving.blogspot.com 

The new blog is working now, so have a look and let me know what you think, and what info you would like to see!

Thank you for visiting this site, and I hope you enjoy visiting the new EZ Raw Living blog! 

You are invited to our next Potluck on Sunday Feb 21 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, with food sharing at 6 pm, guest speaker at 7:10 pm.

Nory Johrden, who teaches about Regeneration and Whole Food Preparation, will be our guest speaker. Nory has taught for eight years including workshops at BCIT. Sunrider's Philosophy of Regeneration is based on the principle that with whole food nutrition (vitamins; minerals; complex carbohydrates; amino acids; fat) NOT chemicals, the body can heal itself of almost anything.

$5 per adult.....Please Bring.....

• a raw vegan dish, organic if possible, to serve 8 or more adults
• no animal products, no cooked ingredients
• an ingredient list for your dish
• your own serving utensils, plate, mug, bowl and cutlery
• children welcome with parental supervision
• Please call 604-854-3310 to confirm your attendance

One difference between using a juicer and a blender is that the juice contains no fibre. Therefore when the body has a hard time digesting the fibre in food, juicing is a way to slowly introduce the much needed nutrients. Juicing can contribute to health in specific situations such as a severely weakened immune system. If you notice digestion is a problem as you are transitioning to raw food, you may want to try this. Make juice once a day for 2 weeks, and then switch to making green smoothies once a day for the next 2 weeks. Become aware of how your body feels during this 4 week period. Allow your body time to adjust while assimilation of nutrients from juicing takes place, and notice how you feel as the intake of fibre from green smoothies begins to eliminate toxic waste accumulations.
 
JUICING - Be aware that combining starchy vegetables with fruits can cause gas in the intestines - personally the only fruit I add when juicing is an apple.



Carrot Juice
5 medium carrots
Juice through a juicer - simple. Serves 1.

Joint Lubricator Juice
1 bunch celery
2 cucumbers
1 apple (for mild sweetening)
Juice through a juicer and enjoy while fresh. Serves 1-2.

Carrot Beet Ginger Juice
3-4 medium carrots
1/4 to 1/2 beet, sliced (begin with less)
1/2 to 1" slice of ginger
1 small clove garlic (optional)
Juice together in a juicer and enjoy. Serves1.


GREEN SMOOTHIES - from the Boutenko Family
Dark leafy greens are the only food group that helps digest other foods through stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes - so greens can be combined with any other foods!



Blue-Green Aloe Smoothie
2 cups water
1 head romaine lettuce
1 medium Fuji apple
1/4 lime
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 small leaf aloe
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. NOTE: Great drink for diabetics, because blueberries and aloe naturally reduce blood sugar. Serves 2-3.

Minty Thrill
4 ripe pears
4-5 leaves of kale
1/2 bunch of mint
2 cups water
Mix all in blender. Yield: 1 quart of smoothie.

Parsley Passion Smoothie
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 cucumber, peeled
1 Fuji apple
1 ripe banana
1-2 cups water
Mix all in blender. Yield: 2 quarts

Here is a beautiful RAW cake that we made in the "Uncooking" class held last Sunday Feb 7th. It is two layers with raspberries in the middle, chocolate frosting - and was sooo yummy!

Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake                  Yield:  6 servings

Using carob cuts down on the caffeine in the cacao - or try mixing half cacao and half carob.

 

Fudge Cake

3 cups dry walnuts                                             1 cup pitted Medjool dates

2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder/carob powder        ¼ tsp sea salt
Combine the walnuts, cacao powder and salt in food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed. Avoid over processing. Add the dates and pulse until mixed well. Shape into 2 stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.

 

Frosting

1/3 cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates   ½ cup avocado (about 1 medium)

¼ cup Agave syrup                                 1/3 cup cacao powder/carob powder
Combine the dates and agave syrup in food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocado and process until smooth. Add the cacao powder and process until smooth.

 

Filling

½ cup raspberries
Frost the top of one of the cakes with half the frosting and top with the raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and side. Serve immediately, or place in refrigerator for a couple of hours to firm up. The cake on its own will keep in the fridge for many weeks. The frosting will keep separately in the fridge for 1 week. The assembled cake with raspberries will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

DVDs are a great way to inform yourself about the benefits of eating Organic Raw Living foods, GMOs (genetically modified foods), and to learn how commercially sold foods are grown. These DVDs are available from the library, with the exception of the last two by the Boutenkos and their website is another good resource.

Gardens of Destiny - Salt Spring Island Seed Sanctuary about benefits of organic food

The World According to Monsanto - about how this huge corporation is controlling the world's seeds

Healing Cancer: from inside out, Mike Anderson - standard medical practices and natural solutions

One man, one cow, one planet - the farming revolution in India, and one man out to save the world

Raw for Life/Raw for Thirty - health benefits of eating raw for 30 days

Reversing the irreversible - testimonials of people eating raw (available at www.rawfamily.com )

Greens can save your life - Victoria Boutenko (available at www.rawfamily.com)

Two months ago I transplanted two tiny Hedera Ivy plants, and I wanted to share with you this picture of how they look now. Thanks to weekly feedings of leftover Green Smoothie, the plants are a living and growing abundant addition to my home! 

After drinking your Green Smoothie, don't  rinse and throw away what is left over in your blender! Just add water to remains of Green Smoothie in your blender, shake, and pour around the base of houseplants. Do this once a week - and your plants will thank you! 


If you are not already drinking Green Smoothies, they are a wonderful addition to your lifestyle. In the beginning you may want a sweeter taste, so try blending 2 cups purified water, 60% fresh or frozen fruit, 40% dark leafy greens (this gradually changes to a 50/50 ratio of fruits/greens). Mix all in your blender and drink a blender full each day (preferrably in the morning). Then notice how your body responds to your daily feedings of living complete, concentrated, nutrient rich food.

The introductory series of 3 classes "RAW...EZ as 1-2-3" was a great success and is completely sold out!  I've scheduled the next series of classes and wanted to pass along the info to you ASAP. 

As a Raw Chef my goal is to show you how easy it is to prepare raw vegan recipes that are wheat-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. All classes are held at Trinity Memorial United Church in Abbotsford. Each class includes hearty samples of the food we prepare. Pre-registration only - call early to book your spot 604-854-3310. GIFT CERTIFICATES or CLASS TICKETS can be purchased at Busye Bodye Naturals, 33779 Essendene Ave, downtown Abbotsford, 604-851-5223.

Series of "Uncooking" Classes - "RAW...EZ as 1-2-3"
Forget Cooking! This series of three classes is designed to teach you the basics and get you going on your raw foods journey. Each class builds on the concepts learned in the previous class, giving you the time and support you need while you are learning!

You can register for the complete series of 3 classes, or class #1 can be taken individually.

Dates for 3 classes:                       Apr 25/3-6 pm - May 23/3-6 pm - June 27/3-6 pm
Cost for all 3 classes:                    $125 per person (savings of $10)
Cost for each individual class:      $45 per person
Reservation and payment             Required one week in advance of class

Class 1 - Introduction to Raw Food Basics
The first class introduces you to the essential basics of raw and living foods, shows you how EZ it is to prepare raw food, and provides tips on how to make this lifestyle work for you!

Class 2 - Appetizers, snacks, soups and more
In the second class you will be introduced to raw food alternatives for some of your favourite cooked foods. This teaches you how to prepare transitional food to eat as you gradually progress to including more living foods in your diet!

Class 3 - Complete Raw Meal
The third and final class puts together all you have learned in the previous two classes. A complete raw meal consisting of an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert will be prepared from scratch using all raw ingredients. The class will choose one theme for the meal: Living Americana, Living Italiano, or Living Mexicali!

I brought this bread to the EZ RAW Potluck on January 17th. Great "bread" for morning toast with buttery spread (recipe in another post), as a base for pizza, to make your own sandwiches, or use as a bun for sun burgers. Really EZ to make and sooo yummy!

Picture below shows one piece of bread with tomato slices/sprouts and one piece of bread with nacho cheese.



1 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp yellow onion, chopped
1-1/3 cups water
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup black or tan sesame seeds

Use a spatula to mix together in a large bowl, ground and whole flax seeds, salt, garlic, onion, and water. Then add sunflower and sesame seeds and mix well.

Spread batter evenly on 1 dehydrator tray (fills one Excalibur tray & yields 9 slices of bread). Dry at 105 degrees F for 4 hours. Flip and score bread into 9 slices to make it easy to break in straight lines. Dehydrate another hour before serving. Serve warm.

This is under-dehydrated for immediate use, so some of the water still remains and it is more pliable. It will keep in fridge for several days. You may want to dehydrate longer before storing away for longer periods of time.

In case you missed it, there was an article in the Abby Times about the Food Waste Pilot Project that just began in Abbotsford - what wonderful news! This will help greatly reduce the amount of waste going into landfills.

"Starting December 9, 2009, the City of Abbotsford will initiate a food waste collection pilot program involving 126 homes in the City of Abbotsford. The pilot project area includes all single and duplex residences on Malahat Place, Capilano Place, Comox Court, Horn Street (north of Maclure Rd only), Banff Place, Caithness Place, and Old Riverside Road (south side of street only)."

Here is where to get more info:  www.abbotsford.ca/engineering or you can email foodwastepilot@abbotsford.ca

My own journey includes reducing what goes into the garbage:

1. no plastic bags (carrying and using recycled bags sold in grocery stores)
2. reduced purchase of products with packaging (very easy for raw foodies who buy little to no food in boxes or cans)
3. composting kitchen food waste (Purchased a compost bin for the back yard and I have been trying to mix the contents weekly with a pitchfork, but am not sure how successful this has been.)
4. reusing, repurposing, and recycling (An internet search for the word Freecycle OR Abbotsford Full Circles brings you to two great sources to find or pass along items no longer used. You can then follow links to Vancouver or Fraser Valley.)

If you are an expert at composting (and I am sure there are many), do you have any tips for the rest of us who are stumbling around trying to make this work? I invite you to post your comments here for the benefit of everyone!

And finally, I do have an excellent tip to offer that came from Valya Boutenko of the Raw Family. After drinking your blender full of Green Smoothie, add a cup of water to the blender, swish it around, and then pour on the soil around your houseplants as well as outdoor plants. Then sit back and watch them flourish!

Have you considered the environmental impacts of cell phone waste to human health and the environment when you throw your old cell phone in the trash?

Cell phones are considered hazardous waste because they contain lead, copper, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. When sent to incinerators or landfills, environmental contamination can occur from combustion and leaching into soil and groundwater.

BC Environment Minister Barry Penner says that more than 95% of the materials in an average mobile device are recyclable. You can learn more at:

• http://www.recyclewirelessphones.com 
• http://www.epa.gov/waste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/index.htm 
• http://www.RecycleMyCellPhone.org 
• http://www.RecycleMyCell.ca