March 31^st marked the fabulous finale to my official RAW experiment, but my actual experience didn’t just end there!  After 31 days of ~99% RAW, I felt better than I had in ages. So even though I was excited to nibble on some of my old cooked-food favorites, I was also eager to eke out as much RAW advantage as I could.  

I remained RAW going into April, and even considered pushing through for a full 45 days.  Unfortunately, around April 3rd I developed a flu that laid me out flat: fevered and nauseated and totally pathetic.  I hadn’t been so sick in years, and for the first 24 hours all I could stomach was a single orange.  By the second day my tummy had settled a bit and I was able to think about eating again . . . but all I found appetizing was warm, hearty fare.  Following my body’s cues, I made a mild Thai curry, and man, that tofu rocked my world! 

These days I’m averaging about 75-85% RAW.  Some travel days I’ve been as low as 40%, while others I just shoot back up to 99%. But typically, I’ll eat whole raw fruits and vegetables throughout the day, and add a wee bit of cooked food in at dinnertime.  I still spend most days caffeine-free, although I’ve had some incredibly pleasurable weekend cups of coffee. The same holds true for alcohol, which has been equally as easy to abstain from and equally as delightful to indulge in.  Each day, I still start off with a big green smoothie, and I can’t imagine that changing any time soon. Overall, my body seems to know what it wants and has finally figured out how to tell me so. 

I feel so good, eating this way.  I feel energized, centered, and very healthy in every sense of the word.  Most importantly, it feels sustainable. This is a very balanced place I’ve found, and quite honestly, I’m reveling in it.

Food Journal

By way of comparison, I’ve done a rundown of a typical daily menu the way I’m eating right now. The numbers really aren’t much different than when I was RAW. Ideally, my day goes something like this: 

Averageday, xX Month 2009

• Green Smoothie -  1 medium banana, 1 medium apple, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 2 kale leafs, 1 tsp Spirulina powder
• herbal tea with agave
• 1 apple + 1 pear
• carrot sticks
• kombucha
• Giant Salad w/ red leaf lettuce, purple cabbage, grated zucchini, red bell pepper, a jalapeno, half an avocado, and slivered red onion tossed in lemon juice, red salsa, olive oil, and nutritional yeast and topped with brown rice and black beans 
• big pile of raisins
• herbal tea with agave

Total Calories: 1918

76% from carbohydrates (1462 calories)

14% from fat (273 calories)

10% from protein (182 calories)

Total Carbohydrates: 401 g

• Fiber: 65 g
• Sugar: 225 g

Total Fats: 32 g

• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Omega-3: 686 mg
• Omega-6: 3733 mg

Total Protein: 53 g

Vitamins – I was well over my vitamin requirements *except* for these:

• Vitamin E: 38% DV

Minerals:

• Calcium: 47% DV
• Iron: 82% DV
• Magnesium: 98% DV
• Phosphorous: 80% DV
• Potassium: 144% DV
• Zinc: 77% DV
• Copper: 100% DV
• Manganese: 221% DV
• Selenium: 76% DV

Also, daily BM’s, w00t!

Oi there! Time to tell me what you think! This blog is about community, so this is your weekly space for your comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

What did you like this past week?  What were you less than enthused about? Which section would you like to see worked on?(the food? the fashion? the farm?) What sorts of articles would you like to read? What are YOU interested in?

This website is for you, so go ahead and have your say! The Feedback Forum will hang out at the top of the page all weekend, every weekend. So if you have an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, this is the place to do it. Have a wonderful spring weekend!

I’ve gotta admit: I’m a total tech-head.  My husband is a web designer and Apple specialist (we call him the iDoctor), and he’s quite the technophile.  Here at HQ, computers control the show: multiple synced wireless devices integrate with airport speakers on three floors, a Mac Mini runs the television, and there are hourly, automated backups.  We’ve got the gizmos and the whiz-bangs and the purty matching iphones.  Even our incomes are intimately tied to, and ultimately reliant upon, our laptops.  

And I’m happily high-tech in so many ways, but I’ve got to be honest: when I can successfully implement something like this – the lowest of low-tech solutions – it gets me giddier than geek at Macworld.

The Problem:

Enthusiastic pooches, in hot pursuit of city kitties (who in turn are stalking backyard hens) barrel through my raised beds and unwittingly trample my precious veggies.   I need to keep the canine crusaders at bay, without restricting my own access or corrupting my garden’s aesthetic. 

The Solution:

Hot pink string.

I love my boy-dogs dearly, but they’re not the brightest little bulbs.  The mere illusion of a barrier is quite enough to stop them dead in their tracks, and protect my delicate seedlings from certain doggy destruction.  See? 

I built a sort of ‘web wall’ here, but you could just as easily wrap the string around the corner posts of the planter box itself, containing just the bed.  There’s a ton of applications, and I think this technique could address all sorts of garden mischief.  Ahh, simplicity.  Who needs all them whiz-bang gizmos, anyway?!    (I do!, I do!)

At the end of 2008, I began a massive and comprehensive overhaul that affected every aspect of my life.  It’s been really awesome.   One small prong in this multi-pronged approach was an attempt to curb my raging sweet tooth. I decided to kick off the new year by going an entire month without any refined sugar.  Proudly, I declared that in January, I would be sugar free.

A few days later, the realization of my mistake came crashing down on me.  My birthday is at the end of January!  So . . . no birthday [cup]cake?!  Initially I was horrified at the thought, but quickly I realized that this dark error had a bright side. This would be the perfect opportunity to try out a new recipe idea I’d been rattling around in my brain!

Like most veg*ns, here at HQ we rely on a lot of Greek and Middle Eastern food.  We heap on the hummus, we get freaky with falafel, and we’re passionate about pita!  But the one thing we’re missing from this Mediterranean masterpiece, is the dessert.  Baklava, the traditional regional sweet, is based around layering butter and honey – two decidedly un-vegan ingredients.

Not that I’d let something as trivial as that stop me! And so I devised this veganized version, especially for me on my sugar-free birthday.  And wow, let me just say, “Deeeeelicious!” 

So here you go: a Baklava that’s healthier, cruelty-free, and equally as palate pleasing, to compliment and complete your next Mediterranean feast.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons Earthbalance™, more for greasing the dish

8 oz. phyllo dough (Athens brand is vegan, as are most others) 

20 oz. (about 2 1/4 cups) raw chopped walnuts 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup water

1 cup agave sweetener

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

Remove phyllo dough from freezer and allow to defrost – about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 325º. 

Chop the walnuts and then spread them out on a baking sheet, roasting them in the oven until they are lightly browned (about 10 minutes).

Place toasted walnuts in a mixing bowl and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt, and almond extract.  Toss to coat.

Raise oven temperature to 350º.

Put the Earthbalance™ in a bowl and melt it in the microwave (a few seconds should do it).

Carefully unfold the defrosted phyllo dough on the countertop. It will dry out really quickly, so keep it covered with a damp dish cloth.

Using a bit of cold Earthbalance™, grease a square glass baking dish. 

Place one piece of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish – it may not fit perfectly, which is fine.  Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the phyllo with the melted Earthbalance™. Add another piece of phyllo, rotating it if you need, to evenly distribute around the dish. Brush it with Earthbalance™.  Remember to replace the damp towel each time you pull from the stack of phyllo dough – it will dry out fast!  Continue this process until you’ve got 8 sheets of phyllo and 8 layers of Earthbalance™ in the bottom of your dish.

Add a third of the spiced walnuts evenly over the phyllo. 

Repeat these steps with 8 more sheets of phyllo and Earthbalance™, and another third of the spiced walnuts. Then do it once more, finishing off the spiced walnuts. Top this off with 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering between each one. 

***  you will not finish the package of phyllo dough, but it re-freezes just fine

You need to cut your Baklava before you bake it, because it will be too flaky once it’s done.  Use a very sharp knife and make sure that you cut all the way through the bottom layer!

Place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, until golden.

While the Baklava is baking, you can cook up the syrup.  In a small saucepan, combine the water, agave, lemon juice, orange zest, and cinnamon stick.  Simmer over low heat and stir to avoid burning.  The sauce will thicken up in about 10 minutes.  When it is done, fish out the zest and cinnamon stick.

When the Bakalava comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes before adding the syrup.  Pour the syrup evenly over the  pastry, making sure it gets in all the cracks and thoroughly soaks through.  Allow the Baklava to cool completely before digging in.  Dig in!

Finally, spring has sprung in the Northern hemisphere, and you can see its influence in every front yard, café patio, and fruit basket.  Taking the cue, fashion designers are sending their models marching down runways from New York to Milan, showcasing their own unique celebration of the new season.   This spring, like so many before, we’re getting the classic combos of pastel + patterns (watercolor-esque), muted ensembles + bright (think tangerine and fucsia) pop accents, minimal hemlines on minimal designs, (a nod to mod) and of course there’s florals everywhere (they’re a bit darker this year). 

Marc Jacobs 2009, Luella 2009, Rodarte 2009

I don’t ever follow trends, but I do love to draw from cutting edge fashion for fresh ideas to add into my own aesthetic. And these transitional seasons can be the most inspiring times!  Fashion is the manifestation of so many things; it’s about projecting out from your insides, it’s about reflecting back what surrounds you, and it’s all about telling your story.  And the spring story sings about shedding the weight of winter and wiggling into an outfit that allows you shine like a lovely daffodil! 

But if we’re all supposed to be bursting with shine, how come the entire fashion blogosphere is so uninspired, seemingly stalled in a giant, collective yawn?  Everyone, including myself and most likely including you too, is completely unimpressed with the vast majority of modern fashion.  We all seem to be waiting for something to knock our stripey socks off, and in the meantime we’re hiding in leggings and tunic tops, twiddling out thumbs.  Something’s gotta give. 

So, what do you do when new style stagnates and inspiration is nowhere to be found?  Well, I’ll tell you what I do.  I return to my roots! 

Everyone’s personal sense of style has a distinct origin. Maybe you began emulating your mother as a little girl, and now you only feel like a woman when wearing pearls. Or maybe little 9-year-old-you fell in love with a girl who said you looked nice in your sailor pants, causing navy and white to permeate your entire wardrobe ever after. Or maybe, like me, you didn’t even discover fashion until later in the game, when you got hit hard and fast with a subculture explosion of music, art and clothing that imprinted your ego so deeply it scarred. 

MmmMm yes, the delicious grunge 90s. The ripped jeans and old flannels, ‘clashing’ patterns and torn tights, vintage dresses with combat boots, ad oh oh oh, the music that carried it all. 

These are the clothes that shrouded me through my formative years, and visiting them again allows me to tap into some of that incredible energy I experienced as a young teen.  Disregarding the hormones, the mania, the self-doubt and the misdirected rebellion, those were some of the most creative, most magical, and most present years of my life. Wearing clothes reminiscent of then, I can’t help but feel comfortable, carefree, and absolutely centered.  And so I’ll borrow from the past right now, when I need a little bit of that teenaged enthusiasm. 

Whether you’re an 80’s power suit queen, a pretty prairie belle, an über-mod urbanite, or just a scrappy grunger like me, wearing clothes that rejuvenate you is an essential part of keeping you feeling beautiful and confident.  So if you know the root-style that’s going to make you feel great, dig into it and revel, no matter what the current trends dictate.  Everything old is new again, so one of these days you may just find yourself on the cutting edge.  Until then, at least you won’t be yawning for inspiration at every passing fad.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shine up my combat boots.

Who loves alliteration?  We do! We do!

The Monday Monthly Mission  is our latest installment, and the name pretty much says it all. On the first Monday of every month, I’ll assign a new ‘mission’ – a shift, a habit, a source of inspiration – for all of us to work on. There’s strength (and support) in numbers!  On the last Friday of the month, we’ll reconvene and see how far we’ve come.  And of course, you can ask questions, compare notes, and share stories each week at the Friday Feedback Forum. (ahhh, alliteration!)

#1

So we’re starting this first Triple M off easy, with a new chore that I’m ashamed to admit I don’t already do – composting.  Sure, I save veggie scraps for the hens, and coffee grounds for the garden, but there’s still a lot of organic material that goes into my trash can.  For a girl like me, that’s unacceptable!  So, I’m making it my personal mission to reduce my landfill contribution (and produce amazing topsoil in the process) by starting my own home composting project. I intend to have it up and running within 1 month’s time.  And I’ll expect you all to hold me to it!

Do you compost?  If so, tell us about your experiences and the method you use!  

If you don’t compost yet, do you choose to accept this Mission?

BONZAI!

Oi there! It’s time to get interactive again! This is a community we’re building here, so this is your weekly space for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

Now that the grand RAW trial has been completed, where would you like to see the focus? (the food? the fashion? the farm?) What sorts of articles would you like to read? What are YOU interested in?

This is about you, so let your voice be heard! The Feedback Forum will be hanging out here at the top of the page, all weekend. So if you have an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, this is the place to do it. And as always, have a wonderful weekend!

Okay, what’s the absolute polar opposite of RAW cuisine?  I’d say it’s the equally enticing, ever comforting, ooey-gooey goodness of a steaming hot lasagna! 

I mentioned this creation over on one of my favorite food blogs, and an interested reader dropped by to ask if I wouldn’t mind posting the recipe.  Well of course not!  I love this supper when I’m needing an über hearty, home-cookin’ kind of meal.  The polenta just compliments the hot messy magnificence of a proper lasagna, while also making this a gluten-free dish.  Bonus!

Ingredients

1 25 oz. jar of vegan marinara

1 18 oz. tube of polenta or 1 1/2 cups of dry polenta

1/2 cup diced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups spinach

1 cup vegan cream cheese

2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

small handful fresh basil, roughly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/2 teaspoons marjoram

salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 tsp each)

handful (about 4 oz) vegan shredded cheese

handful black olives, sliced

medium tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º.

In an oiled skillet, sauté the onion over medium low-heat, until translucent.  Add the spinach and garlic, continuing to sauté until flavors come out.  Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl bowl, combine the cream cheese, spinach-onion mixture, nutritional yeast, basil, and spices.

If using a tube of polenta (like I did here), slice it into thin discs – you will need 27 slices.  If using dry polenta (which is much better), prepare it as instructed on package, making vegan substitutions as needed.  When it has cooked and cooled, slice it into 25 flat squares, or perhaps 9 strips.

Spread half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan.  Place a layer of polenta over the sauce, followed by half of the spinach filling.

Cover with another layer of polenta discs and then spread the remaining spinach-cheese mixture over them. Top with a final layer of polenta, and pour on the remaining sauce. Sprinkle a thin layer of extra nutritional yeast, and then add the shredded vegan cheese.  

Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes at 400º. Then remove the foil and spread sliced tomatoes and olives across the top, baking uncovered for another 10-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil. 

Enjoy it piping hot, paired with a nice organic Chianti!

Yesterday was March 31^st, the official end of my month-long RAWxtravaganza.  I can’t believe it’s over already!  And I can’t quite fathom that it’s been 31 days since I’ve consumed heat.  Perhaps even more amazing is that just by proxy, it’s been 31 days without any significant quantity of caffeine, alcohol, refined sugar, wheat/gluten, or unfermented soy!  Each of these components carries their own assortment of associated health warnings.  With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder: could it be that some of the incredible benefits touted by the RAW community, are really just the result of removing all these detrimental options? 

My intuition says no, but I don’t deny the possibility.  Regardless of reasoning, here are my thoughts at the end of this RAW trial.

Mixing Up A Big Batch Of Kale Chips For The Dehydrator

My Raw Experience:

Throughout this endeavor I’ve had my ups and downs, but not necessarily more (or less) than other months.  With good days and bad days, it’s difficult to discern the root of a problem, especially dealing with variables as random as PMS, the common cold, and the end-of-winter doldrums.  I’m certainly not willing to attribute everything to my diet! 

Still, taking the entire month as an average and comparing it to non-RAW months, some general trends emerge.  For instance, I’d say that overall this month I’ve been more balanced.  My emotions have been more steady, my hunger/blood sugar has been more stable, my eliminations (*wink *wink) have been much more regular, and I have not experienced any of the usual crazy cravings for non-nutritious foods.

I have definitely experienced that delightful feeling of ‘lightness’ that Raw Foodists describe.  It’s pretty incredible to lay into a giant plate of food, demolish it, and then skip away not feeling belly-ache stuffed, but energized and awakened instead.  It’s difficult to imagine, in this culture that has coined the phrase ‘food-coma’ to describe what we so often do to ourselves at mealtime.  What a change, to leave a totally massive, totally satisfying meal with MORE energy than you came with! 

Personally, I feel like my emotional state is much more affected by RAW foods than my mind or body.  This month, I felt pointlessly optimistic, randomly serene, and generally giddy for no particular reason.  My skin is glowing, but other than that my body has not noticeably improved.  At times I’ve been achy, sore, or lethargic.  My mind hasn’t ‘sharpened’ the way I hoped it would, and at times I’ve been tired, foggy, groggy, or unmotivated.  These things happen normally as well, but the point is that they’ve been just as frequent (or more?) while RAW.  On the other hand, my heart has been open wide and I love that loving feeling! Sound hippy-dippy?  Yeah, I think so too . . . but it’s true! 

Hand Rolling Tropical Fruit Sushi

What I Learned:

I’ve definitely learned a few things about myself during this adventure, about my body, about my needs, and about expectation.  The first surprise was how quickly my taste buds acclimated to natural sweetness.  I can’t even imagine what frosting will taste like the next time I try it, but I expect it will be sickly sweet – I almost imagine it burning my tongue.  Yesterday I was snacking on dates, just marveling at the absolutely candied quality of them.  They were so saccharine! I suspect that once I return to refined sugar, it will quickly re-de-sensitize my palate.  So for now I’m savoring these natural sweet treats, so perfectly toothsome just as they are.  Fresh berries, plain sun dried raisins, juicy melons and tropicals, and of course my liquid love (that’s raw agave, folks).

Second lesson: Caffeine is so unnecessary!  Not that I’m knocking it and far be it from me to disparage something so dear, but it’s kind of liberating to break the addiction and take a step back.  This is the longest I’ve gone without caffeine in my entire adult life, and it’s nice to know that it is possible to operate sans stimulants.  Now, I start my day bright-eyed with a nice big glass of water.  Later, I sip a green smoothie, my new habitual beverage.  But there’s no external energizer, because believe it or not, none is needed.  And the best blessed part: there’s no afternoon crash!  I know that I’ll end up going back to tea and coffee, and I’m totally okay with that (excited, in fact, because I truly love them so).  But for now, knowing I don’t need them is pretty awesome.

Thirdly, I love my newfound ‘laboratory’ – my body – and look forward to planning my next round of experiments.  Any ideas?

Attack Of The Colossal Carrots!

Where I’ll Go From Here:

So I’ll bet you’re wondering, ‘now what’?

Well, I don’t know.  I’ve continued to eat RAW throughout today because that is what has felt right to me.  I must admit, I keep thinking, “you should have oatmeal for breakfast!” or “you should get Ethiopian tonight!”  These lighting quick ‘cravings’ come from my tongue, not from my body.  When I check in with my body, I confirm that I have no real desire to eat cooked food. 

Like, none.  

But I don’t want to remain all RAW forever.  So the next step – how to break the ‘fast’ and when – eludes me. 

Honestly, I was kind of hoping that I would figure out some sort of plan just by writing this article.  But alas, that hasn’t happened.  And I can’t tell you what I’m going to do tomorrow, or the next day, except that I’m going to continue listening to my body and giving it what it wants. 

I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.  I hope it’s been fun for you to witness; it’s certainly been fun for me to share.  ¡Viva la RAW!

Okay, this is my new favorite project.  I’m so excited to share it with you!  It’s easy, it’s practical, and it’s just so very Earth-friendly.  ¡Qué bueno!

Fellow farmers, this is hands-down the best way to start your spring seeds indoors. These individual containers are the perfect size for a sprout, and come garden time, there’s no stressful transplanting.  When the seedling is ready for the outside, simply open up the bottom of the newspaper pot and drop the entire thing into the ground.  There’s no plastic containers involved, the newspaper will biodegrade in your garden, and your wee plant will never be uprooted.  So, ready to get folding? You’ll need a stack of newspaper and a standard soup can.  Here’s what you do:

Spread out a full sheet of newspaper and then carefully split it in half, along the crease.

Take one of the halves and carefully split it in half again, along the other crease. You will end up with one quarter of a whole newspaper sheet.

Orient your sheet so that it is taller than it is wide, and then fold the bottom edge up to the top.

Your sheet has now been folded in half to make a rectangle. Press along the bottom to make a tight crease.

Along the bottom of the rectangle, fold the creased edge over about an inch to make a small flap. Press along the edge to make it nice and tight.

Turn the paper so that it is now facing you lengthwise.

Lay your can on the newspaper so that it hangs over the edge of the folded side (over the flap). Wrap the newspaper around the can until it overlaps itself.

Keeping your fingers on the seam to prevent it unwrapping, turn the can on it’s end.

Continuing to hold the seam with one hand, begin folding down the excess newspaper to create a bottom. I usually fold it down in four flaps.  It may take a few tries to master this part, but eventually you will be able to get a flat, solid bottom.

Flip the can over and carefully wiggle it out of the newspaper pot. Don’t forget to keep holding that seam!

Now, where the newspaper overlaps itself, one end will be on the ‘outside’ and one end will be on the ‘inside’. On the ‘outside’ piece, gently lift that one-inch flap up.

Fold the ‘inside’ end under the flap, and tighten up that seam.

Voilà! She is a seed pot!

That’s all there is to it!   Just start your seeds as normal in their individual pots. Don’t forget to label them (I used green tape and a sharpie), and make sure to open up the bottoms before you put them in the ground, to allow their roots to extend.

Happy gardening!