Who said RAW had to be boring?!  Nu-uh, no way!  This decadent dessert – rich, silken chocolate inside its delicate shell - is downright delicious.  Divine Creation I say, not just because it tastes so good, but because it’s so good for you, too!  

Raw cacao powder is teeming with antioxidants – over 5 times as many as blueberries!  Cacao is also the best natural source of magnesium, which is the primary mineral deficiency in SAD eaters (Standard American Diet).  Cacao is believed to reduce cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, and inflammation.  

Coconut oil is pure fat, just like any oil.  But as we all know, ‘not all fats are created equal’.  Coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, a rare, healthier medium-chain lipid that’s also found in breast milk.  This oil is also an incredible antimicrobial (bacteria, fungi, viruses) and aides in combatting everything from candida to HIV.

Raw agave and dates are both low-glycemic sweeteners, so they won’t rock your system with a blood sugar spike-and-crash cycle.  Additionally, dates are rich in calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorous, and are a great *ahem* digestive aid.

Do I even need to review the infinite health benefits associated with nuts?  A quick favorite for each: Pecans boast the ideal oleic (‘good’)/linoleic (‘bad’) fatty acid ratio, which contributes to lower weight and cholesterol.  A handful of cashews is essentially the biochemical equivalent of a prescription prozac.  No joke!

Still not convinced that RAW =/= boring?  Just make this.  Taste it.  I dare you!

Raw Pecan Torte with Chocolate Ganache

Originally by Chef Sprout, embellished by Laurie Lane, re-embellished by Me!

Ingredients for Crust:

2 cups pecans

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup cacao powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Ingredients for Filling:

2 cups pre-soaked cashews

1 cup cacao powder

1 cup water

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until evenly moist. Grease a torte or pie pan with coconut oil and spread the crust with your fingers.

Combine all filling ingredients in the [cleaned] food processor, blending until very smooth. Pour filling into the crust and freeze or refrigerate until firm (1-3 hours). Garnish with fresh mint or berries.

^^And those?^^  I had quite a bit of excess ganache, so I poured it into two teacups, whipped up a quick ‘frosting’ of almond butter, coconut oil, and agave syrup, topped off the teacups, and threw them in the fridge to chill out.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Oi there!  Happy Friday!  Did you have a wonderful week?  Are you feeling the first quick kisses of springtime?  Here in the Pacific Northwest we had a bright, brisk-winded week and we’re looking at a warm sunny weekend.  Spring?  Dare I hope?

And here on Bonzai is your space for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.  What are you thinking about this week?   Are you wondering anything about this Raw adventure?  What are you wanting to see more of? (the food? the fashion? the farm?) What are YOU interested in?

This community is here for you, so make sure you have your say! For that reason, 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.  Hope your weekend is sunny and serene!

Itty Bitty Bonzai is a collection of tiny tips and tricks for living a life more mindful. Small actions, collectively and compounded, become a powerful force of change.

#3   Looking for a new way to further curb your energy consumption? What about incorporating dimmers into all of your home light fixtures?  These easy-to-install devices are especially useful in rooms with skylights or large windows, because they allow you to use less artificial light as needed.  This is a great DIY weekend project – ask for installation instructions at your local hardware store – and just a little of your time invested can incur incredible electricity reduction.

Ready to take it one step further?  If your school or office gets good natural light, suggest that they install dimmable ballasts on lamps and overhead fluorescents throughout the building. In the Multnomah County (that’s Portland, baby!) Building, they added dimming controls to all the fixtures, and now they save an average of $4,000 per year on their electric bill!

BONZAI!

Well, not really refried beans – soaked sunflower seeds actually –  but they sure do taste refried bean-y!  This is a great RAW recipe that’s heartier and sticks to the ribs a bit, which is an important division of living foods.  Not so heavy it won’t refresh, I think this would make a delightful summer supper after a long day of play.  Serve it up right with homemade Pico de Gallo salsa and fresh guacamole, and you’ll never know you’re mowing on minced sunflower seeds instead of traditional pintos.  It’s sort of perfection: miniature, healthy burritos!  Olé!

I wish I could take credit for this creation, but I’m still new to this RAW game and only just learning the infinite tastes and textures associated with the cuisine.  So this is not one of my own concoctions.  The original recipe is by Terces Engelhart, but comes to me by way of my uncooking teacher, Laurie.  Like many RAW recipes, it does require some foresight.  But thats okay, right?  We all like thinking and planning for delicious food!  And really, the ‘decision deadline’ is only 5 hours out.

Ingredients

8 sun dried tomato halves (dried, not ‘in oil’)

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 cup packed cilantro with stems, chopped

1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

Instructions

In separate bowls, cover the sun dried tomatoes and sunflower seeds with water and let soak for at least 4 hours.  When finished, save the tomato water.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the drained sunflower seeds and sun dried tomatoes and purée to a smooth paste, using the reserved tomato water to thin as needed.  You may want to save a few tablespoons of the seeds to mix in at the end for a chunkier texture.  Now, place all the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor or blender, and continue to purée until well mixed.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

You can either serve this pâté as a dip, or in a collard greens wrap like I did.  For a wrap, choose a nice large leaf and trim the stem (and only the stem) a good portion of the way up.  Spoon the pâté onto the leaf and top with your favorite veggies – I tried various combinations of cilantro, onions, red peppers, green beans, and avocado.  Then, just roll it up tight-like, and enjoy!

I have been RAW for 10 days straight!  Congratulations to me!  What an interesting adventure, and not without it’s low points (and equal highs, of course).  I’ve been keeping notes about my general moods and mentality, as well as my physical experience, along the way.  I should note that this week I began my cycle, and thus it may be difficult to parse PMS/MS symptoms from a strictly dietary response. With that in mind, my 10 days have gone something like this:

Sunday (day 1) through Tuesday, I had a constant dull ache inside my forehead, the delightful affects of caffeine withdrawal.  This was gone by Wednesday, and was the only acute detox I experienced.  On Monday I began getting incredibly tired after eating.  This exhaustion would last around an hour and would be nearly-debilitating in its severity.  By the weekend it had abated, but was replaced by another strange symptom: a post-meal headache. I have been getting these pretty frequently following lunch or dinner, and I cannot guess as to the cause. Wednesday night I had a very strong craving for gin, which I found quite odd. Beginning Thursday morning and continuing all the way through this morning, I have been feeling sore and easily fatigued during my workouts.  Friday I was craving hot food all day, and had a bad headache to boot, with accompanying body aches.  Boo.  Saturday and Sunday were much better, and I seem to be on an upswing since then.  I definitely had trouble re-learning how to regulate my blood sugar, and I had to deal with a few accidental crashes this week, which are decidedly not fun.  So, a bit of a learning curve for this RAW life, but I think I’m getting the hang of it now!

Of course I recorded what I consider to be the true measure of my health, my movements: 

S- yes, M- yes, T- no, W- yes, R- no, F- yes, Sat- yes, S- no, M- yes

Food Journals

I did not make a complete accounting of everything I consumed each day, but I did keep meticulous lists on two random days: Wednesday and Friday.  I ate very differently on these two days, which presents an interesting contrast.  I analyzed my meals with this awesome and highly recommended website.  Keep in mind that during this trial I am really trying to listen to my body.  I let myself eat whatever sounds good, I eat whenever I’m hungry, and I stop when I get full.  I was surprised by both the low calorie count on Wednesday and the high fat ratio on Friday, because these two days did not feel that different to me.

Wednesday, 4 March 2009 

• Green Smoothie – 1 banana, 1.5 oranges, 1 small tomato, pineapple chunks, squeeze of lemon, 2 big collard greens leaves
• 1 big carrot
• 2 collard greens ‘wraps’ stuffed w/ tomato, diced onion, sunflower seeds, Tamari
• 1/2 bottle Kombucha
• Green Plate – arugula, 1/2 red bell pepper, small tomato,  1/2 avocado, diced onion, 1 tsp flax seeds 
• Homemade Dressing – 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white balsamic 

Total Calories: 759  

55% from carbohydrates (423 calories)

36% from fat (271 calories)

9% from protein (65 calories)

Total Carbohydrates: 116 g

• Fiber: 31 g
• Sugar: 57 g

Total Fats: 32 g

• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Omega-3: 412 mg
• Omega-6: 5756 mg

Total Protein: 21 g 
 

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

• Vitamin E: 69% DV 
• Thiamin: 68% DV 
• Riboflavin: 44% DV 
• Niacin: 50% DV 
• Vitamin B12: 10% DV 

Minerals:

• Calcium: 43% DV 
• Iron: 31% DV 
• Magnesium: 67% DV 
• Phosphorous: 50% DV 
• Potassium: 88% DV 
• Zinc: 21% DV 
• Copper: 59% DV 
• Manganese: 126% DV 
• Selenium: 16% DV 

Friday 6 March 2009

• Green Smoothie – 1 banana, 1 brown pear, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp agave, 2 collard greens leaves  
• 1 medium carrot, 1 head of broccoli, and 1 handful green beans w/ 1 tbsp of Tamari + 1 tsp white vinegar with 1/2 clove garlic
• 4 collard greens ‘wraps’ stuffed w/ RAW ‘refried beans’, tons of guacamole, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, diced onion, green pepper, lemon juice, cumin and chili powder

Total Calories: 1897  

35% from carbohydrates (652 calories)

55% from fat (1067 calories)

9% from protein (177 calories)

Total Carbohydrates: 177 g

• Fiber: 63 g 
• Sugar: 58.5 g 

Total Fats: 126 g

• Saturated Fat: 14 g 
• Omega-3: 954 mg 
• Omega-6: 31857 mg 

Total Protein: 59 g
 

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

• Vitamin B12: 0% DV 
• Pantothenic Acid: 93% DV 

Minerals:

• Calcium: 81% DV 
• Iron: 102% DV 
• Magnesium: 185% DV 
• Phosphorous: 155% DV 
• Potassium: 171% DV  
• Zinc: 76% DV 
• Copper: 167% DV 
• Manganese: 300% DV 
• Selenium: 101% DV 

Analyzing these two days, the caloric and macromolecule disparity is amazing. The calories more than doubled, while the carbohydrate : lipid ratio virtually flipped! Here are the things I found most interesting:

Although the overall calories were very different, the protein % was the same for both days.  This represents differing protein intake (21g vs 59g), but either way I’d prefer my protein to contribute a slightly higher percentage of total caloric load.  I am a firm believer in a low(er) protein diet, and am hesitant to even broach the subject given the general hysteria it so often incites.  Suffice it to say, I’d like to see my protein  ratio higher – closer to 15-20% – via foods that won’t add as much oils as nuts, seeds, and avocados do.  I’m investigating options.

So, on Friday I got 55% of my calories from fat.  HA!  I should point out that this was atypical, because at the last minute I added a great gob of guacamole to my dinner – an entire 1.5 avocado’s worth for ~350 calories and ~31 grams of fat. These are all ‘good fats’ (and fiber as well!) and I’m not worried about it at all, but I thought I should explain the cause of such inflation.  Don’t worry – if statistical analysis were run across the entire week, Friday would definitely be an outlier.

In general, I am much less concerned with macro-nutrients (protein, fats, and carbs) than I am with micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).  Considering the components that interest me most, I am very pleased with these results.  It just remains to be seen how pleased I’ll be with the overall lifestyle.

I’ll continue to tweak my habits in order to produce a more balanced, optimal range of nourishment.  I’ll be tabulating two more days in the coming week and reporting them at the 2-Week Check-In.  Anything else you’d like me to track before then?

Raw Pizza at Blossoming Lotus restaurant, deeeeelicious!

Each person approaches RAW a little differently, which can be confusing to those trying to understand the framework and limitations of the lifestyle.  There are no hard-and-fast ‘RAW Rules’ to govern the allowance or omission of certain ambiguous edibles, so I thought I’d better make clear my own parameters, as I have set them for this experiment.  Please keep in mind that these choices are all personal ones, and there is no great authority on RAW matters.  To paraphrase my uncooking teacher, “This isn’t about purity.  It’s not about elitism or ‘rawer-than-thou’.  This is about being healthy, and what works for your body.”  She is a wise woman.

How Raw?  Most people consider a 75-80% raw foods diet to be RAW.  Since this is a controlled experiment with a discreet timeframe, I’m attempting 97-99% RAW. The details of this designation are outlined below.

Spices.  Many spices are naturally dried and milled.  But many others, especially big-brand commercial spices, are heat treated as they are refined and processed.  I am choosing not to worry too much about my spices.  I avoid obvious grey-area candidates like Spike and other name brand seasonings, but I’m not concerning myself over the state of my Co-Op’s bulk-bought chili, oregano, cumin, etc.

Vitamins.  Most vitamins are not RAW.  I’m pretty sure you can buy RAW vitamins, but they are expensive and illusive.  I supplement with B12 and D, and I take a vegan multivitamin.  I am continuing to do this through my RAW month.

Hot Tea.  Hot tea is good for you!  Who could argue with that?  Many Rawists do drink hot tea, and my uncooking teacher happily admitted to near-daily teatime. But for me, I’d prefer to keep heat out of my system for this whole month.  I’m open to the possibility that tea may happen once or twice, because a nice hot cup of tea would be a great way to stave off cooked-food cravings.  But thus far I’ve had no desire for it, and I’m hoping to hold out the whole 30 days.

Alcohol.  Beer and liquor are not considered RAW, but organic, sulfite-free wines are imbibed by many Raw Foodists.  Many others Rawists, including my uncooking teacher, find it somewhat contradictory to the RAW ethos of ultimate health consciousness.  I adore wine, but am trying to avoid it for this period.  Like tea, I am not going to make it totally off-limits. But ideally, I’m hoping to abstain for the entire trial.

I hope that offers a little more clarity about my approach.  I’ll be checking in soon with body updates, food diaries, and nutrition data.  In the meantime,  I’ll leave you with some Raw Food porn:

Raw Sampler at Blossoming Lotus: Zucchini Pasta w/ Pesto, Cashew Hummus and Flax Crackers, Beet Topped Salad, and Pizza with Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes.

Oi!  Once again, happy Friday!  I hope your week was a fine one, and that your weekend will be full of magick.  As always, here is your space for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

This was my first week as a Raw Foodist.  What do you think?   Do you have any questions about my Raw experience?  Do you want me to talk about something else already?!  What would you like to see emphasized in the coming weeks?  (the food? the fashion? the farm?)  What are YOU interested in?

This community is continuing to grow, I’m taking in all of your thoughts and ideas. I hope you know how you all inspire me, and how much I appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For that reason, 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.  Now, go get that awesome weekend!

Being an Ethical Sartorialist is a multi-pronged approach to fashion and lifestyle, and one of the major tenets aims to maximize versatility in order to minimize consumerism.  The key to a low-consumption closet is to build a core collection of diverse pieces – ones that can be worn year-round and in multiple styles.

Everyone has their ubiquitous basics, like plain solid tees, nice neutral slacks, and the ‘little black dress’.  But these are just clothes, and what you need to target now are garments.  A garment that dresses down with sandals and a sunhat on a warm spring day, and dresses up with a chic watch and a smart vest for a professional rendezvous, and also layers well with knits to keep you warm in winter.  These targets are not just casual clothes.  Because really, when you put on clothes, you’re just wearing clothing.  But when you put on a garment, you’re on your way to an outfit, and that’s the difference between getting dressed, and dressing up!

For a low-volume / high-impact wardrobe, you’ll need your boring basics, your incredible accessories, and a small significant stash of these magical, morph-able garments.  So, what lends an item this ultimate flexibility?  The most important criterion is this: how do you feel when you wear it?  Believe me, the blouse may match everything in your closet, but if it makes you ‘feel fat’, it’s never coming off the hanger.  Conversely, it doesn’t matter if it’s a chartreuse crinoline – if it’s comfy and it makes you feel like a million bucks, you’ll rework your whole wardrobe just to wear it every day.  Your first priority should always be your own comfort (that’s physical *and* emotional, my dear).

So secondarily, you’re aiming for a quasi-statement piece that will focus an outfit.  It can’t be so neutral that it’s boring, but also not so wild as to pigeonhole it.  Your standard basics will fill in as needed to cover your skin, and your standout accessories will style the overall look.  Your glorious garment, however, holds it all together and elevates it into an aesthetic masterpiece.

This garment may be the perfect blazer, one that fits as though tailored by a lover.  The right blazer can plop over a men’s undershirt and baggy denims for a perfectly disheveled Sunday brunch.  That same blazer could equally as effectively – and stylishly – ward off the chill brought on by the strapless sweetheart neckline of your Saturday night cocktail number.  Now that’s perfect versatility.

And of course, there is the quintessential chameleon: a pair of painted-on skinnies.  Skinny jeans are more adaptable than wide-legs because you can casually pair them with slip-ons and a tank top for daytime, but you also can wear them under knee-boots and a chunky sweater come nightfall.  If you must pack light for a last minute trip, skinnies are your very best friend.

Other dynamic apparel may include a funky fun vest, one-of-a-kind vintage boots, and of course, the perfect dress.  Which leads me to my visual aide – an example out of my own closet – my cotton light grey empire waist spaghetti strap tunic dress.  Whew!

I got this baby for 6 or 7 dollars last spring, and I swear I’ve gotten more wear out of it than anything else I’ve ever owned.  Not only is it perfectly suited to my body type (it makes my boobs look great), and not only does it stand up solo *or* amongst multiple layers, AND not only is it the perfect shade of match-anything grey – but because it’s comfy and lovely and wearing it makes me feel damn awesome, so I do!   This is versatility:

I love this dress so much I wore it, and it alone, while primping for my wedding!

It looks awesome paired with bright pops, shown here under blue and over red.

Simple in summer – over a black tank top and flip-flops, Honeymooning in Mexico.

All the way to the dead of winter, for President Obama’s inauguration this January.

I can’t even begin to show the infinite ways I’ve worn and worked this one treasured dress.  But I think you get the idea, no?  Now be off, you fabulous beauties, and find those golden garments!

Whether you’re working on going all RAW or simply trying to incorporate more raw foods into your diet, one thing is certain: you are going to be plowing through a massive quantity of fresh cut vegetables.  Therefore, in order to do RAW right, you’ll need to get a good raw veggie dip recipe under your belt, pronto.  There are infinite ways to make a no-bean hummus, so I encourage you to stray as far from my version as you wish.  Just try to stick to the basics (tahini-lemon-garlic) and the general proportions.  Other than that, just whip out that food processor* and start playing!  In my recipe, the zucchinis add bulk with relatively neutral flavor, and the pine nuts add both thickness and creaminess.  Don’t go too heavy on the tahini, or it will get bitter.

*If you do not have a food processor you can use a standard blender or a handheld blender, or even a potato masher if you’re determined 

Ingredients

2 medium zucchinis (about 3 cups chopped)  I leave the skin on for the nutrients and the fun green color, but you can peel them if you prefer.

1/3 cup raw pine nuts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup raw tahini

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp fresh lemon juice plus zest

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients and mix until creamy.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Garnish with pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of paprika or dill. 

Serve chilled with an assortment of your favorite fresh-cut vegetables.

Remember those guys ^^^ up there?  Those are the Zinnia sprouts that I featured when I wrote all about How To Start Seeds Indoors.  Well, those little babies are growing up fast, and all of a sudden they’re outgrowing their acreage.  See, it’s too cold still to put them outside just yet, but their current container is no longer viable. I began them in a shallow bed of starter mix, and now they need deeper potting soil for their roots to expand.  It’s time to move them, which I just love because it means we get to use the itty bitty minipots!  So cute!

If you find yourself anxious at this prospect, please don’t be.  Transplanting a wee seedling can seem so scary, because they are terribly fragile and ever-so-precious. But it’s a very simple process, quick and painless.  It goes like this:

With a serving spoon or similar, dull-edged tool, gently loosen the dirt around the seedling you wish to transplant.

Carefully work the spoon underneath the seedling, allowing a wide berth around the stem and angling as vertical as possible to allow for maximum depth.  Slowly lift the seedling and surrounding starter mix.

Using your most ginger touch, pick out any other seedlings or seeds that may try to compete for nutrients.  

This is what you want to end up with – your seedling perched within a good-sized, clean clump of starter mix :

Gently slide your seedling clump into a pot that you have already  prepared, filled 3/4 full with real potting soil.  Just let the seed and starter fall off the end of the spoon to rest atop the soil.

Using your fingers add more potting soil, covering the starter mix and the base of the stem – but not too deep!

Lightly tamp down the soil.  Lightly.

Give your new transplant a little watering, and don’t forget to label each pot.  Return it to your south-facing window so that it can continue to flourish.  Then, stand back and marvel at the Ultimate Cuteness of baby plants in tiny pots!

Right now my windowsill garden is off and running, and I’m having a blast farming the winter away!   I just put in some Cilantro and Parsley, and will soon be adding Broccoli and Bok Choy.  I’ve got a cupcake tin filled with Rocket (arugula) :

And some beautiful heirloom Beets (look at those colors!) :

And what about you, my fellow farmers?  What are you growing for spring?