Fancy Rice Porridge

Rice
Almonds
Cranberries
Raisins
Sunflower Seeds
Cinnamon (pinch)
Banana (optional)
Hemp Milk (optional any nut milk will do)
Coconut Oil (1 tbs optional)

Choose how much rice you will eat and combine it with some water and the cinnamon in a pot (1 inch of water above the rice). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the rice cooks, uncovered. Add more water if needed as it cooks. When the rice is done add some nut milk (I added about 2 tbs, just enough to moisten it, or more if you prefer), mix in the rest of the ingredients and cover with a lid. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Will keep in the fridge for a few days and tastes great in the morning, or you can even take it to work with you if you're running late.

Bonus Option. Add some sliced bananas and/or extra nut milk.

How To Remove Sticky Labels From Glass Jars

I came across some really stubborn labels on glass jars that I wanted to reuse for my pantry items as well as for some water kefir that I am brewing. I looked up some tips and tricks on the Internet and found that some of the recommendations were either to use chemicals or something really messy. I decided to forgo the WD-40 and the peanut butter (which I love and couldn't bear to use to remove some of this gummy stuff off of my bottles), and came up with this hybrid method.

Ingredients

baking soda

vegetable oil (any kind will do)

Method

This method is free of chemicals and uses the stuff that is probably already around the house and you don't have to measure anything, which for me is always a plus. I usually soak the bottles in hot water to remove as much of the label as possible with a butter knife. Then I fill the bottle with hot water and close it with the lid for easier handling. Then I just put a little bit of oil on my fingertips and apply it to the surface of the bottle. The heat from the water warms the glass and because "like dissolves like" the oil helps to loosen the sticky, warmed up residue. I usually let the bottle stand for a few minutes before using my sponge with some baking soda on it to gently remove the residue. If the process is slow going you can add a bit more oil, use a bit more baking soda or use a rougher surface. Sometimes I have to rinse off the sponge really well in the middle of the process since the oil and baking soda can clog it up, and a rougher surface works the best to remove this pesky stuff. The final step is to rinse your bottle with soap and water.     

     

Spicy Raw Pesto Zucchini Pasta

Zucchini (2 medium sized ones will do)
Fresh Basil (handful)
Shallots (Garlic will work also)
Chili Powder (to taste)
Salt'n'Pepper
EVOO
Hemp seeds (optional garnish)

Raw Pasta

To make the pasta use a spiralizer on the zucchini, alternatively if you don't have one you can always grate the zucchini into small strands. In a medium to large bowl massage the zucchini with some salt (a teaspoon will do), black pepper and chili powder.

Raw Pesto

In a food processor combine half of a shallot with a bunch of basil and 2 tablespoons of EVOO (add more if needed, this will depend on how much basil you use, it should be creamy and spread easily over the zucchini). Once you get the right consistency combine the pesto with the zucchini, put in a container and leave over night in the fridge. The key to this recipe is leaving the zucchini to marinade with the pesto over night. You can leave this in the fridge for a couple of days and it will continue to develp its flavor.

Bonus: This is versatile so if you have leftovers combine it with the ingredients below for lunch or dinner the next day.
     Try adding fresh diced tomatoes, or some fresh corn for a delicious twist.

Red Cabbage Sauerkraut

I'm so excited to share that my first ever sauerkraut has turned out beautifully. I'm Russian so it's funny that I am just now getting around to making it. Raw, unpasturized sauerkraut was commonly prepared when I was younger so I was excited to finally try a hand at it myself. I followed the method from Philip McCluskey's recipe but I simplified the ingredients list to just red cabbage and one carrot to test it out. Now that I got the hang of the method I'm excited to add other ingredients he suggests and experiment.

Homemade kraut is definitely cheaper than the raw unpasteurized stuff I found at my local health food store and much tastier. One of the health benefits of kraut is that it contains probiotic cultures that aid in digestion, as well as loads of vitamins. You can eat it by itself or mix in a tablespoon or two into your salads, it adds a tasty zing to your meals.

   

Mashed Potato with Raw Zucchini Pasta

Purple Potatoes, Garlic, Almond Milk

Broccoli

Zucchini, Tomatoes, Capers

Onions (Vidalia)

Half Cooked Half Raw

Start by chopping the onions (depending on the size you prefer to eat) steam with an inch of water in a small pot with lid covered until tender (I added a bit of fresh rosemary as well). Remove the lid and add some balsamic vinegar and allow the onions to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated from them, remove from heat.

Mashed Potatoes - start by chopping the potatoes and cooking them in some salt water with 2 cloves of garlic cut into chunks and a couple of curry leaves (optional). When they are cooked get rid of the water, add one minced clove (raw) and almond milk and mash or blend until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Meanwhile steam the broccoli.

Chop the tomatoes. 

Spiralize the zucchini into "pasta" put in bowl and combine with some olive oil and capers and spices that you like, here I used some chili lime spice mix.

Here it is all separate.

Here it is plated.

Quinoa, Potato, Spinach Soup

Potato
Quinoa
Spinach
Almond Milk
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mushrooms

Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly

Soup Stock:

To make the stock I steamed a couple of florets of brocolli and cauliflower in an inch of water with some black pepper and chili lime spice mix. Once the veggies were done with their steam bath I popped them in my blender along with the water. To achieve the desired soup consistency I thinned out this mixture with almond milk.

Soup Base:

Prepare two small pots, one for the potatoes/mushrooms and one for the quinoa.

The quinoa was simply boiled in water until it was cooked.

I cubed and boiled the purple potatoes and chopped mushrooms in a little bit of salt water, when they were done cooking I poured off the water and cooked them in a bit of cocunut oil on medium heat (3-5 minutes) depending on how crunchy you like the outside skin. Then add the quinoa and allow it to be cooked with the potatoes and make sure it gets mixed well, but take care not to break up the potatoes otherwise you'll have mashed potato soup (1 minute). Turn off the heat.

SOUP Time

Combine the blended stock with the potato, mushroom and quinoa mixture and serve with fresh spinach mixed into the soup. Here I tried plating the soup in two ways. Enjoy!

I absolutely love these purple potatoes.

Equanimity Elixir - Beets, Celery, Apple, Fennel Juice

Today's juice was made with two medium beets, some celery stalks, one apple and the stalks from one fennel bulb. The focus today is on equanimity, the blissful aware space that allows you to feel mental calmness, have composure, poise, serenity and self-possession.

Intelligence Elixir - Beets, Sweet Potato, Kale and Ginger Juice

Today's juice was made with two medium sized beets, one medium sweet potato, two leaves of kale and some ginger root. The focus today was on getting in touch with divine intelligence as well as on intelligent living.

Possibility Elixir - Carrots, Celery, Kale, Parsley, Apple Juice

Today's juice was made with some carrots, a handful of celery stalks, a handful of parsley, kale and an apple. The focus today is on the possibilities in life. What is possible here and now, how can this experience be more enriching? The possibilites are truly endless to experience life more fully.

I started with this:

And ended up with that:

Broccoli Soup

This broccoli soup is a mix of cooked and raw ingredients. Firstly, I steamed the broccoli stems in a little bit of salt water for approximately six minutes, then I added the broccoli and cauliflower florets and some seasoning and steamed them until tender.
Then I added some garlic to the pot, which was still on the burner (not turned on) and covered with a lid. I let this mixture sit a while as I cleaned a handful of spinach and basil.
Finally, I poured the hot broccoli/cauliflower mixture into my vitamix blender (but any blender will do) including the water and turned it on the lowest setting. As it was blending I added a table spoon of slivered almonds, a table spoon of olive oil, fresh spinach, fresh basil and seasoned it with some black pepper and used almond milk to get the soup to the consistency I wanted (you can add more or less depending on how thick you like your soup).
OPTIONAL: I added two small curry leaves (bought at my local farmers market) into the pot after the broccoli was done steaming, this gave the soup some spiciness. Also, you can top it off with some cheese if you like (second picture), in the picture below I garnished my soup with some almonds and basil.

OR

Fearlessness Elixir - Beet, Sweet Potato, Ginger Juice

This juice is simple and delicious, made with two medium sized beets, one large sweet potato and some ginger root. The focus today was on not giving in to fear and being fearless in the face of any challenges. It is easy to give up, but being fearless in pursuit of your dreams helps boost self confidence and brings you that much closer to your goals.

Compassion Elixir - Cucumber, Carrots, Wheat Grass Juice

Today's juice was made with one large cucumber, handful of carrots, and wheat grass creating a refreshingly smooth drink. The focus was on compassion, or awareness of others and the art of understanding mindfully what others are experiencing.

Acceptance Elixir - Grapefruit Juice

Acceptance Elixir

Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice with a focus on acceptance (yesterday).

Abundance Elixir - Carrots, Fennel, Sweet Potato Juice.

Abundance Elixir

Today's juice was made with carrots, half of a fennel bulb and a sweet potato. I really enjoy fennel so if you haven't tried it check out your grocery or health food store. If you do buy it, taste it first, the whole thing is edible and is great in salads. I have found that adding a little bit into juices greatly enhances them, so be adventurous. As a side note, not all people like the flavor of fennel, so if you don't, this juice tastes great with the carrots and sweet potato on their own. Also, the focus today is on having an abundance mindset, which is empowering and attracts more of the same.

Integrity Elixir- Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Apple Juice

Integrity Elixir

Today's juice was made with lots of celery, kale, half of a cucumber and an apple. The focus is on integrity, which can be describe in terms of the relationship you have with yourself and others. The best definition of integrity that I have heard so far is "when you do what you say you are going to do."I love the simplicity and truth of that statement.

Joy Elixir - Beet, Carrot, Fennel and Ginger Juice

Joy Elixir

This juice was made yesterday from beets, carrots, fennel tops and a dash of ginger. The focus was on joy and being able to experience it within and independently from the outside world.