Green Smoothie Week: Day 1

Bonjour mes amies.

Today was a pretty good Sunday: got up late, worked on my university paper, washed the dishes, had a lovely bath, cleaned and exfoliated every part of my body, and proceeded to slather on a ton of cocoa butter, now I'm in post-bath mode (drowsily wandering about, not entirely conscious, but quite content).

I had just one smoothie today - at about 2 PM - because I woke up late. I'm a little hungry now, but I think I'll just have a cup of tea before bed and that'll be all.

Dad's reaction to this smoothie: "AH! What makes it so green!?"

Creamy Green Dream: makes 1 serving (about 4 cups)

1 banana

2 kiwis

3 cups spinach

1 cup water/coconut water

Blend all ingredients in your high speed blender until smooth. 

Add stevia and/or ginger if you want. Drink it up!

I'm a little concerned about how I feel right now though; a little nauseous, light-headed, and just kinda funny. I'm attributing my feelings to detox right now, but yet I don't know. I shouldn't be feeling like this in the first hours of a cleanse. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but I may not do this for a week after all.

Another unusual issue - I don't have enough greens to last me a week, and right now (long story short) my mom has no way of paying by credit card at the market to buy more. Also, there's a lot of food in our house right now that I can't really add to green smoothies, but that I should be eating; like cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

I don't wanna be that lame person who goes back on what they say they're gonna do - but I might do exactly that... We will see how this goes. If I feel better tomorrow, then I'll keep on liquids until the spinach we have runs out.

I should have planned this more thoroughly.

Green Smoothie Week

It's decided folks: this coming week (7 days), I'll just be having green smoothies. Probably 1-2 per day.   
I cannot explain enough the benefits and necessity of butt-loads of dark greens in your diet. Seriously. Research and find out for yourself.

 Guess who gets their greens.

I've done this before, and am always happy with the results. I don't have a lot of excess fat so I don't see many superficial changes, but I have lost weight before (junk in my system finally getting cleaned out) and it feels great.

You miss eating, but at the same time you free up a lot of time, energy and thought for other things. I have more time to reflect on myself and the world. And now... more time for homework. I GUESS that's a plus.

Why do this now? Well first of all, it's not that big a deal and not too extreme so I don't actually need a bunch of reasons =) Other than to clean out the old digestive system and give my stomach a break. A water fast? Now that I would need a better reason for doing.

When you calculate it, at the end of the day your calorie intake is quite similar to normal (at least for me). Also, I'm eating the exact same foods: greens and fruit. The only difference is that I'm blending my food before I ingest it. Basically doing my stomach's work ahead of time, and probably eating a bit more greens than I usually (though not by much).

I've been craving green smoothies lately, as I'm done with my salad obsession now and want my smoothies BACK! But I haven't had the opportunity to make them. Well. I suppose I have, but for several silly reasons I've just been lazy.

I know. "Lazy?" Man, I'm lame. And I call myself a green-smoothie-loving raw fooder. 

Don't worry - I've been getting my daily dose of greens from broccoli over the past few days, instead of kale, swiss chard or spinach. But seriously. It's time I return to my old ways:

Green. Monster. Smoothies.

So I thought, "Hey, I've missed them so much, I may as well drink them for a week, with nothing else!" Okay writing that now, it's not the clearest logic I've ever heard... but I'm sure you understand.

Anyhoo. I'll be posting recipes and photos daily of my lovely green beasties, how I'm feeling, and how the "cleanse" is affecting me. Hope you check 'em out!

Letter in the Newspaper: "Vegan Goes Mainstream"

I often write to newspapers, journals, authors, TV shows and companies with my thoughts on their articles, episodes and products.

If I see something I like, I let them know! And if I see something I dislike, I also let them know. Either way, they're appreciative and I get my vegan, environment-loving voice heard.

I've had my letters and whatnot published a number of times before (our family seems to have a knack for being presented in social media) but this time, I have a blog to show it in! Here's the article.

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And here's my letter; they shortened it somewhat:

It's not a big deal, but for those of you reading - I say get out there and write letters! Tell authorities, companies, and influential people what you think is important and bad/good for your community. They want to know!

This letter isn't anything powerful or particularly important, but my point is that you should be active in your community =) It's fun and can sometimes lead to great things.

Anyhoo, not much else to report today. I had some trippy dreams last night about oranges, motorcycles and sugar. Tonight I ate a butt-load of broccoli with a yummy cashew-garlic sauce =) And I think tonight I will stay in and perhaps watch a movie. Maybe with a few of these:

...? I think yes. They are the BEST thing you will ever eat!!! They taste better than any candy bar you've ever had. It's just a date with nut butter inside.

Before workouts, sometimes I put coconut oil inside. The fat in the oil allows the sugar in the date to release slower, giving you long-lasting energy. Delicious, chewy, gooey, long-lasting energy.

*10 minutes later... Pff haha I definetly just ate like three of those. 

Have a great Friday night!

TOFINO! MEXICO!

YAY! So yesterday my mom bought me, my parents and my little brother our plane tickets to MEXICO!

I CAN'T WAIT! 

We're going on February 27th. Less than a month. And it gets even better. A week before we leave for Mexico, we're going to Tofino (on Vancouver Island) for 5 days. We go to Tofino every year, and it's the ultimate west coast vacation. Cold, rainy and beautiful. Huge trees, big rocks, and a heck of a lot of ocean, sand, and surfboards. I will always love it. 
I'd live on Van island for sure, if only I could grow the bounty of fruit that I need to live =( That's okay though, like I said, we have been going every year since I was like 9 or something. We stay here.
 

And it's honestly the greatest place in the world!!!! AGHH! Sorry, I'm sort of freaking out right now, seeing pics of it and knowing it's that time of year when we return to our cottage. If you're thinking about vacationing in Tofino - stop thinking. Go. 

West Coast is da BEST COAST. Don't argue. 

Tofino for me means relaxing time with the fam; long, wet beach walks; hikes through ancient forests; hot chocolate; board games; and lots of laughter and memories. It has become a part of every member of my family, and will stay that way for ever.
(I hope to stay predominantly raw in Tofino, but I can't promise anything.)

On to Mexico! I'm so stoked. You don't understand. We're staying at this crazy-gorgeous resort with my uncle and aunt. I know, I know - big resort - "Oh, it's not environmentally friendly, there's no real culture, etc." I KNOW, OKAY. But I just don't care. I get to spend a week in the Mexican sun with my loved ones, and have a great time with all the fruit I could imagine... perhaps meet a gorgeous raw vegan Mexican boy? Fingers crossed.

And I was actually surprised and pleased to find that this resort has been given an environmental resort management award every year for the past few years! So it's not ALL bad. In fact, there ain't nothin' bad about this. This will be an amazing experience and I cant hardly contain my excitement!!!

I've been to Mexico once before (also with the parents and my lil bro) and it is something I remember fondly and day dream about a lot. Family, food, beach, dancing, memories. Just one of those times. I had so much fun, and I can't really describe it. But I'm sure you know what I mean.

In Mexico this year, I plan to stay all raw... HOW CAN YOU NOT?! Look at all that fruit. 50% of my excitement right now is about being able to eat all this exotic, fresh fruit for a week!!! I'm not gonna bring any technology with me (why would you...?!) so I won't be blogging during these two vacations. But I WILL be keeping journals every day and taking tons of pics - duh. So I'll be able to tell ya what happened when I get home.

At this point, all I'm thinking about are these vacays:

When I wake up - "TOFINO. MEXICO. YES. SOON."

I don't know if I can wait...

Please - universal, supernatural force of the cosmos; 

grant me the power to contain myself and not explode with excitement, 

until we get to Tofino and Mexico.

Lavender & Lemon "Cheesecake"

Oh my. This is raw, vegan, and absolutely divine.

I know the flavours are rather summery, and yet it's January. But I thought "what the heck"... I doubt anyone will complain.

I highly suggest you make this as soon as possible, and feel your world come alive. This is actually my first raw cheesecake, and I now know it will become one of my stand-by special desserts. It's delightful, truly. 

It's wonderful how first you get that taste of lemon, fresh and light; then right after, you begin to taste the subtle lavender coming through and are surprised by how much you like it!

Who could have imagined a handful of raw, whole foods could create such a beautiful and elegant dish? Well I'm not gonna lie... I could easily imagine it. But that's only because I'm so in love with raw desserts (and food).

Share this delicate and lovely cheesecake with your loved ones; and enjoy the tastes, textures, and simple happiness they all bring.

Lavender & Lemon Cheesecake: makes 1 cheesecake 

Crust:

1/2 cup dates

1 1/2 cups nuts (I used soaked walnuts and almonds)

Surround the inside of a cake pan with wax paper or plastic wrap. Process dates and nuts together until you get a rough, sticky mixture that you can pat down with your hands into the bottom of the cake pan. Do so. Set in fridge.

Cheesecake:

3 cups cashews (preferably soaked for 3-4 hours)

3/4 cup lemon juice

2/3 cup honey/agave/maple syrup

3/4 melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

1-3 teaspoons dried lavender  (depends on how much you like lavender; I used 3)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract/seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. It will taste... glorious. I'm not kidding, angels may start singing. Pour onto crust in cake pan and set in the freezer or fridge until it has the hardness you want (probably 3-5 hours or overnight). Take out of cake pan holding the wax paper or plastic wrap and put on your favourite plate. Slice and enjoy.

Family Dinner

This is what it typically looks like:

Guess where I sit.

Usually I have a gargantuan salad, a bowl of fruits, or a massive green smoothie. Last night it was a smoothie. I blended up some strawberries, kiwis, and a pound of lettuce =) Yuummmay.

Also, usually there's more than one pot of food, and no Becel! =S My family does  eat pretty healthy.

As you might presume, sometimes me eating raw causes some tension in the household. My parents often worry, my brothers just think I'm weird, but my cat Dante is totally okay with it! He too, strives to be 100% raw vegan. In his perfect world, all he would eat is flowers. No kidding. We catch him eating them while no one's looking all the time. As for normal cat food? He grudgingly eats it just to survive.

Back to the subject though. I look forward to when I live on my home (hopefully in my tiny house!) and can eat purely raw. For now, I still eat a bit of cooked food sometimes for several reasons - mostly social - and my family being a big one. 

Just wanted to share what a normal dinner looks like at the von Euw house =) And show how big my smoothies are. Yes, I always finish them... often gulping them down in an excited frenzy. I can't help it. They're so dang good.

This one actually holds more than a Mason jar so I can make my smoothies even bigger!

I Want To Live In A Shoebox

Howdy folks.
So if you read my blog regularly, you probably have figured out I'm a bit of a hippie. Okay, a lot of a hippie. I can't help it - I am the quintessential flower child. And I ain't changin' any time soon.

Now having said that; what do you imagine a dirty, kale-munching hippie living in? Perhaps this:

That WAS one of my original dreams: drive around the world in one of these puppies, with a bunch of friends, good music and no plan. I think I'll still do that sometime, but the plan has changed a tad.

No, I'm not going to live in a dumpster, or be homeless, wild and free. NOW, I have the perfect plan for my future living situation. One of these babies. <- click the link

They're super tiny houses! I'm going to buy the plans for one of them (haven't decided which one yet) and use salvaged wood and materials to build it for cheap! This is so ideal for me, though it might not be the best idea for most people. Do you:

- want to save money?

- not like doing housework?

- not like paying the mortgage, or other monthly bills?

- love to travel? 

- like to build things?

- love the outdoors?

- are comfortable with smallish spaces?

- don't have too many people to take care/live with?

Then this is for you!!! I hit all of those criteria on the mark, so I don't see me doing it any other way. 

I used to want to save up a butt-load of money and build my own off-the-grid, renewable energy-run zion house, complete with garden and forest. Something like this: 

This house is actually the most energy efficient in the world, and it's in Victoria!

But then I realized it would cost me about $500,000. I don't wanna spend that much of my life working to make that much money. One of these tiny houses will only cost me $20,000 TOPS. I'm thinking it'll be more like $5,000 or $10,000. Very do-able. In fact, there's tons of videos on YouTube about people who have done this for under $4,000. Check them out here.

I've been serious about doing this after I move out for several months now. I don't WHEN that will be, but I'd like to start building one of these in the next few years! Then all I gotta do is grab a friend or find a romantic companion (or not...) and hit the road! Driving where ever I want, buying fresh produce along the way.

Anyways, just wanted to let ya'll know what my living conditions are gonna be... in case you were wondering =) I'm gonna go make a green smoothie now. I want that lettuce IN MA BODAY.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (baked)

My friend Amanda was at my house the other night, and we were planning on going to a party... but it was raining, we were tired, and we just didn't feel like going out anymore. So we were left with some free time, what to do? Amanda declared she wanted to bake "something crazy-awesome with swirls".

We ended up with a tray of Vanilla Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Frosting. Not too shabby.

We found this recipe. I modified it a bit: used oat flour instead of all-purpose, used more tofu, added some honey and left out some sugar, used real vanilla, and made up my own icing. They were REALLY moist, and not too sweet. The combination was a delight. These cupcakes were gone in a day.

Vanilla Cupcakes: makes about 12

1 ½ cups oat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 oz. tofu
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup soy milk/water
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Seeds from half a vanilla pod
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the first 3 ingredients. In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients; blend until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture; and pour all the batter into muffin tins (lined with paper).

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until  a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Peanut Butter Frosting: makes 4 or so cups, you'll have extra

4 oz. tofu

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup melted earth balance

Pinch of salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 peanut butter 

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Yum.

Alligator Chocolate "Creme Brulee" Pudding

You can't comprehend how decadent, creamy and INSANELY good this pudding is - until you make it.
Got a ripe alligator pear  handy? Translation: avocados. They sometimes call 'em alligator pears because of their skin... makes sense.

I just imagine this guy eating piles of avocados: 

+    

(Now that I'm thinking about it... that's ME when I have avocados...)

Moving on: you like Jell-O chocolate pudding? You'll love this. Don't love Jell-O pudding? You'll love this. I know I say this about everything I make (and I'm telling the truth every time, I swear!), but this is SERIOUSLY THE BEST THING EVER.

I'm sorry. My taste buds hold no loyalties, thus they change their loves very easily and frequently. In short: often whatever I'm eating, is the best thing I've ever eaten. 
Having said that - I still like to think my taste buds DO have good taste (no pun intended?). So this pudding really is outta this world.

And guess what? Yep. You got it. This is uber good for ya. SO MAKE/EAT IT ALREADY!

I wanted to add some texture, and create something reminiscent of creme brulee, so I poured some melted dark chocolate to the top, and it hardened. I got the perfect product! I highly recommend doing this.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding: makes 5 little bowls 

2 avocados, riper the better

2 Tb coconut oil (sorta optional)

1/3 cup honey/other sweetener

1/2 cup cacao

2 t vanilla extract

1/4 cup mesquite (or add more cacao)

Pinch of salt

Water, as/if needed 

1/2 bar dark chocolate (50 g), melted (optional)

Blend all ingredients (except chocolate) until smooth; wet first works best, but it doesn't matter too much.

You should have a pudding consistency, so add more things if you need to. Taste it...... =)

Spoon into ramekins or bowls. Pour melted chocolate over the tops and spread it evenly, but try not to mix it with pudding. 

You can sprinkle some coconut or something else over top if you want. It makes it perdy.

Refrigerate til the chocolate hardens - and there ya go!

Health By Chocolate

Raw Dark Chocolate with Goji Berries. Doesn't it sound sexy?

Yes, it does. All this glorious chocolate has in it is cacao, coconut butter and honey. I added some vanilla, mesquite, sea salt and goji berries for extra decadence and some colour.

Who would've thought eating chocolate could add nutrition to your diet? This chocolate may help you live longer (with healthier skin and hair, and less stress).

One more plus? This is ready in minutes. I literally made during it a commercial break on TV:

Dad: "What're you doing in there?" 

Me: "Making chocolate, I'll be like two seconds!" 

Enough talking - chocolate doesn't need an explanation. Just make this now.

Raw Chocolate: makes 7 bars (I recommend making more)

1/4 cup honey/agave/maple syrup, or you can use a paste of dates and water

2/3 cup cacao 

5 Tb coconut oil, melted

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Mix all ingredients until smooth and ridiculously delicious-looking. If you want, add other ingredients like mesquite powder, salt, vanilla, or anything else that could take this to another level! Try not to eat it all before it solidifies... I had some trouble.

Spread the mix out on some wax paper and put it in the freezer for a few hours. 
Then, you know what to do. 

Good heavens these are CRAZY-GOOD. You will not believe it. 

You don't understand how amazing these are until you try them yourself.