I like to eat my VEg Tables

   My sweet nothings, I do hope you all are not bitter with me for such a great pause between blogs. I have no excuses. Of course, Summer is super busy. Busy with going outs and social events. Some work, but mostly play. I have no excuse! I do not seek one. I just haven't felt like updating.. haha! 

   I must confess, I have not been 100% RAWr. Currently, I am still hitting around 75% RAWr daily. Which is still most excellent. Anyhow, t'was was a decision I came to out of pure necessity. I just didn't have time to create something stupendous RAWr everyday.. Also, I was feeling rather damp and cold, two conditions which lead to respiratory problems. So I decided to start including cooked foods in my diet. I needed to include warmth without the heat of things like ginger or peppers, which I should avoid as my dosha is Pitta. They aggravate me. 

   This was a meal I made a couple of weeks ago. I had a lot of vegetables and so I pretty much just used all of them. I really can't stand when I have things that are starting to look not-so-fresh. I had lots (and lots) of leeks and some basil. Most everything was from the farmers market or whole foods. 

   I made steamed asparagus and brussels sprouts. I tossed the brussels sprouts in a bowl when they were hot and ready (that's what she said?) with a bit of olive oil, celtic sea salt, and fresh pepper. The asparagus got a bit of lime juice and some celtic sea salt. 

   The zucchini and squash were pan sauteed with some shallots, leeks, and garlic. I seasoned them with olive oil, S&P, and thyme. Not much. Simple is always better. Especially with fresh and tasty vegetables. 

   The greens, oooh la la! They were soo good! It was rainbow chard, swiss chard, and collard greens. Pan fried with coconut oil and then turned down to a simmer to slow cook for about ten/fifteen minutes-ish.I added some water, it was necessary. They had a bit o garlic and some love as well up in thurr. When they were done I seasoned them with a splash of apple cider vinegar and olive oil, as I do almost all greens. Celtic sea salt, of course. 

   I had tons of leeks, I steamed the white ends of one bunch and served as is. The other bunch I cut up, used for cooking. The rest of the leaves were steamed and either used for leek mousse or stuffed with it. Leek mousse is pretty much just leeks, a tablespoon of veganase, a bit of oil, a bit of water, a bit of salt, pepper, thyme, and a smile. Pureed. That stuff is sooo good! Tastes like spinach artichoke dip, sans the spinach and artichoke! haha! I stuffed some leaves with it, but also served it on the plate. Couldn't get enough. Love love that stuff! 

   Pestooooo! One bunch of Basil. Two Handfuls of Pine Nuts. 1 tbs dried tarragon. 1/4 cup olive oil, or rather, just use as necessary. Thyme. Celtic Sea salt. 2 Stems of rosemary, sans the actual stem. Y'all this stuff was SO good! I mean, I love love pesto. But really. Nothing should taste this good. I had some spelt bread from Whole Foods, it was really the only thing I wanted to eat! What can I say? I love bread and fat, since I was child. Oh the shame!

   The meal ended in a food coma. A very satisfied, outside-with-someone-I-love-and-my-dog, food coma. It was a lovely evening for vegetables and eating outside = )

If you wonder, no I did not make a happy plate. Not even close! 

   If you are curious as to how I can make all of these separate things come together so well time wise.. It just takes practice and understanding of the craft of food preparation. I hope this lack of information helps! ☭

Breathing

The more aware you become, 

the more you notice. 

The more you notice, 

the more you can really enjoy 

and appreciate being alive. 

A single bird,

flying across the sky

becomes a moment of enlightenment

and peace.

Seek the beauty in everything

and in doing so,

you will

achieve mindfulness.

All is ♡.

All is a miracle.

Start Week Three!

   So it seems that Summer isn't going to be slowing down anytime soon. I started a 2nd job today. Waiting tables. Not my idea of fun at all. I wouldn't eat anything that I am selling. Fried, Flesh, Fat. That's all it is. Cancer. I just really need the money. 

  Yesterday I got off work and I was exhausted. I came home and rushed to eat just to leave again. So, there was no uncooking like I'd thought. I did read some amazing articles online while I was at work. Here is a link.   http://www.rawbc.org/articles/greensinstore.html   

Soak it up! I can't wait to finish reading all the articles. 

 So today I ate this salad from a new job I started. It did have refined noodles in it. I've been craving noodles like crazy! I took a nap shortly after and I woke up 3hrs later soaking wet in sweat. I don't know what caused it. I've been feeling a little under par since Friday night. The combo of constantly going going going, rushing to eat, irregular sleep, and the excess I drank Friday has compromised my immune system. I feel like tonight I kicked it back up by taking it easy. I had to remind myself to eat more slowly. 

I wanted mexican food tonight. I had no cilantro. It has become a problem, the cilantro shortage I've put myself into this week. It sucks! I made an alternative to the type of RAWr taco I wanted to make. I call them butterfly tacos. = )

"Beans"

Walnuts

Brazil Nuts

Pumpkin Seeds

1 toe of garlic

Brags Amino acids, just a squirty squirt. 

Chili powder, Salt, Coriander powder, Rosemary, black, white, and red pepper. 

Blend in food processor with S blade adding water until thick. 

  I made a salsa using Tomatoes, garlic, and Peppers from the farmers market. Celtic Sea salt too, of course.

  I also put a collard green leaf (also from the farmers market), de-stemmed and cut in half width wise inside of the sprouted corn tortilla. Just to add some greens. I'm always looking for a way to sneak greens into my diet. 

  Along with the Salsa I made I had some corn and shredded lettuce. Once I put everything together the Collard Greens looked like butterfly wings! It was awesome! So I dug this beautiful asparagus from WF mkt out of the fridge and made some antennae! 

Silly I know, but seriously,

if I would have had some small googly eyes somewhere

 I would have had used them for the picture! Love googly eyes!

I threw some carrots on as a nod to being better than cheese.. 

Then I stuffed my face.

This week I'm planning to Purrrr instead of Grrr. Or rather, 

be PURE. RAWr Purrr. Nice. Very nice. 

No alcohol. 

Tomorrow I'm going to juice

a good bit at work, 

hopefully. 

 

I want to go see UP tomorrow

night as well.

I want to learn how to use the new 

Adobe Illustrator too.

I also need to get some dang peddles 

on this bike I've got use of!

Oh, and I'm totally going

horseback riding on Wednesday 

after work. SO excited about that!

It's going to be an amazing week!!! 

☮ Chris

** I do apologize for the format of this blog, Blogger is not cooperating and I'm tired of trying to fix it

so that the letters aren't all jumbled on different lines and such. The pictures were hard enough to get

set up today on this here site.**

Weekend Update Two

 I've been crazy busy. Too busy to even worry about making food, let alone eat it. Is this possible? Yes, the only thing more important than food to me, is art. I would starve only for my art. Starve the past three days, I have. I've been surviving on random smoothies, juices, and whatever else.. Inhaled and rushed salads, lara bars, cashews, and pistachios. A random banana or two? Water? 

   The 4th Stabbed in the Art show was a major success. I got invited to a juried private show in November by the gallery/venue owner himself who said "Your stuff is my favorite in the entire show". Exsqueeeze me? Really? I was stoked fo sho! It was awesome. I sold 6 framed prints, and 2 unframed prints. People told me I "stand out among all other artists" and that I'm "memorable" all night long. I felt amazing. I feel more motivated than ever now to create create create!! But first, I should eat a real meal. I be hawnGRrry! RAWr!

   Tomorrow my friends, it's on. I plan on creating something filling and tasty. I work 12-6 and I will be using the extra time I have to brush up on my food readings. I got a RAWr hemp protein, finally, I haven't even used it yet. Tomorrow I am for sure! I'm pretty stoked, and hungry. Did I mention that already? Oh, okay. 

Forgive me for I have sinned:

I drank in excess. Yes, a moderate excess but still. Wine and Guinness. I was somewhat drunkin. Not healthy no no no. I felt terrible most of today. I napped outside in the sun when I got home from work. Then I came inside and napped in my bed.. Since I had to be to work so early, I only slept about 2-3hrs. Drunk. Not good. Also, I had a rather large handful of Ruffles today. They were out, at home, and I ate some. They were damn good, OKAY! I enjoyed it! Stop yelling at me! I also ate some Terra Sweet potato Beet chips at work. A lot of them. These are my sins for the weekend. I have now confessed. rAwMEN.

   

Day Ten and Eleven

   I've been so busy the past two days. Food preparation has taken the backseat to art show preparation. I always wait until the last day possible. It's nice, the pressure. 

Yesterday I had a slice of ezekiel bread for breakfast. At early lunch Scottie brought me some wonderful green juice in. I also had a kombucha at some point. For late lunch I ate a rather large salad with two slices of hemp bread. It was spinach, sprouts, carrots, onions, and seeds. I covered it with flax oil and apple cider vinegar. I got a great workout yesterday as well. I've been using the incline button on the treadmill and I'm rockin it. Last night I also partook in a rather large amount of Guinness. Again, told you it would be my biggest weakness. 

  Today I had a lara bar, the key lime one, love it. I drank a lot of water as well, because I was somewhat hungover. Terrible terrible, I know, I know.  I ate some RAWr Chaux in some sprouted corn taco shells. I also had a cooked artichoke. I needed it. I wanted noodles today really badly. I cannot even begin to explain how much I wanted noodles. Thai noodles. I almost broke down and did it. But I didn't in the end. I'm proud of me. I made some muesli instead and ate it up.. 

   I've been exhausted since about eight tonight but I'm just now getting to bed. I have to wake up early to finish up art show stuff. Goodnight. ✯

Muesli

 

Oats

Shredded coconut, lots and lots

1 very ripe banana cut in rounds

Raspberries, sort of cut up

Strawberries, sliced

Cashews

Sunflower Seeds

Carob powder

Mix everything together well. The coconut should stick to the banana and the berries to the oats. I poured homemade Almond Mylk and a small amount of agave nectar on top and ate it up. It would have been great with blueberries, but they got frozen. Dang. 

Day Nine

   Today was busy and long. I didn't eat a whole lot because my nutritional needs were insanely satisfied. I even had reps at work commenting on my dedication. Yeaaah, that's right!

   I had a Grape GT Kombucha for breakfast, and about a liter of water within about two hours. 

   For lunch I had a salad. Basic salad, nothing crazy. spinach, sprouts, onions, mixed seeds, half an avocado and a generous amount of flax oil. Twas quite satisfying. 

   I also had a cup of the spinach and tomato soup I made yesterday with cilantro seed cheese and some shredded carrots. I couldn't finish all of it because I was so full. The carrots were not a good idea, note to self. All of the water in them was leeched out by the salty spinach soup. It was a mild watery mess.

    During lunch I also made a green smoothie with kale, spinach, parsley, blueberries, agave, multi green supplement, plant protein, and water. I sipped on that all afternoon until it was about 5 hours old and almost back to being solid. I couldn't take it after that and threw it away. 

   At some point I had a Pineapple grape juice. It was amazing and I loved it. 

   After work I was led by my paycheck to the massive Americas Thrift store where I spent a large amount. It was quite a successful trip.

   On the way home I stopped by the gym and got in a workout. I wasn't hungry at all but I ate a few bits of RAWr Chaux when I got home. I should also mention I drank a lot of water all day today. At least I would guess 4 liters.

   I have no pictures from today I'm sorry to report. At least I'm even blogging today, you people out there. Thank you for reading. I can't wait to get adjusted in the morning. Goodnight.☯

Start Week Two: Dessert Time

  Today was the first day I attempted a raw dessert. I must say, it came out very well. I was pleased.. I mean, it's not like it's that difficult to blend something up!

  It was refreshing and did not taste healthful, let alone RAWr. Yep, it was that good. It had the consistency of pudding with a lovely banana flavor, a very nostalgic thing to me. I served it with carob chips, because the combo of banana and carob is a favorite of mine! I also think it would be great with some cashew butter, or sliced banana, or shaved dark chocolate with raspberries. 

Almond Banana Pudding

11/2 cup of soaked almonds

1 cup of water, or more as needed

2 large handfuls of dates

One large spotty ripe banana

Blenderrr away! Put in freezer until quite close to frozen, serve with carob chips. YUM ✓

I would like to thank Scottie for the awesome conversation today ♏ and for delivering me a Bicycle! That is awesome! I can't wait to have peddles on it and ride all ova the place. Also, thank you to Mr. Toups for the rad entertainment center. I dig it fo real. Ya'll are rockin! ♡

Start Week Two

   It's the start of week TWO in RAWr eating. It's not as challenging as it has been in the past. I'm not sure if it's because I know so much more now, because of the resources I have at work, because of the support I'm getting. No idea. But it's going really well, I don't see an end to it anytime soon. I'm well past detox and I feel clear and awesome. Today I slept late.. I feel that I will just stop including my late sleeping, at this point it's a given that I love to sleep half the day away. You may ask, "Why?".. Well, because I like my pillow. Also, I read in a Psychology today last year that creative people (aka, their brains) need a good deal more sleep time than a non creative brain. I like to accept and embrace this! Embrace, I do. 

   I had a good bit of things to get done today. I did not eat a whole lot before I got started, mistake.  I ate a banana when I woke up and drank a good bit of water. That was it. I ran some errands in preparation for an art show I have on Friday. While sitting in some major traffic I was having wet daydreams about spinach soup.. It was torturous! While in the nightmare of Baton Rouge rush hour interstate traffic I ate a green apple I'd brought along. It was helpful, saved me from dieing, but wasn't a cure.

   I need to eat more during the day. I have to remind myself to eat, because I'll get so caught up in doing other things that I just overlook it. I really am a bigger fan of eating in the early evening. So, daytime is often forgotten about. Which, really sucks because about three hours into my day I want to kill someone I get so hunGRRy. Yes, grr.. that's how I get. I usually keep a stash of Lara bars or nuts in my car for such emergencies, but alas, today there was none to be had. I must have had several emergencies lately. Hmm.

 Note: Restock. 

    Once I arrived at my destination, the Hobby Lobby, I knocked out my shopping needs in under fifteen minutes. Which, for matching prints with mats is excellent time. When I was standing in line I was seething in a delightful way with hunger. I took the time (well, actually the middle aged women in line ahead of me were the time tookers) to observe the plethora of snacks to be had while checking out. Kit Kat bars, Snickers, Gum in sparkly varieties I've never heard of, these things called "Testamints"... Which honestly really frightened me. "Share the word with a Testiment". Clever pun guys. Jesus loves it! Anyway, I don't understand how a Kit Kat bar is even food. Seriously, I don't. Nothing was really food. I would have rather eaten the Modge Podge glue on the shelf underneath than ever eat some greasy nasty excuse for chocolate. Gross. 

   So, the point is.. I had a good bit of food day dream time today. This is what happened for Dinner:

Tomato Soup 2 spun with Spinach Soup

RAWr Chaux in Butter lettuce cups 

Banana Almond Pudding

I made tomato soup yesterday. It was really fantastic. But I wanted to try another version with oats for a thicker texture. I dreamed the recipe up while sitting in traffic.. I wanted spinach soup so badly but I wanted to try out the tomato soup idea I had. I couldn't decide, so I made both. I love tomato soup and I love to make it. Herbs are lovely, combining them is always a great creative exercise. 

  The spinach soup was insanely excellent. I want to eat it again and again! It tasted like simple goodness. I can't begin to describe the flavor, clean, crisp, excellent. I had these mushrooms I was doing nothing with, so I threw them on top. But really, I was wishing I would have had some pistachio cream, that would have been a most excellent complement of flavors. Note: Next time Spinach Soup lives with Pistachio Cream Fo Sho! Hmm, and watercress, if I can find any. Watercress soup with pistachio cream. YUM! 

Tomato Soup 2

5 Large tomatoes

(or fill your blender all the way up with chopped up tomatoes and then take half of 'em out to add after it's pureed down some)

Handful of fresh Tarragon

Two handfuls of Raw Steel Cut Oats

A bit of Dried Wakame

Dulse granules 

Celtic Sea Salt

Three Toes of Garlic 

2 Tbs Coconut Oil

3 Long Stems worth of Fresh Rosemary leaves

Thyme

Oregano

Spinach Soup ♡

4-5 Very very large handfuls of spinach

Handful of Parsley

2 Toes of Garlic

Rice Vinegar, a dash

Water

Blob of Coconut oil

Olive Oil

Sesame oil, tiny bit

Celtic Sea Salt

   

 

   I had this head of butter lettuce and I made another batch of RAWr Chaux. I dig it a lot. It's a great way to get tons of different nutrients, texture, and flavors. This batch included some zucchini, squash, and a poblano chili as well as some green onions and a few random baby portobellos that were leftover from the soup garnish. Shout out to Mum for doing the prep work! I put it in the lettuce and then put some hemp oil on the plate.  

Weekend Update!

     So, in Baton Rouge the weekend officially starts on Thursday evenings. I can't really commit to blogging on the weekend, because I'm usually out and crazy busy. This weekend was no different, crazy busy. This weekend however, was so honest and upfront.. so realizing and truthful. It was blessings of events and as well several lessons be be learned, and many things to be remembered.

    I definately drank too much on Friday night. That's fo sho! There was two bottles of wine and three friends for a few hours outside Whole Foods. It was amazing. Then, I was exposed to second hand smoke at North Gate Tavern, not amazing. I ended up at a Hip Hop show at Chelsea's that was totally rad. Saturday I worked downtown during the farmers market. I was late, because I was dead for a while early that morning, but when I got there I was ready to rock and roll and I enjoyed it. I saw tons of people and had a blast. I juiced and ate fresh farmers market findings all morning while talking to friends. Lovely. Then I went home and napped and went to a silent movie at the Baton Rouge gallery. There was a band to accompany the film, the 1924 version of the Wizard of Oz. It was in a word, breathtaking. I forgot for over an hour that I was in Baton Rouge. Today, Sunday, I had an amazing workout and some awkward pool time. Some grubbing and then the universe spoke, again. 

    I ate raw all weekend, aside from the somewhat excessive abuse of Guinness on Friday evening and the three I had tonight. I did eat half of a hummus sandwich at work and a handful of Cassava chips, which I love. But really it's the Guinness. I told you all in the beginning, the greatest weakness I'll have eating raw is my ♡ for the Guinness. 

    I've been making new friends and seeing old friends, whom I thought were forever lost, and I feel that my life is very, very blessed. I can't help but smile. 

   I walking the correct path more everyday, and all is well. The more I listen the more I hear. I really enjoy enjoying food, as I have this week. It's the lifeblood of our bodies, the evolution of our minds, and the well-being of our hearts. I feel that the closer I come to obtaining optimum nutrition, the closer I come to understanding and enlightenment. It's a beautiful evolution. 

   It's only been one week. It's flown by. I'm past detoxing, for the time being. I've started to move into extra energy and focus. This weekend I cannot even begin to list everything I consumed. But I'll say this, there was some Genesis bread, avocado tomato salad, cashews, lots green smoothies, some fresh tomatoes, a good amount of blueberries, and lots of vegetable juice involved. I ate a few zucchini and a whole bag of okra, I love raw okra for real.

   I did take note of what I made today however. As an example of how I've been eating. I love cilantro ya'll. For real. I can't get enough. My Mum can't either. Today all I could think was "I'm going to make something with Cilantro!" I crave it. It's a favorite of mine.

   I love food! Oh, and I ♡ Chlorophyll, can I just say!!

Vegetable Juice: Broccoli, Celery, Beet, Apple, Lime, Collard Greens, Parsley. 

RAWr Chaux 

1 Red Bell pepper diced, 2 Fresno chilies cut in thin strips, 1 long sweet banana pepper cut in rounds, 2 ears of corn shaved, 8-12 pieces of okra cut in rounds, purple onion thinly sliced, shredded carrots, one large handful of parsley roughly chopped, Love ♡ 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Red and Yellow Bell Peppers untopped and deseeded 

Cilantro seed Cheese

Warm at 120 Degrees until, Warm.

Serve with a RAWr Chaux or Spinach Salad. 

Devour and Enjoy.

The great FSM smiled, and it was good ☭

Tomato Soup

3 Medium size, ripe tomatoes from the farmers market

3-4 large toes of garlic

1 jalapeno from the farmers market

several very long stems worth of of rosemary leaves

apple cider vinegar 

tarragon

lime juice

Flax Oil

olive oil

coconut oil

celtic sea salt

fresh black pepper

dried thyme

Water to blend

Puree

Make in batches and mix together if you're working with a smaller food processor. Remember you can always add more water, not remove it.

 

Mix with RAWr Chaux and Enzyme Away!!

Oh yeah, I got a tarragon pant, a primrose plant, and a Thai Basil pant at the farmers market this weekend. I look forward them! Goodnight