Drinking Water

I do not have a real recipe to share with you today.  I tried a recipe for cauliflower mash last night, it was so gross I could not eat it.  I HATE wasting food and will usually finish eating stuff, even if I don't like it - but I could not eat that!  So I ate half a cucumber for supper instead!  LOL  It's still in my fridge because I don't want to throw all that food away!  (OK, I admit I'm a little obsessive about waste not want not).
Let's talk about water.  Every morning when I get up I have a glass of water before eating breakfast.  I've always had cold water but have recently learned that room temperature water is actually better.
Here is an article I found on that.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5606231_drink-warm-water-morning_.html
I also recommend putting a slice of lemon in your water to help detoxify your system.  The lemon and water helps to cleanse out your system.  Here is an excellent article I found on why lemon water.
http://lajollamom.com/2011/01/drink-warm-lemon-water-in-the-morning/
I often joke that this is my morning cup of coffee, although I have never liked coffee, this is definitely a lot healthier than jolting your body with caffeine first thing in the morning.  I never have trouble waking up in the morning either, so be sure to try it out!
Whatever you do, please do NOT drink your tap water!  I fill glass jugs with filtered water from the store and several of my friends use a Berkey.  You would not believe what all is added in your tap water, including recycled urine.  SO gross!  I can't wait to move to the country and have well water, I'll buy me a Berkey, but at least the water will be fresh.  They add fluoride to the water which is poisonous http://www.naturalnews.com/030952_CDC_fluoride.html  It actually causes deaths!  Here are several articles that tell about all the stuff they add to our drinking water.  http://www.naturalnews.com/drinking_water.html  If you care about your health, check it out.  They add psych drugs like Prozac in your water too. 
Be sure to get you some filtered water or spring water and have a glass with lemon every morning before you start your day.  You'll feel a lot better if you do!

Raw Avocado Soup

I really wanted something Mexican for supper last night but I am still eating raw foods, 2 days down and 8 to go! 
I put a whole avocado (minus the peel of course) in my blender with one garlic clove (I could have even used 2), a sliver of fresh red pepper, (It was almost too hot to handle), a dash of taco seasoning or chili powder and a dash of cumin and salt.  I also squeezed half a lemon in it.  I blended this with 3/4 cup of water until soupy.  (Is that a word?)
I added a whole plum tomato (any kind will work), and about 1/4 of an onion and threw it into the blender just to chop and blend a little.

It was delicious, it would be great with some cilantro if I had some, you can even use it as a salad dressing!
I ate it dipping celery stalks in it.  3 celery stalks dipped in my soup filled me up for supper last night.  For dessert I had one of my raw carob peanut butter balls.  (Just one!  LOL)  http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/01/raw-carob-peanut-butter-balls.html

Are you still getting hungry?  Raw nuts are great for filling you up, don't eat more than a handful at a time though because they are full of fat, which is what makes you feel full.  I also have a snack twice a day of either an apple, pear, orange, carrots, nuts, etc.  Be careful if you are juicing your fruits instead of eating them, because they have "more carbs" that way.  I read in the South Beach Diet book once that when you eat your fruit your digestive system has to work harder to digest the carbs, therefore you do not retain as many carbs, whereas if you juice it, your digestive system does not have to do as much work and more carbs are retained.  I'm not cutting out carbs, but too many carbs are not good for you either.
Here is a quote I found "Fruit juices are in general a sugar-rich product. The manufacturers take the fiber rich fruit, leave behind all the fiber, and all you get are the fruit sugars and colors.
Sad to say, the carb counts on many fruit juices are similar to that of regular Coke, which has 30g carbs per 8oz glass! In addition, the acids are known to eat away at your teeth, causing them to decay more quickly.
All in all, it's far better to eat the raw fruit, to get its full fiber and nutrition."
Think about all the pulp that is left behind when you juice, I bet that is a lot of vitamins and fiber that your body needs!  Now don't get me wrong, I love juice and it is a quick way to get the vitamins you need, I'm saying just don't give up eating your fruits and veggies too.
Today for lunch, I am going to chop up another plum tomato and add some frozen corn, thawed to room temperature and cover liberally with my avocado soup and maybe add another garlic clove since garlic is so good for you!
For a true raw food fast, you have to eliminate all dairy products (sour cream, cheese, milk, mayonnaise, etc.) for your body to detox.  I am doing only raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  The only sweeteners I am allowing myself is a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar.  No palm sugar even!  I am drinking lots of herbal teas and water also.  Payday, I am going to get some grape juice also.

I hope this information helps, I'll give you another recipe and some more tips tomorrow!
Missy

Raw, Carob Peanut Butter Balls

I know this is a terrible picture, but I was being lazy and did not want to dirty another plate after rolling the balls in the carob powder.  Why did I make these you ask?  As I told ya'll yesterday http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/01/raw-food-fast.html  I am on a raw food fast for ten days.  Well, yesterday all I could think about was the fruitcake in my cabinet and how badly I wanted a piece, so I knew I needed something sweet to eat - but it had to be raw!

To be honest, I really didn't measure, because like I said, I was having a lazy day and did not want to wash more dishes!  LOL
About 2 cups of nut butter (I used peanut butter)
2 tablespoons of carob powder
2 tablespoons of currants or raisins (I am still out of raisins)
4 tablespoons or more of chopped dates
two handfuls of roughly chopped (big pieces) pecans or any nut
big spoonful of honey (over a tablespoon)
a teaspoon of vanilla (optional)
Mix thoroughly with spoon.
Of course you can pick and choose what ingredients to add according to what you have in your cabinets.  The dates are great for adding sweetness and the nuts are for crunch.  My philosophy is that everything is better with with nuts!  LOL
Roll in a ball and then roll in carob powder.  If I had some cinnamon I would have mixed the carob and cinnamon together to roll the balls in.  I love carob and cinnamon together!  I plopped my balls on the carob before rolling into balls so they would not stick as bad.  These would also be awesome rolled in coconut!
Enjoy because it is a lot healthier to eat these when you get a sugar craving than that piece of fruitcake!  Just make sure you only eat a couple because they are full of calories and fat, so you will have to hide the plate away in the fridge before you eat them all.  At least that is what I had to do!
Hope you enjoy!
Missy

Raw Food Fast

I am doing a ten day raw food fast.  Several ladies in my church does this every new year.  It is a great way to cleanse your body and your soul. 
2Ch 20:3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
Es 4:16 "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
I am going to eat nothing but raw food for ten days, no dairy or meat.  I will be taking this time to pray also.    I know some of you are probably saying "this should be a private matter".  As you can tell from these verses, it is common in the Bible for several people to fast as a group.
Mt 6:16 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
Mt 6:18 "That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
I beleive these apply to people who are talking about it to "show off", which I am not.  I am just sharing my testimony.
A fast does not have to be giving up all food, you can fast from anything.  It can be a certain food, all sugar, it can even be a fast from blogging!  LOL
Here is a great article on why to eat raw food.  http://jillshomeremedies.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-years-resolutions-raw-foods.html
I am also going to start exercising tomorrow and I need to lose 20 pounds.  I am at 158 right now and want to be down to 135/140.
I'll be sharing recipes that I find also.  Here is my first recipe, I got the base recipe from the link above.

Raw Carrot Salad
Grate about 4-5 carrots
throw in a handful of currants (they were cheaper than the raisins)
A handful of raw sunflower seeds
Chop up about 4 florets of broccoli
throw in some poppy seeds
a dollop of agave nectar
Unfortunately I was out of cinnamon, I would highly recommend some
Instead I sprinkled on ground ginger, ground cloves and ground nutmeg
The juice of one lemon
Olive oil

Tomorrow, I will be sharing a recipe for raw carob peanut butter balls.  Do ya'll have any good raw recipes to share?

Enjoy!
Missy