Step Three on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

3. I Am Open and Willing to Change
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

You say you want to go raw because it sounds good. Who doesn't want perfect health? Who doesn’t want to be free of physical pain? Who doesn't want to wake up in the morning fully alert, refreshed, and ready to create a wonderful day? If you’ve been a raw vegan for even a few weeks, you’ve experienced those things. But then you fall off the wagon.

First, if you are not “thinking from the end” and have not written your core values, go back. Without clarity, the raw journey is a muddy one filled with stops and starts.

If you have completed Steps One and Two, then ask yourself, “Am I really open and willing to change?” Are you truly ready to live in alignment with your values? Are you terrified of breaking out of your comfort zone?

In the archetypical Hero’s Journey, the hero lives in his ORDINARY WORLD (Dorothy quietly lives in Kansas; Luke Skywalker, restless, lives on a farm on Tatooine; Shrek lives alone in his swamp).

Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo

But there’s always a backstory. In Finding Nemo, Marlin’s wife and all of their unborn children, save one, are killed. After that one fish, Nemo, is born, Marlin is an understandably overprotective father. Marlin’s Ordinary World is the anemone. Never, ever leave the anemone. When Nemo is kidnapped, Marlin receives his CALL TO ADVENTURE. He must travel outside his comfort zone. What is at stake? His only child. Marlin wants to REFUSE THE CALL, because he is a RELUCTANT HERO. Marlin is “facing the greatest of all fears, terror of the unknown. 1.”



Go back to Step Two, I Align Myself with My Core Values.

Answer these questions:
1. What are you afraid of?
2. What is at stake if you do not pursue a raw vegan lifestyle, even partially?



I suffer from yeast-related health problems. I am afraid of never healing myself. I am afraid of feeling less-than-optimal for the rest of my life.



What is at stake? My relationship with my husband and children, family & friends, books, and teaching will never rise to their highest level. Living a raw vegan lifestyle is now personal.

Jamal and Latika in Slumdog Millionaire

Being open and willing to change is a concept Louise Hay writes about in You Can Heal Your Life. In movies, the protagonist is usually a reluctant hero, forced to leave the Ordinary World (Dorothy is transported to OZ via tornado; Luke’s aunt and uncle are killed; Shrek’s swamp is overrun with fairy tale creatures).

Health problems often force us to change our lives. They are a Call to Adventure. The adventure is a healing one. My yeast issues are persistent, and INSISTENT. They will not disappear with a magic wand. I have to ACT. But I have to be willing to act.

Exercise:
Say as often as you need to: “I am open and willing to change.” A thousand times a day is reasonable (smile). I’m serious.

Look around and see where you have not been willing to change in terms of raw food. Are you willing to make your juices and smoothies at night, so you can enjoy them in the morning?
Are you willing to try new recipes?
Are you willing to consider a one-day juice or smoothie fast?
Are you willing to invest in new appliances?
Are you willing to get support?

Being “open and willing to change” opens the windows of beautiful healing adventure to you.

Love,
Althea

1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger

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Step Three on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step Two on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

2. I Align Myself with My Core Values
Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

Ruth and Walter in A Raisin in the Sun

Becoming a raw vegan is an inside out job, which I don’t think people realize until they are on this journey. We eat some a-frickin-mazing raw food, and think, “I am raw for life! This is awesome! I can do this.”

But as soon as the smell of your favorite cooked food wafts across your nostrils, sending you into stupor, you then think, “Bump that raw stuff. This mac and cheese is calling my name!” And off you go. The next morning, you wake feeling as if a bus hit you. Your eyes are full of icky crackly crud. Your nose is stuffy. You have a headache. All of your muscles ache. Then you think, “I’ll never eat cooked food again.”

Riiiiiiiight….

Then we hear stories of people who went from cooked to raw overnight. The rest of us are like, “If they can do it, what’s wrong with us?” Feeling like losers, we stuff ourselves with chocolate fudge brownies, washed down with soy milk.

What to do?

Lion, Scarecrow, Dorothy, and Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz

Steve Barnes, a novelist and teacher I greatly admire, recently wrote in his LifeWriting newsletter, “…we should have a clear sense of our morality, ethics, and values. You just can't overstate the value of knowing who you are and what you believe when you are writing...or living."

In other words, get clear…about everything in your life. Steve writes a lot about the importance of core values. Know what they are. Write them down. Look at them daily.

Why is getting clear even relevant to the Raw Vegan Hero’s Journey? If you are not clear on why living a raw vegan lifestyle is important to you, you’ll never remain on the path. You’ll continue to fall off. And you’ll continue to beat yourself up for not have the “willpower” to stay raw. It’s not about willpower. It’s about clarity.

Here is what I did to get clear about what my core values are. Replicate the process. But remember, it’s about what is important to YOU, not anyone else.
1. Write down what you know for sure. Take a piece of paper. Write down every single thing that is important to you. And write down beliefs that you are concretely convinced are true, for you. My list filled every line of my paper. What you know for sure will look totally different. Here are some of my examples:
· I am the co-creator of my reality
· My family and my connection to them is important to me
· Raw vegan food is like sunshine in food form
· Being emotionally present for my children is important to me
· Experiencing perfect health is important to me

I had twenty-six of these. See if you can fill at least one side of lined-paper. It’s okay if you repeat yourself, or same the same thing a different way. Then look at the list. See if themes arise. Those repeated themes are your core values yelling back at you.

2. Take all the sentences you wrote, and condense them into FOUR core values.

3. Write “Why?” Again, take all those sentences you wrote to figure out why those four values are so important to you.

Elliot and E.T.

Here are my core values:

Living a raw vegan lifestyle.
Why?
“Being a raw began allows me to heal my body, feel the Universe’s love, connect with my family and friends, consciously co-create my world, increase my intuition & angelic connection, and improve my sleep & memory.”

Experiencing a loving, harmonious relationship with my husband, sons, and family.
Why?
“I chose my husband and my children chose me. They are my life, my joy, and reason for living. My family is an extension of myself.”

Being a published novelist and author.
Why?
“My novels are inspired gifts from the Universe and I honor my gifts. My non-fiction (Mocha Angels, raw food books, etc.) inspires and heals people.”

Being a teacher.
Why?
“To whom much is given, much is expected. Knowledge is meant to be shared. I choose to leave this Earth better than I found it.”

4. Whittle your core values down even further. You've got four clear sentences. Looking at those sentences again, I can say my core values are: union with Spirit, relationships, honoring gifts, and sharing.
5. Write, or type your core values twice. Keep one on your person (in your purse, or in your wallet). Frame the other one. Keep it in a place where you see it daily.

6. Write down the consequences of not living in alignment with your core values.

Now this one will stop you in your tracks. In short, your life will never look the way you want it to look. That is a sobering reminder that we are all responsible for our own lives. As adults, we have to develop the emotional maturity to handle life without using food, or other vices, as crutches. Living from your core, with diamond-like clarity, will help navigate your Raw Food Hero's Journey with grace.

Love,
Althea

Recommended Reading:
Steve Barnes' sites: www.darkush.blogspot.com and http://www.lifewrite.com/ ◦

Step Two on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Step One on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

1. I Manifest the Life That I Want by Proclaiming it in the NOW

Inspired by the mythical Hero’s Journey first compiled in The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (photos are of famous, recognizable characters on their own journeys)

Becoming a raw vegan requires letting go of the past. Unless you were raised by raw parents, then you’ve got some internal changing to do. You’ve got to release habits, and emotional attachments to food. Neither is easy to accomplish.

When I began this journey in 2004, I had no idea how hard it would be. Even though the first raw vegan book I read was 12 Steps to Raw Food by Victoria Boutenko, I didn’t get it. The first step, according to Boutenko is, “I admit that I have lost control of my addiction to cooked food and my eating is becoming unmanageable.” The word “addiction” distracted me, and turned me off from the book. Boutenko had gone overboard with that word to me. Six years later, I have a new respect for 12 Steps to Raw Food. Willpower is not enough to stay raw. The minute depression, exhaustion, or sadness hit you; you are ready to dive into your freezer for ice cream, or your pantry for cookies.

Princess Tiana in The Princess and The Frog

So what to do? I’ve come up with steps I see as necessary to becoming successfully raw. They may overlap, and that is okay. Life is not exactly linear, and neither is healing.

To me, the first step is “manifest the life that you want by proclaiming it in the now.” In other words:
· see yourself at your ideal weight
· open your refrigerator door and see it overflowing with produce, nuts, seeds, and sprouts
· see your ideal appliances on your kitchen counters
· feel the money needed in your palms
· see yourself at raw food potlucks
· see yourself feeling fabulous, fantastic, and full of energy

Don’t just see them. FEEL them. Feel how you would feel if you had all those things. You’d be ecstatic, right? Then be ecstatic! Who cares if your family is watching you? You are celebrating your healing! Go for it. Jump for joy. Say thank you. Feel the appreciation and gratitude flowing through your body!

Jack and Rose in Titanic

Thoughts are powerful, because they are THINGS. Your life, right now, is the outer manifestation of your inner beliefs. If looking around at your life, job, mate, and money scares the hell out of you, then you’ve got to change your thoughts.

Here are some suggestions:

· Create a Vision Board
Don’t just see and feel your ideal life. Create a visual representation of it. That’s what a vision board is. You cut up pictures and words from magazines that represent the life that you want. Tape them all to a huge poster board. Tape your vision board where you can see it every day! Make this fun!

Luke Skywalker and Yoda in Star Wars

· Write Down Your Proclamations/Intentions/Goals

Keep this simple, concrete, and in the present tense. Simple keeps you focused and grounded.

Examples:

- I am a raw vegan now

- I weigh 125 pounds now

Look at those intentions twice a day. Burn them into your psyche. Those are just two easy intentions. Create intentions that resonate with you. Don’t get tripped up in the “how” those are going to happen. (“But I don’t have the money, the time, the support, the blah, blah, blah.” I know. I get it. However, if you keep declaring that you don’t have the time/money/support, then you will continue not to have the time/money/support. Get it?) Your Raw Food Journey has steps and actions you must take to make those intentions manifest.

Shrek

· Exercise: I Deserve
Looking in a mirror, you say to yourself two to three times:
"I deserve to have (or be) _________________ and I accept it now." Say it two to three times.

How do you feel? Always pay attention to your feelings, to what is going on in your body.

If you have any negative feelings in your body, then go back to affirming, "I remove the patterns in my consciousness that prevent me from my highest good. I deserve to have (or be) __________________ and I accept it now."

Repeat the exercise until you get the acceptance feelings, even if you have to do it several days in a row.
-from You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

Give yourself a few days for all these things. This is the beginning of the rest of your healthy life, so have fun with this. Don’t give up. To paraphrase Louise Hay, tomato seeds don’t try to hurry up their growth into tomato plants. Your seeds of a new consciousness, a new thought process, have been planted. Those new thoughts will manifest into a new life.

Love,
Althea

Recommended Books:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Hero with an African Face by Clyde W. Ford
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Volger
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay
The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
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Step One on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Light Eating for Survival Blog Project

"Light Eating for Survival" Blog Project a la the movie Julie & Julia.
1 Year. 481 Recipes. 1 ambitious mama.
Days 18-37

Out of 481 recipes, I have officially made 61! That leaves 420 to go! This photo is a cashew salad with Apple Dream Dressing.

Here's a closer look.



This lentil soup. Reallllyy good.

1 cup sprouted lentils
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tsp. basil
2 cups water
kelp to taste.
Blend!
I added salt to mine because I didn't have kelp. This is a tasty light soup.

I'm not sure which drink this is, but when I saw the beet juice float to the bottom and the apple and celery float to the top I had to take a picture :-).

I've made almost all of the vegetable juices. I haven't done the tomato juices yet, because I'm chicken. I never liked "V8" juice, and I'm scared I won't like the tomato juice, but I did like Green Blood. But I like tomato soup so...hmmm. I've made two-thirds of the fruit juices. Here's the juices I have made so far:

Green Leaf: celery greens, beet greens, turnip greens, watercress

Beet Treat: orange, beet, papaya

Cranberry Punch: cranberries, apple, orange

Cranapple: apple, cranberry, celery

Garden Cleanser: carrot, cucumber, beet

Constipation Blue: carrot, spinach

Potassium Juice: spinach, parsley, celery, carrot

Simple Punch: carrot, apple, beet

Alkalizing: cabbage, celery

Comforting: carrot, apple, comfrey

I've also made a fruit salad with cashew cream that was a hit. I have to make it again, because we ate it too fast! That will be next time!

Love,

Althea

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Light Eating for Survival Blog Project

Getting Rawganized

It's been a while since I posted about food because I've been giving away cool prizes. And more are to come. My blog has grown more than I ever expected, and it (and myself) have experienced growing pains. I am behind on my book reviews, interviews, and haven't posted as much as I would like.

I realized I needed to get organized. My books, ebooks, notebooks, and DVD's were sprawled between my kitchen and top of the refrigerator. My friends kept telling me I needed a bookcase in my kitchen. I finally decided to use my children's bookcase, because the need was urgent. (I'll buy my kids another bookcase :-). The top shelf are my books I go to the most. The second shelf are bigger books, and ones I have to review. The bottom shelf holds my cooked vegan books.


I also organized my ebooks. I divided them into bread, entrees, desserts, soups, salads & dressings, and cheeses. I further broke them down into lasagna, hummus, salsa, and guacamole, of which I had multiple recipes.

This is what one half of my kitchen table and kitchen corner looked like. It's so embarrassing to admit this. I was always in my books, hence the mess.

But even after I got organized, I realized there was more to the journey. Organization is a big step in getting a raw kitchen together. But it's not the first step. From this chaos came an epiphany. My thoughts about my raw journey have changed.

Even after I wrote my Courage to Be a Raw Vegan post in September, I was still struggling. I called Tanisha Marshall for raw food coaching, but she is in transition and won't coach again for a few more months. I decided to become my own best client.

I had started blogging about "Steps to Raw" last year. I looked at that list again and changed my mind. The first steps to raw are internal. They have nothing to do with external things that you do. You could have a state-of-the-art eco-friendly, fully equipped raw kitchen, but if you are not ready, that kitchen will go to waste. Look at folks with exercise equipment under their beds, or collecting dust in a corner. It's not about the machines. It's about what is inside you.

I came up with fifteen to nineteen things I feel are important. The first seven focus on internal emotions. After I post about my trip through Light Eating for Survival, I will start The Raw Food Hero's Journey.

Love,
Althea ◦

Getting Rawganized

The Winner of UliMana Cacao Truffles

The winner of the sexiest chocolate truffles on Earth is......

D. Amaadi!!!!!!

You won! Congratulations!


The Mocha Angels love them too :-).


This anniversary celebration has been awesome, and it's not quite over yet. The next contest will have not one winner, but FOUR. I have to get back to blogging about raw food though! I've made so many things from Light Eating for Survival that I want to share with you all.

Thank you for reading.
Love,
Althea

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The Winner of UliMana Cacao Truffles

UliMana Raw Chocolate: Review + Giveaway!

UliMana's Awesome Dark Cacao Truffles

The day after Thanksgiving I was blessed to receive a sample of UliMana's chocolate treats. UliMana is a raw chocolate company in North Carolina that sells incredible products.
www.ulimana.com

I received a small box which featured:
-lemon fig bar
-chocolate truffle
-hemp brownie
-date roll
-chia moon drop
-chocolate apricot nut

Me and Raymond couldn't wait. I ate the dark cacao truffle. I don't I've ever tasted a chocolate treat that tasted so phenomenal. That truffle was pure bliss...like a moment in time I never wanted to end. It was hands down, the single best chocolate I have ever had. No chocolate candy bar on Earth can compare.

I had to share the rest of my samples with my oldest child (or did I?...I was nice to him. He does have an advanced palette for a seven-year-old). We both loved everything. The brownie was rich and fudgy. Raymond's favorite was the lemon fig bar. We liked the treats so much that we'd eaten them all before I could take a picture of them.

So I took a picture of the empty box....

I know, right?

If you think I was just hungry (I wasn't), read about the good energy that UliMana puts into their treats. From the "About Us" section of their website:

UliManaMana (UliMana is a shortened version) is a made up name whose origins come from the 35,000 year old Huna tradition, a Polynesian/Hawaiian science practiced by the aboriginals of that region. In Hawai'i, this teaching was originally called Ho'omana (to make Mana or life force energy) and means Empowerment. The people who practiced these teachings and techniques knew that all power and all life force emanated from the One, I'o, the source of all life-- the source of all energy.

Uli is the name of the goddess from the Huna science who oversees the feminine domain and is also known as the 'Goddess of Serenity'. Mana means life force energy. When you have a lot of Mana, (as in ManaMana), you are healthy and vibrant. When speaking the name UliManaMana you are asking the goddess Uli for the blessing of life force energy and vibrant health. We wanted the name of our company to mean something positive and uplifting. So say it often as you eat our chocolate and have gratitude for the gifts bestowed upon you.

To feel that gratitude, go to the UliMana website, read more about these awesome people, and treat yourself to some incredible raw treats. You will thank me.

10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels.

Giveaway!

One lucky person wins one jar of UliMana Dark Cacao Truffles. Sweet....

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite dessert (raw or not)?"
- Leave a workable email address (important)
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, December 14, 2009.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.- If I don't hear back from the winner in seven days, by 11:59pm December 22, another name will be drawn to win the chocolate truffles.

Love,

Althea

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UliMana Raw Chocolate: Review + Giveaway!

The Winner of Easy Raw Holidays

The winner of a print copy of Kristen Suzanne's Easy Raw Holidays is......

Laquita!

Email me your address to mochaangels@aol.com. I will forward to Kristen so you can get your book!


Congratulations!

Up next: A delectable anniversary giveaway (it's food this time)!

Love,

Althea

◦

The Winner of Easy Raw Holidays

My Unconventional Thanksgiving

Shanelle and Ayoluwa at The Yabba Pot

For Thanksgiving last year, I made six entrees and two desserts, all from scratch (what was I thinking?). You can read all about it here:
http://therawmochaangel.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-i-made-for-thanksgiving-dinner.html

This year, I had NO desire to make a Thanksgiving meal from scratch. I do want to do a raw Christmas, and I'm planning that dinner now. But I was not feeling cooking, raw or not, on Turkey Day. Instead, I ordered a platter from the Yabba Pot in Baltimore. My family got to enjoy:

Vegan Turkee with Mushroom Gravy
Cornbread Stuffing Queens Greens
Mashed Sweet Potatoes…with crushed Pineapples and Coconut milk
Orange Mint Cranberry Sauce – from scratch!
Vegan Mac and Cheese
String Beans Almondine

And Ayoluwa and Shanelle looked so pretty that I had to take a picture of them. They were kind enough to say "cheese" even while the place was busy! Thanks, ladies!

This is Raymond at the restaurant with me. He could not WAIT to eat, so I let him try the food before we left to come back home.

Cilantro Sparkle and Basic Balance from Green Smoothie Revolution

So what did I eat? I mostly drank during the day. I wanted to keep my body light. I've been drinking smoothies from Green Smoothie Revolution. I asked Victoria Boutenko if it was okay to blog about my working through that book, as I am doing with Light Eating for Survival. She said "sure." But unlike LEFS, I won't be posting the recipes. I'll be sharing my experiences in terms of how I'm feeling, weight loss, etc., as I drink the smoothies. My favorite so far is Cilantro Sparkle. It's supposed to be a green pudding of cilantro, mango, and orange. Mine was more like a smoothie and it was fan-tas-tic. I like anything with cilantro in it anyway. Another hit is the Applesauce. I got Raymond to eat it, and that's his new breakfast.

One thing I've noticed is that I crave green drinks. Even if a smoothie or juice does not call for greens, I'll drop a few in there anyway.

Vegetable Elixir, Green Glow, and Waldorf Salad from Light Eating for Survival

Here's the recipes: (just put all the veggies and fruits through your juicer)

Vegetable Elixir
4 oz carrot
2 oz celery
1 oz beet
1 oz wheatgrass

Green Glow
4 oz comfrey leaves, parsley, spinach, celery
6 oz apple
mint to taste

Waldorf Salad
2 stalks celery
2 apples

More awesome, beautiful juices

I made more the next day. Rom's favorite was the Alfalfa-Pineapple Juice. He asked me for more, twice, and then said, "You got a future in juice." Alfalfa sprouts and pineapple juice may not sound tasty, but it is. I'd also thrown in a handful of romaine-parsley-cilantro-beet greens into the juicer. It's a refreshing, light drink that leaves you wanting more.

Simple Alfalfa Sprout Cocktail
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice

High Iron Smoothie
2 cups apple juice
2 bananas
1/2 cup raisins soaked in apple juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lecithin (optional)
1/2 sesame seeds (optional)
Blend in a blender!

Alfalfa Smoothie
1 cup alfalfa sprouts1

1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 banana
Blend in a blender!

Liquid Light
1 part carrot
1 part apple
1/4 part beet
1/8 part wheatgrass
3 comfrey leaves

Green Blood
1 quart carrot juice
8 oz any green juice
1 oz celery
1 fresh tomato
handful of parsley
kelp and cayenne to taste (optional)

Rejuvenator
2 oz wheatgrass
2 oz rejuvelac

Sweet Grass
1 oz wheatgrass
3 oz pineapple

Up next: the winner of Easy Raw Holidays!

Love,
Althea

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My Unconventional Thanksgiving

Win a Copy of Easy Raw Holidays!

As I continue to celebrate my blog's two-year anniversary, I offer the chance for one person to win a copy of Kristen Suzanne's Easy Raw Holidays! November and December are full of holidays to celebrate with family and friends. But let's be honest, it's also about eating too much food. Temptations are everywhere. If you're not prepared, you could eat too much, gain weight, and feel bloated. Come January, you'll promise yourself to hit the gym. Why not learn how to prepare awesome raw food you can eat?

Ginger Snap Ice Cream

German Chocolate Brownies

Harvest Soup
(All photos copyright www.KristensRaw.com)

Kristen Suzanne is an accomplished Raw food chef and former competitive bodybuilder. Through radio, television, books, classes, and her blog, http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/, and email newsletter, Chef Kristen Suzanne helps people live life to the fullest with the healthiest cuisine in the world. Kristen is also loving, encouraging, and awesome.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of EASY Raw Holidays!!

- If the winner lives in the continental US, that person receives the print version. If the winner lives outside of that area, that person wins the ebook version.
- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite holiday food (raw or not)?"
- Leave a workable email address (important)
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Sunday, November 29, 2009.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Monday, November 30, 2009. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.

- If I don't hear back from the winner in seven days, by 11:59pm December 6, another name will be drawn to win the book.

Love,

Althea

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Win a Copy of Easy Raw Holidays!

And The Winner is.........

......Anastazia!!

You've won a free copy of Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko!

Thank you to everyone who entered. I had 36 entrants, which is a record for my blog. The Raw Mocha Angel's 2-year anniversary celebration continues with another giveaway tomorrow.

Love,
Althea ◦

And The Winner is.........

The Raw Mocha Angel's 2nd Anniversary!

Today my blog turns two-years-old. I just wanted to write a quick note to everyone to say "thank you" for reading my blog. The growth of The Raw Mocha Angel continues to amaze me. It has readers in 97 countries, and thousands of loyal visitors every month. For a blog that began as a public journal of my raw journey, it's become inspiration for a lot of people.

You all inspire me. I read all of your emails and posts. I feel all love coming from my readers and I truly, truly appreciate every one of you. As thanks, more awesome giveaways are coming in November and December. Check back often. If you're a subscriber, be sure to open the emails, because you never know what you might win :-).

Thank you all.
Love,
Althea ◦

The Raw Mocha Angel's 2nd Anniversary!

Green Smoothie Revolution: Book Review + Giveaway!

My mom called me one day last year and exclaimed, “Iron Man drank a green smoothie in the movie!” “Are you serious?” I said. When I finally watched the movie on DVD, there was Robert Downey Jr. as uber-genius Tony Stark drinking a green smoothie as he feverishly perfected the design for his Iron Man costume. I thought, “Wow, green smoothies are going mainstream. That is too cool.”

The popularity of green smoothies can be credited to one woman: Victoria Boutenko.

She, her husband, and two of their children all became raw vegans in 1994 because of their serious health challenges. Since then, Boutenko has chronicled her family’s experiences, and helped millions of people (I’m one of them) in the process in books like Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening, Raw Family Signature Dishes, 12 Steps to Raw Foods, and Green for Life.

Anyone who is suffering medically, from anything, should read Raw Family. It is a powerful testament to a mother’s love and determination to heal her family. (www.rawfamily.com)

Green Smoothie Revolution is a follow-up to Green for Life, a serious scholarly effort heavy on research and science, short on recipes. Anyone skeptical about green smoothie benefits should read that one first.

In fifty-six pages of Part One of Green Smoothie Revolution, Boutenko takes the reader by the hand. Boutenko brings the ample research she is known for. She pulls in a chemist and a chemical engineer in the Smoothie vs. Juicing chapter, but keeps the tone conversational. You may not think that reading about how humans and chimps share 99.4% of the same genes is exciting, but it is! Boutenko has unlocked the missing component in human nutrition, and figured out a way to make greens, edible weeds, herbs, and sprouts palatable.

Her passion for healing is clear. In the chapter, Greens, the Key Ingredient in Human Nutrition, she writes: “Today, as we continue to increase the amount of processed foods in our diets, the level of public health is falling so quickly we can observe the dramatic plunge even in the course of one generation.” Boutenko compares the health of her generation of middle schoolers (she’s 54 now) and the health of middle school-age children now. The comparison was stark. It made me think about my own children, their peers, and their health. And there is a chapter dedicated to smoothies for children. (Make them a little sweeter!) Children get 23 recipes just for them!

In Part Two, the reader gets 200 recipes, cultivated from green smoothie drinkers around the world. I just wanted to dive in. So I did! I made Favorite Green Smoothie and Red Smoothie right away. And I’m drinking an apple, kale, lemon smoothie right now. How’s that for enthusiasm for this book?

There’s Smoothies for Beginners (for the new palate); Supergreen Smoothies (lots of wild edibles); Green Smoothies for Adventurous Souls (exotic, luscious smoothies); Savory Green Smoothies and Soups; Green Puddings, and Green Smoothies for Children, Pets, and Body Care.


In the Appendix, the amazing weight loss story of Clent Manich is documented by Clent and his doctor, Miven Donato, PT, DC. Clent came to Dr. Donato weighing 391 pounds, suffering from Type -2 diabetes, lower back pain, and sciatica. Clent is honest about his weight loss stops and starts. His transformation truly began when he added green smoothies and cut out animal products. You can’t help but be inspired by Clent Manich's testimony.

Victoria is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize. Her solution to great health is a simple one. With all the back-and-forth about Health Care Reform, all you need is a blender, greens, fruits, and water. Blend them up to create your own Health Care Reform. Go buy your copy of Green Smoothie Revolution TODAY.

10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of Green Smoothie Revolution!!

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite smoothie?”
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, November 23, 2009.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, November 24, 2009. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.
- Good luck!

Love,
Althea

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Green Smoothie Revolution: Book Review + Giveaway!

Five Raw Vegan Dishes

Raw Apple Crisp

Here's some things I've made or tried recently. There's no rhyme nor reason. Just sharing because they were all delicious!

Raw Apple Crisp Redux 2
From my Raw Mocha Angel Class: I've shared this on the blog before. Winners must be shared often :-).

8 apples cubed & peeled
½ cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch to ¼ teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix the spices together and pour over the apples. Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Icing
4 cups of cashews
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons agave nectar
Water JUST TO THE TOP of the cashews.
Blend until smooth. You want it creamy and THICK.
Top the apples with your favorite raw granola. Put the icing on top of that and you've got one heck of a dessert.

Shredded Beet, Apple, and Currant Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

This is from Byrant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen, which I will review this month. What I loved was the apple vinaigrette. I'd never tasted one before. It's a versatile salad dressing that can also go with an leafy green. Will share more along with the review!

Blood

From Juliano’s RAW, I give you BLOOD. Even if you don’t like beets, I think you should give this a try.

2 lbs apples (about 5-6 apples)

1 piece of ginger, about 2 tablespoons, unpeeled

½ cup beet

¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (I used lemon juice)

Juice all ingredients.

Juliano says to let it chill in the fridge. I couldn’t wait that long. It’s fabulous.

Apple Maple Crepes

These are adapted from Monique Bastien's Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

In the book they are Apple Filled Hazelnut Crepes, but I didn't have hazelnuts. Here is my version:

Crêpes
5 bananas

Peel bananas and blend in a food processor until smooth. Pour onto teflex sheet and place in your dehydrator at 105°F for 12-14 hrs. Flip half way through. When crêpes are done remove from dehydrator. Place on cutting board and cut into three long trips. Take each of these strips and cut them each in half. You should have 6 strips.

Apple Maple Filling
½ cup raw coconut butter
8 cups peeled, cored and sliced
Granny Smith apples
½ cup organic maple syrup
cinnamon for dusting

Place coconut butter and maple syrup in your food processor and process until smooth. Add apples and pulse chop 6-7 times. Place filling inside and roll up. Dust with cinnamon.

Applesauce

2 apples, peeled and chopped

maple syrup

water

I made this up on the fly. I didn't measure the maple syrup. I added enough until the sauce was sweet enough to me. Add enough water to make it thinner than applesauce. Make it more like a syrup. Top the crepes with this sauce, and ENJOY!

Chocolate Truffles

I wish I could say I made these lovely dark chocolate beauties. The truth is I bought them from my friend Michael. He sold me ten truffles for $1 each. If you are in the Baltimore area, and would like his contact info, send me an email at mochaangels@aol.com.

Up next: Book review + giveaway!

Love,

Althea

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Five Raw Vegan Dishes

Sushi!

Sushi

This sushi is one I adapted from Raw Food Life Force Energy by Natalia Rose. I used to eat traditional sushi at least twice a week before I had my children. It was the closest food to Heaven, in my opinion.

When I was eating fish, my favorite was the California Roll with cream cheese. Last year, I had a sweet potato roll, strictly vegan, that was the best bite of sushi I've ever eaten. I have no idea how that roll was made, but if I ever figure it out, I will share it!


The base of the roll is parsnip. It's a root vegetable that looks like a carrot, minus the orange color. It holds together far better than cauliflower, my former rice substitute. I'll be using parsnip from now on.

I mixed the parsnip, ground in a food processor, with a blend of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and maple syrup. I don't have the exact measurement down yet, but will share when I do.
Above the parsnip are avocado, carrot, cucumber, and cilantro.

The "cheese" on top is from Recipes Made with Love by Jodi Allen.
I cut the recipe in half. Below is the original recipe.
3 1/2 cups soaked (for at least 6 hrs) cashews
1 cup diced onions
almond milk (enough to moisten)
splash of apple cider vinegar
sea salt to taste
Blend in food processor until creamy
Place a wide piece of lettuce on top to hold everything together as you roll up the sheet of nori. That's the easiest way to roll up your sushi if you don't have a sushi mat. Slice, and enjoy with your favorite dip! They are delicious!

Love,
Althea ◦

Sushi!

Light Eating For Survival Blog Project

Light Eating for Survival" Blog Project a la the movie Julie & Julia.

1 Year. 481 Recipes. 1 ambitious mama.

Days 16 and 17

Are these beautiful or what?

Perhaps this is why I only had flu-symptoms for two days! I'm feeling GREAT!


Kale-Apple (my own favorite creation)
2 apples
2 handful of kale leaves


Fruit Punch
6 oz apples
1 oz beet
2 oz cucumber
1 oz green peppers


Complexion Cocktail
3 oz carrot
2 oz cucumber
2 oz apple
1 oz beet


Simple Punch
3 oz carrot
3 oz apple
2 oz beet
It was dark and raining when I took this photo. I couldn't get good light, but they were pretty looking in person :-).


Cooling Carrot
4 oz carrot
2 oz celery


Powerhouse
3 oz carrot
2 oz celery
1 oz parsley


Made Anew
2 oz spinach
2 oz beet
4 oz carrot


Quick Lunch
1 oz wheatgrass
3 oz carrot juice


Rebirth
1 oz wheatgrass
1 oz beet
2 z carrot
1 oz apple
1-3 garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

(Not for the fainthearted. WHOOOSAH)

Love,
Althea ◦

Light Eating For Survival Blog Project

Flu-like Symptoms

I think I'm coming down with the flu. I'm on a mission to halt this in its tracks. Last night @ 7:00pm, I felt nausea.

This morning, I woke up congested. I gargled with salt water, and used the neti pot. A TON of mucus came out. I recommend that neti pot. Takes some getting used to, but it works. I went out briefly with my kids, and got sweaty and fatigued from a simple errand. I made some juice, and am about to lie down. My biggest symptoms are muscle aches & fatigue. If you have my number, call me. I probably won't get back on the computer the rest of the day.

Love,
Althea ◦

Flu-like Symptoms

Kale Salad with Chipotle Dressing

Wilted Kale Salad with a Creamy Chipotle Dressing

From brownies to a salad :-). I know, right?

This salad comes courtesy of Russell James. If you sign up for his newsletter, you will get five free recipes. This is one of them.

Kale
2 heads kale
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups baby tomatoes
1 cup hulled hemp seeds

Dressing
2 avocados
1 chipotle pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons agave
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Remove the stems and then wash and cut the kale into small pieces. Place into a bowl, add the salt and massage it into the kale until it wilts and takes on a cooked texture.

Add the tomatoes and hemp seeds. Mix by hand.

Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender. Pour into bowl, and mix by hand.

Okay, I didn't have hemp seeds. I avoid them since the last time I had them, they gave me horrible stomach cramps. I added a little bit of nutritional yeast and more salt to this recipe, once I had mixed everything in. I enjoyed it, and so did my husband, and I would make it again. Russell also has a bread recipe I am aching to try. But I need to get some buckwheat and sprout it. Look for the bread sometime next week!

Up next: A plethora of juices!

Love,
Althea ◦

Kale Salad with Chipotle Dressing

The Best Raw Brownies EVER!

I made the Warm Fudge Brownies in Matthew Kenney's book Everyday Raw. Can I just say "WOW!!!!!!!!!!" They are everything a brownie should be: warm, fudgy, thick, rich, moist...in short, Heaven on Earth. These brownies are reminiscent of the best brownies I've ever tasted. If you have this book, and a dehydrator, make the brownies.

The above photo is the batter. It was so good. I kept licking the spoon, trying not to eat it all before I put the batter in the pan.

This is what it looked like after being dehydrated.

I think I took them out of the pan too soon, but they still tasted phenomenal. They looked more like cookies, but who cares?

I took two pictures once they were finished. I'd added cacao nibs (just my personal touch), and I'd grinded my own cashew flour, hence why they look grainy. But again, the taste was ridiculous.

The same brownies again. Awesomeness on a plate. Seriously. My husband and my oldest son could not get enough. And I managed to save one for a friend who was leaving my job the next day. She was intrigued by the thought of raw brownies. Upon first bite, her response was, "Wow. This is delicious. I'm going to have to get a dehydrator." Two thumbs up for Warm Fudge Brownies.

Love,

Althea

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The Best Raw Brownies EVER!