Carolyn's Raw Food

Chef Carolyn Akens
http://www.carolynsrawfoods.com/

I went to Atlanta last week to visit my family. My sons and I were there for six days visiting my mother, stepfather, brother, and maternal grandmother. While I was there I got to see one of my line sisters (I pledged AKA in 1991) who I hadn't seen in 18 years. That's another healing story for later. I also was blessed to be able to take a raw food "Decadent Desserts" class with Chef Carolyn Akens. In four hours, she guided me in making four awesome desserts. We made Vanilla Ice Cream, Lemon Cheesecake Torte, Almond Joyous, and another cheesecake with a walnut crust.

Lemon Cheesecake Torte

I didn't watch Carolyn do a raw food demo. I made the food. She was my teacher, my guide, my Yoda, so to speak. Wise, witty, and wonderful, she lovingly helped me all the way. I was tired (because I had yet to recover from driving 15 hours to Atlanta, even though the class was three days later) but I was sooo happy to be there. We had a lot of fun together.

The Lemon Cheesecake was insanely good. Even my grandmother liked it, and she doesn't try new foods often. Don't you hate when you have to tell your family to back up off of your food?
That's what I had to do!

Vanilla Ice Cream

When I tasted this, I thought, "I wish everyone I love was here." This was so rich and creamy, no one would know it was dairy-free. It was bottom heavy, if that makes sense. Think of regular vanilla ice cream. It's thick, heavy, and creamy. So was this, but with a silkiness that regular ice cream does not have. I'm still thinking about this ice cream. I've got to get an ice cream maker!

Almond Joyous

These are coconut macaroons. They tasted like an Almond Joy candy bar, minus the chocolate covering. I loved these treats. They weren't too sweet. And they were perfect for my kids to eat and they both loved them. For anyone who is in Atlanta, definitely take Carolyn's classes. She is a wonderful spirit and an awesome chef!

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On another note, I have decided to take a break from blogging for about 30 days, maybe less, maybe longer. I love you all. I love this blog. The Raw Mocha Angel is a joy in my life. However, I'm taking a break so I can get more organized. There's people I want to interview, but haven't been able to do so. There are books that need reviewing. I even have a Happy 101 award I have yet to accept! On a personal note, I have some healing to do on myself.

My 60-day gym saga revealed how important and needed raw food is in my life. I didn't stop working out, but I did hit the pause button. What I saw was that I still was not feeling my best. Only raw food has helped me feel energetic and clear. Nothing else comes close. With an emphasis on sprouts, energy soup, green juices, and green smoothies, I'm tending to myself and the home fires for a while. I will be back soon.

Love,
Althea

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Carolyn's Raw Food