Amy A's Green Smoothies: Review + Giveaway!

Thanks to the power of Facebook, Amy Arnold, author of Amy A's Green Smoothies and I reconnected after 10 years. A lifetime ago, in the 1990s, Amy and I worked at America Online (aka, the Yahoo, Google, and Facebook of its day). Over a decade later, we both find ourselves in the wellness business!

Amy is the founder of VitalSelf, a health and wellness company in Virginia. (Make sure you read Amy's story here.) Her smoothie book was inspired by a challenge she made to herself. To celebrate her 44th birthday, she challenged herself to create 44 new green smoothies, one per day. She posted videos of her daily smoothies and inspired people all over the world. Now her smoothies are in a book! She even shares a few juice recipes too!

This slim volume is perfect for beginners. If you're like, "What is all this talk about green smoothies? Why should I be drinking them?" Then Amy's book is for you.

Her book includes:

-What makes green smoothies green?

-Top 11 reasons why green smoothies rock!

-The difference between green smoothies and green juices.

-5 steps to a perfect green smoothie.

All of her smoothies are funky, fruity, and kid-friendly. There's 62 recipes in all. My favorites are Summer Peach-Mango Delight, and Fresh HoneyRo (romaine lettuce and honeydew melon smoothie).

We are also gifted with 11 green juices, my personal favorites. You all know that juices rock my world. Amy's Green Lemonade (lemon, apples, ginger, garlic, kale and romaine) helped knock out my lingering cold.

This book is kid-friendly and colorful. The recipes are easy. There's no intimidation here. In short, Amy A's Green Smoothies is a lot of fun. You want to spend time with this book and experiment. Congratulations, Amy!

10 out of 10 Mocha Angels.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

TWO lucky people win ebook copies of Amy A's Green Smoothies!

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your children's favorite green smoothie, or your best smoothie for the "kid at heart?" :-)


- Leave a working email address that you actually check regularly. :-)

- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter. (sorry!)


- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Thursday, December 2, 2010.


- I will pick the winners at random at Random.org. The winners will receive an email from me on Friday morning, December 3, 2010. I will announce the winners on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day. If I do not hear from the winners within seven days, I will draw another winner.

Good luck!

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Amy A's Green Smoothies: Review + Giveaway!

New Green For Life Winner!

Three weeks ago, I announced Debbie as the winner of Green For Life. Although she left an email address, I haven't heard back from her. I even sent an email to another one listed in her profile.

Twelve other entrants had contact info. I drew another random number last night. And that winner is:

Mary from Wisconsin!

One of the new rules will be if I don't hear from the winner in seven days, a new winner will be drawn. I want to give away free books!! So only enter if you are certain to check your email or even read this blog! Congratulations, Mary!

Love,
Althea ◦

New Green For Life Winner!

The Winner of Green for Life....

Denise

of California!

(And I posted a comment asking everyone to leave a working email address, so there were 15 entrants, not sixteen.)

Congratulations Denise!

And the book is coming out in October. Everyone get this book to heal yourselves and your loved ones.
I cannot stress the importance of Victoria's monumental work. I'll be blogging about it here and on my children's blog soon.

Love,
Althea ◦

The Winner of Green for Life....

Green for Life: Review + Giveaway!

During intuitive readings for clients, when I tell them their most probable future, the most common question is, "How is THAT supposed to happen?"

Good question. But it's not one I can usually answer. I can see the destination, but not always the path that leads people to that future. And I don't need to, and neither do they. I tell people two things: 1) You have the power to create whatever future you choose, and 2) tragedy/problems/obstacles can lead you to your Divine life purpose, if you allow them to do so.

Victoria Boutenko frustration with family's health problems lead her to live out her Divine life purpose.

When she, her husband, and their two youngest children were left with no hope from the medical establishment, Victoria turned them all into raw vegans overnight. Their compelling story is told in the book Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening.

But when they hit a plateau in their healing, Victoria searched high and low for the missing link in their raw food plan. Green smoothies were her discovery. The original text of Green For Life was published in 2005. This latest, expanded edition, to be released in October 2010, is even better.

Green for Life is the scientific cousin to its follow-up Green Smoothie Revolution (another must have, and prior giveaway here on this blog). Green for Life is the book that makes the case, the proof, if you will, that green smoothies are the missing link in human nutrition. If you want the science behind the drink, this is the book for you.

It's really the book for everyone. Health care in this country is a political and personal issue. Boutenko writes, "mainstream medicine seems to have be focusing on the secondary causes of disease. To me that's like pushing a car that has run of gas with your bare hands instead of putting gas in it, or comforting a hungry person instead of feeding him." No one should give this book away after reading it, unless you are passing it on to a sick friend or relative.

Green smoothies make the healing power of chlorophyll tasty. Chlorophyll's healing ability cannot be understated. As written in the book, chlorophyll:

-reduces pain caused by inflammation

-helps sores heal faster

-improves vision

-builds a high red blood cell count

-makes the body more alkaline

-improves milk production

-resists bacteria in wounds

-cleans and deodorizes bowel tissues

-eliminates bad breath

-provides iron to organs

-helps purify the lives

and way more.

Green smoothies make ingesting chlorophyll FUN!

After you read the science and the amazing testimonials, you'll be itching to make your first smoothie. There's 39 recipes in this book. If that's not enough for you, go get Green Smoothie Revolution, which has over 200 recipes.

I created four of them! I haven't named them yet. If anyone wants to bless them with cool names, go ahead

:-).

-8 prunes

-2 sweet apples

-2 handfuls of swiss chard

-water

-8 prunes

-1/2 pineapple

-handful cilantro sprigs

-handful kale

-water

-1 mango

-1 orange

-2 handfuls kale

-water

-2 handfuls grapes

-1 apple

-2 handfuls swiss chard

-water

BLEND!

Few books are as "must-have" as this one. Either you or a loved one is suffering from a major health problem. Take a chance. Buy a blender and make your own smoothies for a month. You don't have anything to lose. All you have to gain is your health, and that is worth more than money.

Victoria Boutenko is a Warrior Mom. She broke from conventional thinking to heal herself and her family. As she wrote: she had to find the true answer or die.

Writing this brings tears to my eyes because I lie awake at night sometimes thinking of every way I can to heal my children. I took her book to heart, understanding how she felt back in 1994 when doctors told her nothing could be done for her family short of medications and surgery. I've also heard the words, "There's nothing else we can do for you." Now, both myself and my oldest son each drink a quart of green smoothies everyday.

10+ out of 10 Mocha Angels. 

To you Victoria Boutenko, I raise my glass of green smoothie to you and say, "Thank you." When you live out your Divine life purpose, you give others permission to do the same.

Love,

Althea

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of Green For Life! (available in October)

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your favorite green smoothie?"
- Leave a working email address too.
-The winner must live in the United States.
- If you have won a giveaway here in the last 6 months, you are not eligible to enter (sorry!)
- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, September 27, 2010.
- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.

Good luck! ◦

Green for Life: Review + Giveaway!

30-Minute Vegan: Review + Giveaway!

http://www.veganfusion.com/

Vegan Fusion World Cuisine

I'm going to run out of adjectives to describe this wonderful cookbook. 30-Minute Vegan, written by husband and wife team Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray, is a gold-mine of information, techniques, tips, variations, and winning recipes.

A blend of raw vegan and cooked vegan dishes, 30-Minute Vegan was written with the busy person in mind. For those of us who want to eat raw or cooked vegan, but don't always want the packaged stuff, this is our book.

I like that it's a primer on kitchen skills. Everything from knife skills to how to crack open a coconut are explained.

The reader is taught the fundamentals and building blocks of successful raw and cooked vegan food. And those are what any person needs to succeed at this lifestyle. Learning those fundamentals alone are worth the price of the book. How many times have you looked in your refrigerator or pantry and thought, "I have no idea what to make with what I've got?" If you know the basics, you can build on them.

But I think I love the sidebars best. With the recipes, the authors give you options:

-If You Have More Time: got more than 30 minutes? Then you can explore longer variations on the given recipe.

-Quicker and Easier: got less than 30 minutes? Another variation is given.

-Superfoods for Health: kale, acai, collards, berries, and more are highlighted.

-Tips and Tricks: secrets from the pros that will transform you from cook to chef.

For instance, three of the Quicker and Easier sidebars have to do with flavoring water. I learned that:

 1) Dried figs can be placed in water to create Fig Water.

2)The skin and core of pineapples can be added to create a water that can be used in smoothies. The authors suggest adding cinnamon sticks and aniseeds for more flavor.

3) I can add herbs like rosemary, cilantro, ginger flowers, organic mini roses, basil, and much more to water to enjoy. Hot teas are nothing but flavored water, but I'd never thought to add these herbs to cold water.

The authors are HUGE on flavor. Chapter 13 Condiments, Infused Oils, and Spreads lay the foundation of flavor that transforms dishes from "good" to "ka-pow!"  

Chocolate Ganache Pie

Okay, don't laugh at my half-eaten pie. My family and I dove right in as soon as it was ready. Then I realized I hadn't photographed the pie yet! I said, "Wait until I take a picture!" What's also funny is that the chocolate seized up on me while I melted the chips. I'd melted vegan chocolate chips in a bowl over boiling water. Reinfeld and Murray warn that "the slightest droplet of water will "seize" the chocolate, leaving it lumpy and devastatingly imperfect looking." But, exactly as they wrote, "but surely do not cry over broken chocolate; everyone still loves to like it up and your lumpy little pie will still taste divine."

I'm not sure how my chocolate smoothed itself out because at least a tablespoon of water got into it. And the pie was divine. Rich, thick, creamy...everyone was happy, including me.

Kale Salad

Any variation on a raw Kale Salad is appreciated by me. Reinfeld and Murray use maple syrup in this Rainbow Kale salad version. I didn't have the colorful veggies on hand that day, but I made it anyway. I'm feeling this one!

Ranch Dressing

When I think about a dish often, it's a good one. I made this Ranch Dressing to go with the Buffalo Tofu from The Vegan Soul Food Guide to the Galaxy the last time I made it for my husband.  It puts bottled Ranch to shame. I think the green onion and paprika are the ingredients that make this dressing burst with flavor. It is "lick the bowl" fantastic!

Live Lemon Bars

This kid-friendly live dessert was a hit in my home. When Raymond asks for "more, please" we have a winner. The smell of lemon waifed through my kitchen. This dessert was kind of like a pie. Smooth and creamy on top and crunchy on the bottom. Lemony goodness. :-)

My only complaint is the black and white photographs. They do nothing to make the food "pop." And Mark and Jennifer deserved at least one color photograph of themselves. There are eight pages of color photos, which make the food sing. 30-Minute Vegan places such an emphasis on herbs, spices, and bold flavors, that all of the photographs should have done justice to this incredible food.

30-Minute Vegan still receives 10 out of 10 Mocha Angels because of its excellence, bar none.  Written for the busy home cook, and creative enough to keep anyone interested for years, 30-Minute Vegan belongs in every house.

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

One lucky person wins a copy of 30-Minute Vegan!!

- Leave a comment at the end of this post. Answer the question: “What is your best kitchen tip to help save people time when preparing a meal or drink?"

- Leave a working email address too.
-The winner must live in the United States

- Post your comment by 11:59pm EST, Monday, September 6, 2010.

- I will pick the winner at random. The winner will receive an email from me on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. I will announce the winner on The Raw Mocha Angel blog on that same day.

Good luck!

Love,

Althea

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30-Minute Vegan: Review + Giveaway!

The Winner is...

Who won a free copy of Raw Food for Real People? The winner is.....

Angelique!!!!!

Thank you for the wonderful "keep it real" raw food advice. I may contact all you ladies who entered to put your comments in a future book. The advice was invaluable.

Love,
Althea ◦

The Winner is...

Raw Food for Real People: Review + Giveaway!

I love a down-to-earth raw food book. Chef Rod Rotondi begins Raw Food for Real People keeping it really real for his readers. He starts with three confessions: 1) being a raw food chef is as simple as slicing an apple; 2) he has not healed himself of a life-threatening illness, and 3) in the fourteen years since he discovered raw food, he hasn’t been 100% raw. I appreciate the candor. It’s Rotondi’s openness, and profound love of food, that makes this book successful.

Before I get to the food, there is another book lurking inside of this cookbook. Rotondi has traveled all over the world. He’s lived in exotic places; held intriguing jobs, and tasted food from many regions. THAT’s the book I want to read. I kept saying to myself, “Where’s the rest of story? I want to know more about Jerusalem, Dahab, and Paris! Tell me more about your dad and your grandmother. Tell me more about your job with the United Nations!” So Rod, can you write that book next?

What shines through is that Rotondi (Italian for “the round ones”) was born to cook. His family had an appreciation and respect for food, the Earth, and simplicity. Passion shows up on every page. And I love how he de-mystifies raw food. It’s not as esoteric or weird as it may sound to a newbie. The book is written for the home cook. He offers tips on page 48 on how to be prepared. I wrote them down and put it on my fridge. He writes about the importance of good knives, explains how to sprout, and what to keep in your kitchen.


We also are blessed with an introduction by Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith, which speaks to Rotondi’s chef skills and tasty food! And speaking of the food…I love what I have made. I don’t review a book without making some recipes first. If the food isn’t good, you won’t see the review.


I made the Strawberry Ice Kreme first. Me and the family jockeyed for it constantly. It was rich, creamy, and tasted better with each subsequent visit.

The Cole Slaw was a perfect accompaniment to another salad, and cashew “burger” wrap I’d made. It was light (no mayo substitutes used), crunchy, and awesome.

The Chocolate Milk was a revelation in flavor. I wrote “FANTASTIC!” next to it in the book. Flavored with dates, it wasn’t too sweet. Just right.

Raw Food for Real People is written by a chef for real people who are not chefs, but want to prepare food like one. I found it accessible for anyone regardless of where you are in your raw journey. The best word is PASSIONATE. Rotondi’s passion for good food, healing, and sincere love for his fellow man (I’m serious) is on every page. I love this book. I look forward to making everything in it!

10 out of 10 Mocha Angels

Giveaway!
One lucky person wins a copy of Raw Food for Real People

-Leave a comment at the end of this post.
-Answer the question: “What is your best keeping it real advice for anyone on a raw food journey?”
-Leave a workable email address so I can contact you (important).
-Post your comment by Sunday, January 17th at 11:59pm EST.
-I will pick the winner at random.
-I will contact the winner on Monday, January 18th and post who won that morning. If I don’t hear back from the winner by Wednesday, January 20th at 11:59pm, I will pick another winner at random.
-Good luck to everyone!

Love,
Althea

◦

Raw Food for Real People: Review + Giveaway!

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!

Book Review: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! by Monique Bastien

Want to explore the sexy, decadent side of raw food? Want to create raw vegan desserts that your children will gobble down and ask for more? (That happened to me. :-) So many parents who are shifting their diets to include more raw food struggle to get more raw into their children's diets as well. Desserts are wonderful way to a child's heart. Mom of four Monique Bastien has created an e-book full of over 150 raw desserts good for adults and children.

If you have no idea where to start, the first three sections of Have Your Cake get you started. Bastien begins with a glossary. Everything from almond milk to raw cocoa butter to vanilla powder are defined. In the substitution list, she shows you how to substitute dairy, animal, and processed products in desserts. The Basic Recipes chapter gives you foundation recipes that can be used to make desserts in following chapters.

Carrot Cheesecake Cream Roll

For instance, in this carrot dessert, raw cream cheese is the frosting. That was the first Basic Recipe. I was able to then create this moist, rich carrot cheesecake roll. I also got my seven-year-old in the kitchen with me to help roll the carrot "dough" out. We LOVED this dessert. It's a health food disguised as a dessert. I didn't have to convince Raymond to eat his carrots :-).

In the Basic Recipes, you also learn how to make other creams, kefirs, sauces, crusts, and toppings.

Orange and Peach Ice Cream

In Have Your Cake, you also learn how to make:

Bars

Squares

Cakes

Tortes

Cheesecakes

Cookies

Crepes

Frozen Treats

Nut Brittles

Pies

Tarts

What I like is that the recipes are fun and easy to make. The Orange and Peach Ice Cream was three ingredients of frozen bananas and peaches and orange juice. How easy is that?

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The cookies were a revelation. I actually made them twice. My husband and Raymond ate them up so fast the first time, I didn't get a chance to take a picture. You see I photographed these before I took them out of the dehydrator :-). I'd never made raw cookies before. These taste cooked. They're warm and soft, just like out of the oven. But with this cookies, it is okay to have them for breakfast.

I love that another mom's passion for health and healing has manifested into this lovely book.
Bastien encourages readers to substitute and create their own works of edible art. Her enthusiasm, passion, and knowledge shine through. I love this book, and look forward to making ALL of the recipes.

10 out of 10 enthusiastic Mocha Angels!

Monique's website: http://www.makingitraw.com/

Purchase at: http://www.rawmom.com/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-to

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Book Review: Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

The Vegan Soul Food Guide to Galaxy: Book Review

From the top: this book gets 10 out of 10 Mocha Angels. There's no need for me to hold back on my enthusiasm. Vegan food has the reputation for being tasteless. That has not been my experience, but I know the larger world view is that vegans eat carrots and twigs. I'm not sure where that perception came from, but when I began changing my lifestyle, I easily found wonderful cookbooks. No twigs nor carrot sticks to be found.


And after my recent post "The Courage to be a Raw Vegan," you may wonder why I'm reviewing a cooked vegan book. I'd written in that post about the health of African-Americans. Going vegan, cooked or raw, is a step in the right direction for anyone with a health challenge. For a myriad of reasons, Black folks are hit hard in the health department. Because Afya Ibomu's book offers twists on classic soul food, it offers easy transition for someone used to their mama's soul food kitchen, or anyone who loves hearty, tasty food.


(An FYI: reviews of Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen and Martha & Kamaal Theus' 21st Century Vegetarians are coming soon for the same reasons.)

Tofu Stir-Fry

But this is more than a cookbook full of delicious recipes. It's an all-in-one guide to becoming a vegan.
From the Table of Contents:
-Vegan FAQs
-Meat and Dairy Question
-Nutrition
-Let's Go Shopping
-Dining Out Guide
-Recipes and More
-Breads and Desserts

I was impressed that Ibomu packed tons of information into 173 pages. She answers the question, "Where do you get all of your nutrients?" in a few pages, quieting any doubts that a vegan lacks essential vitamins. Everything else is here too: the different types of oils, sweeteners, additives & preservatives, reading labels, sea veggies, meat substitutes, a shopping list, and flours.

But what is also here is heart. Ibomu has taken the time, patience, and skill to guide her readers step-by-step on how to become a vegan. It's like she's holding your hand. She answers every question a person could possibly have.

Plus, the DVD Pimp My Tofu! is included. Ibomu teaches you how to make Scrambled Tofu, Sesame Tofu Salad, and Buffalo Tofu. She explains the different type of tofu (silken, soft, firm, and extra firm), and gives a history lesson on what exactly tofu is.

Buffalo Tofu

But let me talk about the food. With this Buffalo Tofu recipe, my husband declared, "FINALLY! I CAN BECOME A VEGAN!" I'm not kidding. This man has been searching for the perfect buffalo chicken wing substitute for years, and he finally found it.

Scrambled Tofu

The Vegan Soul Food Guide to the Galaxy features classic soul food recipes like My Mama's Potato Salad (rockin'), Sweet Potato Pie, Satisfy My Soul Grits, and Cornbread. But there's also Caribbean, Indian, and Asian fare here too. In other words, if you've ever said, "I can't give up my meat." This book replies, "Yes, you can. And you won't miss your meat."

Run, don't walk to Afya Ibomu's website: www.nattral.com. Get yourself a copy. Then buy one for someone you love.

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The Vegan Soul Food Guide to Galaxy: Book Review

Ani's Raw Food Desserts: Book Review and Contest!

Ani Phyo, eco-chef and author of Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, has a new book out called Ani's Raw Food Desserts. This book is a wonderful, and needed, book in the raw food world. First, the book is beautiful. The book's look and feel has a retro 1950s design to it. My oldest son Raymond, the chef, loves to read it because it's so pretty.

It's more than a book filled with luscious, and simple, raw desserts. Phyo is, at her core, a green-living queen. Like Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, this book is full of simple ways to go more green; simple ways that don't require turning your life upside down, but do require you to think more consciously about how you consume. She includes tips on green entertaining, avoiding toxic cleaners, natural cleaners, and natural skin care.

Sliced Apples with Rosemary

But it's always about the food. In this small, 200-page book packed with information are 85 easy, delicious raw desserts. Even a beginner could make these recipes with ease. And the good news is that only eight desserts require a dehydrator. And they have their own section (sun-baked treats).

Ani's desserts are:
Frozen Treats
Cakes and Tartlets
Chocolate and Fudge
Crisps and Cobblers
Pudding and Parfaits
Cookies and Kreams
Fruit Simples
Sun-Baked Treats
Sauces and Kreams
Sparkling Desserts with Wine and Champagne

At the beginning, Ani also goes over the primary ingredients used in her desserts and well as the equipment and tools needed the recipes. To make things even easier, each recipe has icons to let you know what kitchen tools you'll need to make the dessert.

Key Lime Kream Bars Batter

Right before I put it in the freezer

I made Ani's Ice Kream Sandwiches first. It's a combination of the Key Lime Kream Bars and Carob Walnut Cookies. I could have eaten the Key Lime Kream with a spoon. It's a rich, creamy frozen treat with a touch of lime.

Carob Walnut Cookies

And the cookies....made completely in a food processor, they come out warm. I had to stop myself from eating them right out of the FP. It's hard to believe that four ingredients can create a treat that delectable.

Ice Kream Sandwiches

Together, they create ice cream sandwiches that my family loved. I can give these treats two thumbs up. And making this dessert was fast. You will not spend all day in the kitchen to make her desserts. That is what I can appreciate about this book.

Once again, Ani has produced a book that takes raw food to a new level: a simple, delectable, and accessible level that raw and cooked foodies will love.

I give it 10 out of 10 mocha angels!

Contest:

If you love to make raw desserts, this is your book! And you might even WIN a free copy of Ani's Raw Food Desserts! Here are the rules:
-Post your favorite raw food dessert on my blog in the comment section.
-Be sure to share the recipe, if you know it, and reference the book you got it from if it's not your original recipe.
- Leave a workable email address you check regularly at the end of your post so I can contact you if you win.
- You have until Tuesday, August 11 by 11:59pm to post your favorite dessert.
- I will randomly pick and announce a winner on Wednesday, August 12 by 11:59pm. I will also email the winner by that time.

That's it! Good luck to everyone!

Love,
Althea

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Ani's Raw Food Desserts: Book Review and Contest!