Be Kind

I went back to Kripalu Yoga & Retreat Center this month. As usual, it was an amazing experience. If you follow me on Facebook, then you may have already seen the pictures. I will write about it on here too.

The last time I was there was May 2013. In one of the stairways, was a poster-size version of the above refrigerator magnet. It reads, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" by Anonymous.

The first time I read that, I said, "TRUE THAT!" When the saw the magnet for sale in the Kripalu store, I didn't hesitate to buy it. I have looked at that magnet every day for the past two years. It became a mantra of sorts. I can't say I always followed it but I did my best.

And in a moment in time when kindness should have been in the forefront of my mind, it was not.
I lost the dearest of friendships because I had a self-centered, angry reaction upon hearing personal and painful news from this friend.

Everyone makes mistakes, yes. Mistakes, however, come with consequences. So be kind. Some folks must be loved from a distance because their issues are too toxic to bear. And some folks are meant to be loved up close  - friends, lovers, and family - deeply and profoundly, flaws and all, simply because you cannot imagine your life without them. And why would you want to imagine life without them?

Love is who we are. Love is the glue that holds us all together. Love is part of our final thoughts as we leave this earth. Love is what we are greeted with when we enter this world. Time is short. Love yourself and your peoples is my message :-).

Avocado Cayenne Salad, Almond Thins, and Cucumber Dill Soup

I keep coming back to food as healing. In the midst of grief, it's been a struggle. Raw food is a like an old pair of jeans. You swear all out you are going to fit those Size 8's again....one day. You felt sexy as hell when you were wearing them, and now....not so much. That's raw food.

Post-raw chef school I know for a fact that my culinary point of view is easy and quick vegetarian/vegan/raw vegan. What I learned through Matthew Kenney Culinary was how to be a raw chef in a restaurant. What I must be is a home chef and cook. I unofficially have a full-time job (I get an official offer next week...cross your fingers). I am divorced mother to two special needs boys. All that food you all saw me make in school is not what I do at home. It's not practical. But raw food is the one and only thing that has EVER made me feel spectacular. And that is what I want for my children. I don't have it all figured out, but I'm on my way.

Oatmeal with raspberries, apple, banana

I have figured out this much:
- 32 oz of water with lemon or lime juice first thing in the morning
-Breakfast is soaked oatmeal with 3 fruits. Today's fruits are blackberries, apple and banana. Also includes unsweetened almond milk, dash of cinnamon, very little maple syrup.
-Lunch, a big ol' salad with lots of veggies

Still working on the rest of it.

I even made my first all-raw meal in a very long time. The salad is from Brendan Brazier's Thrive book. Almond Crackers is a Russell James recipe. They are the best raw crackers I've made hands down. The soup is from Victoria Boutenko's Green Smoothie Revolution. 

I also figured out that I HAVE TO write. It's a calling. I can't explain it. My blogging has been hit or miss since 2013. I have to write about everything. If it helps me and helps other people, then I'll write about it.

See you soon.
Love,
Althea

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Be Kind

Matthew Kenney Culinary Online Level 2, part 1

Guacamole, Cacao Chips, Mole Sauce

My journey through raw vegan culinary school is complete. It has taken me a while to recover from the intensity. A friend of mine, who graduated from a traditional in-person culinary school, said to me, "You didn't think it would be that intense, did you?"

"Uh, no....."

And it was. I as SO HAPPY I did this. I have wanted to study at/with/through Matthew Kenney for YEARS. Going to MK Culinary was on my vision board from the moment his first restaurant opened in Oklahoma City years ago. I even completed this ahead of schedule. I found a list of goals I wanted to achieve after I finished. I had written "2017" as the year I wanted to do culinary school.

But absolutely so intense. YES. I tore through school because I have two kids and I work three jobs. I dropped two of the jobs temporarily for sanity's sake. I spent six to seven days a week, 6-7 hours a day on school, no lie, no exaggeration. When I finished, I was burnt to a crisp. My personal food for me and the kids became sandwiches because a sista was not trying to spend more than 15 minutes making any meal.

Chocolate Cake, Walnut Sauce, Anise Scented Pears, Chai Ice Cream, Fennel Sauce

But what I learned will serve me for the rest of my life. That is an awesome feeling. Was everything I made perfect? No. For instance, take the first photo of the guacamole and chips. The guacamole was something I could eat everyday. The chips, not so much.

The chocolate cake was a revelation. We made flour from scratch. I was in a daze at what I was making. The cake was yummy. It tasted like a rich fudge brownie. The other ingredients elevated it. I learned that anise is my new favorite spice. The ice cream and fennel sauce weren't necessary because the cake alone is extremely rich.

Dark, White, and Strawberry Chocolates

I learned how to make tempered chocolate. All chocolate you buy is tempered. It's a method of heating chocolate that keeps it from melting at room temperature. The photo above is an example.

Linzer Christmas Cookies with Berry Jam

I am showing off the best of what I made. These cookies are a winner. I'd be happy to bring them to anyone's holiday party.

Baklava

The Baklava was rich rich rich rich rich rich rich rich. Did I mention it was rich? Full of flavor yummy.

Vietnamese Pho

This was crazy complex. I enjoyed it though.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

My favorite dish I made, hands down. LOVED LOVED LOVED it. I made this take on an Italian dessert with a raspberry sauce. It was simple, elegant, and not too sweet. It's great for an intimate dinner for two. 

What am I going to do next? I will show my "Shop Project" and share where I am going.

Love,

Althea

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Matthew Kenney Culinary Online Level 2, part 1

I've Been Accepted to Matthew Kenney Culinary!

Happy New Year!!

Guess who is going to start her professional raw chef training at Matthew Kenney Culinary?

Me!!

I got accepted and I will begin Fundamentals of Raw Cuisine on February 1. On March 1 I'll begin Advanced Raw Cuisine. When I graduate, I'll be ready to begin my new career as a raw food chef!

Since everyone can't travel to study in Miami, Santa Monica, Maine, or Thailand, there is an Online option, and that is the one I chose.

I did get a partial scholarship which requires me to blog about my experience and share on social media. I can do that!

I am also crowdfunding to assist with:
-tuition
-kitchen tools and appliances
-dry goods and produce

My crowdfunding link is at: http://www.gofundme.com/althea
And I'm offering yummy perks too. :-) Please check out my page and donate toward my dream career.

Last year and 2013 were extremely challenging. I wouldn't wish a divorce on anyone. I felt very lost and depressed most of the time. I had lost the joy I had for most things, including blogging. But over time, I realized that food is my passion. This education & training will catapult me into a whole new life.

Thank you all for hanging in there with me all these years. I wish you all the best that life has to offer.

Love,
Althea ◦

I've Been Accepted to Matthew Kenney Culinary!

Green Smoothie Gone Wrong

I've had a copy of Everyday Raw Detox by Meredith Baird with Matthew Kenney for a few months. Visually stunning, beautiful to read, and inspirational, I love the whole vibe of the book. Long-time readers know I'm a Matthew Kenney groupie and proud of it. Completing his online raw chef training and eating at one of his restaurants are on my bucket list.

So I finally make something out of the book: a green smoothie called "Clean and Lean". The ingredients are fennel bulb, grapefruit, fresh mint, water, 1 date (optional), pinch o' sea salt, and 1/2 avocado.

This is what the final product looked like. And I didn't like it all. It was far too sour. I added not one more, but ten more dates to make a sweet enough to drink because I was not throwing food away.

The other problem was that my smoothie looked NOTHING like the one in the book! That photo is of a GREEN smoothie, not a vanilla milkshake. I used fennel bulb as the book said, but maybe I should have used its green stalk? Maybe more avocado? I don't know.

Dear "Clean and Lean" Smoothie, I have now re-named you the "What's Wrong With This Picture?" Smoothie.

Maybe next time.....

Love,
Althea ◦

Green Smoothie Gone Wrong

Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

From Raw Food Real World.
Holy Goodness...this is darn fantastic food. Two thumbs WAY up!

Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

    3 ears fresh corn, husked
    3 pints small cherry, teardrop, or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
    4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    2 small or 1 large head butter lettuce, or other soft greens
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
    1 cup crumbled Fluffy Macadamia Feta (page 288)
    Coarse sea salt
    Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and place in a medium bowl with the tomatoes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the corn and tomatoes on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 1 hour.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the lettuce leaves and toss to coat. Add the corn, tomatoes, marjoram, feta, and salt and pepper.

Fluffy Macadamia Feta

    4 cups raw macadamia nuts, soaked 1 hour or more
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    1 green onion, white and 1 inch green, minced
    2 teaspoons sea salt

  In a food processor, thoroughly grind all the ingredients, but leave it a bit
  chunky. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and
  dehydrate at 115°F for 4 to 6 hours, or until dry on the outside and still
  tender on the inside.

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Warm Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

30-Second Nut Milk

 

More like 20 seconds. This could not be simpler.

From Raw Food, Real World 

• 2 heaping tablespoons of any raw nut butter
• 2 cups water
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar, or 1 packet stevia
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter (optional)

Blend.

I made this twice, so far. Once with stevia, and the other time with agave. The agave tasted MUCH better. Stevia has a licorice-like taste and can be bitter. I didn't care for it. But the agave worked like a charm.

Enjoy!

Love,
Althea

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30-Second Nut Milk

Honeymoon Healer Juice

Transforming my kitchen into a healing space! This is what you'd see as you enter my kitchen. :-)

Yesterday I made a lot of green juices. But since I happened to have oranges and cranberries, I made a juice from Raw Food Real World by Sarma Melngailis and Matthew Kenney. (one of my favorite books, btw. I still owe this book a review.)

The finished product!

It couldn't be easier:

Honeymoon Healer
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 peeled lime
2 cups of orange juice
Juice cranberries, lime, and oranges.
Add 1-2 heaping tablespoons of raw honey.
You can add another lime for garnish.

It's called Honeymoon Healer because of the amount of cranberries, which are good for urinary tract infections. I just made it because I had the ingredients on hand! It's very tart, so if you like that type of drink, for it!

Love,
Althea

Mocha Angel message: 12/8/10: You are loved, truly, today, tomorrow, and forever more. ◦

Honeymoon Healer Juice

Chocolate Cake and Citrus Dressing

Ganache Fudge Cake

I'm keeping it simple these days. I had a revelation last night. I want to be a gourmet raw food chef + inspirational speaker + author. There is nothing wrong with that ambition. Currently, I am a wife, mom to two sons, a caretaker, a yoga teacher, professional intuitive, blogger, author, cook/cleaner/laundrywoman/ chauffeur/teacher/grocery shopper, etc., etc.

See where I'm going with this?

I am busier than I ever thought I would be. And my Candida is kicking my tail up and down the eastern seaboard. Anytime I even bite into cooked food, I feel my energy decrease and my mood shifts.

I have not given up on blogging through Everyday Raw and Light Eating for Survival. But my shift has got to be on simple raw food that heals me. I can make super impressive gourmet food later. Right now, I'm making simple, tasty raw food which holds my interest.

Recently, I adapted a recipe from Ani's Raw Food Desserts. Ani's Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake has, well, raspberries :-). I don't care for raspberries with chocolate. I left them out.

The "cake" is walnuts, carob powder, sea salt, and Medjool dates mixed together in a food processor.

Ganache Fudge Cake

The frosting was wicked good. It's Medjool dates, agave, avocado, cocoa powder, and sea salt. That could be a pudding. Jona would only eat the frosting. The rest of us ate the cake. The carob gave it a malty feel. I would absolutely make it again.

Creamy Citrus Dressing

This is from Raw Food Real World. It's a blend of avocado, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, green onion, shallot, sea salt, olive oil, and black pepper. The recipe calls for jalapeno pepper, but I left it out. This dressing lasted me a week, and it was very simple to prepare.

Coming up, I made an easy carrot cake that took less than a half-hour to make :-).

love,
Althea

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Chocolate Cake and Citrus Dressing

Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

7. I heal my relationship with food (I get an emotional grip)

8. I find emotional satisfaction in things other than food

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).

Tampopo

Food, at its essence, is fuel for the body. The purpose of food, from the time we are conceived, is to nourish every cell, organ, and tissue, so that we, as humans can function at an optimum level. We can argue about what are the best foods for our bodies. Since this is a raw vegan blog, and the author feels that raw food is the best fuel for her body, then she is going with that. (But I always say listen to your own body’s wisdom.)

I love food. I love everything about it. Texture, taste, smell, combinations, and possibilities all make me swoon. The problem comes in when food becomes a substitute for expressing feelings, otherwise known as emotional eating.

Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans

I am no psychologist. I’m just someone who has struggled with this issue for years, particularly the past seven years. What I can say is the moment you recognize that you are an emotional eater, you are on your way to healing. The phrase, “It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you” is a truism. Watch any episode of the TV show The Biggest Loser and you’ll see that the contestants have been eating their pain for years instead of dealing with it.

My biggest suggestion is to find a faith, or belief system, that grounds you. I’ve been doing some soul searching. I believe I’ve found a faith that supports what I receive from The Mocha Angels. Therapy, yoga, chakra work, particularly throat chakra work, will all help. I focus on the throat chakra because that is the seat of communication. When we force down our self-expression with food, that stifles the throat chakra. It’s important to feel safe when you speak.

Resources:

Losing Your Pounds of Pain by Doreen Virtue

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

The Great Debaters

While you work on healing your feelings, find other things to do which don’t involve food. I love kickboxing, yoga, reading, and writing. Make sure you love to do your activities. Choose things which make you feel good. For those of us who love food, it’s pleasurable. You want do things which are equally as pleasurable and fun. You don’t want to feel like you’re being distracted. You want to really have fun!

And speaking of having fun, I made the Grapefruit Cleanser juice from Everyday Raw. It’s grapefruit, apples, limes, and kale. I do not like grapefruit. But this is a refreshing, tangy drink. When I’m still thinking about a drink a week later, it’s a good one.

Love,

Althea

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Steps Seven and Eight on the Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney

Thai Salad with Creamy Thai Dressing

I don't think adjectives exist to describe the food in Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney. This isn't a review of the book. I asked Matthew if I could blog my way through his book, and he graciously said "yes." His creations are a marriage of culinary technique and artistry.

I started working through the book pre-accident, so it's been at least three weeks since I've tasted this food. But I haven't forgotten the experiences. The Thai Salad and Dressing? I'm still thinking about it. The effort was worth the experience.

Salsa Fresca

Mango Guacamole

Two of my favorite foods are salsa and guacamole. Make these two dishes together and be in Heaven as you eat. I'd never had gauc with mango in it. The combination works well.

Banana Almond Butter Cup

The Classic

The Banana Almond Butter Cup is in Raw Food/Real World. I had to make it again. I made it on February 5th, right before the Blizzard of Century here in Maryland (seriously, the most snow in the state EVER since records started being kept in 1883). It was cold outside, but who cares? It was a taste of summer in a cup. Frozen bananas, cacao nibs, cinnamon, almond milk, and agave. Wow. It's as a good as it sounds.

The Classic is frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, and almond milk. Since bananas and strawberries go together like peas and carrots, how could it go wrong? It was perfect.

Until next time,
Love,
Althea

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Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney

Step Four and Four and a half on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey

4. I study to become a fantastic raw food chef
4 1/2. I learn where my food comes from
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)

Prior Steps:

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

2. I Align Myself with My Core Values

3. I Am Open and Willing to Change

Julia in Julie and Julia

I know I was on hiatus from blogging for a month, but something hit me today. An important step in the journey is studying how to make delicious raw food. It sounds obvious, but it's not.

The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey is a work in progress. It's alive and flexible while I get the steps in order. I realized today that becoming a seasoned raw food "chef" is important. I put "chef" in quotes because not everyone is going to culinary school; but "cook" is weird because we're not cooking. We're creators, preppers...something. So for lack of a better word, I'm going with "chef."

I love food. I am a true foodie. I dream about food. I dreamed about eggs last night (go ahead and laugh...I did too. :-) I ran downstairs to make scrambled eggs from Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything (which I do not own, but he wrote an article that I'd saved from a magazine). I tasted them, then gave them to my husband. I said, "Oh my goodness, these are fantastic." Rom said, "They're okay. They taste like regular scrambled eggs to me."

I said, "I'm the Remy to your Emilie! You can't taste how awesome these eggs are? And I don't even eat eggs!" If anyone has seen the Disney/Pixar movie Ratatouille, then you know what I mean. If you haven't seen it, it's another Oscar-winning movie from the geniuses at Pixar.

And I'll admit here that I am a Pixar Uber-fan. Total Pixar geek. I watch the credits looking for the people who work in the story department. If you've seen the Intel commercial where geeks go nuts over the guy who created the USB port, and at the end it reads: "Our rock stars are not like your rock stars," then you understand how I view the Pixar people. The only thing I appreciate more than good food is good storytelling. I'd work there for free just to learn how to write a great story.

But I digress.

Remy in Ratatouille

Frustration can build when you transition to raw because the food may not taste great, depending on where you learn. But with raw, you are preparing the freshest ingredients possible. You only have to learn how to put the ingredients together.

You must possess an unrelenting desire to learn how to make great food that is tasty and doesn't cost a fortune. Raw food books are everywhere. And like anything else, you'll find a couple of stinkers amidst the winners. But that's okay. Don't give up.

Check out books from the library first. That is what I do. I won't pay for a book unless I feel it's worth it. And if your local libraries don't carry raw food books, request them. Three years ago, my local library had zero raw food books in circulation. A librarian told me to write down what I wanted. That way, the library would know my interests and may possibly buy those types of books. Today, there's six raw books in circulation, with many more in libraries across Maryland.

Classes abound. DVD's are everywhere. Get serious. Start investing your money in these things so that the food you make keeps your interest. That was my revelation. My food should be awesome to me. Until I get back to

Chef Carolyn, or trek to Oklahoma to study at 105 Degrees Academy, then I've got to keep learning the basics of raw food preparation.I'm still working my way through Light Eating for Survival. I have added:
Everyday Raw by Matthew Kenney
Incredibly Delicious (the Rawsome Recipes section) by Gentle World Publications
Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! by Monique Bastien

I don't own, yet:
Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis
Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis

Sweet Gratitude by Matthew Rogers and Tiziana Alipo Tamborra

But I'm working on that. (If anyone would like to gift me early birthday presents, feel free! My birthday is March 7!!!). I see these books as textbooks. I am in training to learn how to make awesome raw food. Anyone serious about their raw journey will do the same thing.

I consider this Step Four and a Half: I learn where my food comes from.

Rom and I watched the DVD Food Inc. today. If you have kids, they need to see this too. I don't buy DVDs much. I'll rent them or get them from the library. This one I will purchase because I want my kids to watch it again as they grow up. Go get this movie TODAY!

From the official website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Go get this movie!
Love,
Althea

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Step Four and Four and a half on The Raw Vegan Hero's Journey