Happy St Patty's Day!

Hi Veggies!

I hope everybody is having a safe and relaxing holiday! :-) Anyways - It donned on me that I haven't been updating ya'll on my status as a wanna be raw vegan. Today went really well for me. This is what I ate:
Banana and peach smoothie
Apple celery and ginger juice
Banana and peach smoothie with a raw vegan taco
Salad
Banana ice cream
Lots of water!

Since I last logged on here, one of my prized possessions --- my espresso machine --- is in need of repair. I took that as a sign from God to ditch the daily habit. I spent the entire week in denial and in the Starbucks drive thru. FINALLY, I was able to survive without it today. I am OBviously addicted because without it I can become anxious! I will not give up coffee forever, but simply my daily habit. At least that's the plan.
I wanted to share the recipe for raw vegan tacos which I found on another blog called: Foods for Long Life. Here is the link: http://foodsforlonglife.blogspot.com/2009/05/celebrate-cinco-de-mayo-with-delicious.html
I copied and pasted it for your convenience --- but check out the site!!!!

4 leaves of organic butter lettuce, washed
1 cup raw walnuts (NOT soaked)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Nama Shoyu soy sauce
1 small avocado, diced
1 small yellow or red bell pepper (or ½ cup diced tomatoes)
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)

Please walnuts, chili powder and Nama Shoyu in a food process and blend just until the walnuts are course and resemble ground meat. Set aside. Gently combine the avocado, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Place 1/4 of the nut meat and 1/4 of the salsa on each of the butter lettuce leaves and serve immediately.
I tried to alter the recipe a bit to fit into my low fat meal plan. I also try to avoid additives, such as salt. I used Braggs Liquid aminos instead of the soy sauce because I have that on hand. It is still pretty salty --- but you don't need a large amount. I also didn't use the avocado because the walnuts are predominantly fat. I used a lot more salsa and less "meat" per taco as well. Stringent followers of the 80 10 10 lifestyle do not like to use spices. However, I have no problem with them! And so I added the chili powder and such. It was REALLY GOOD. REALLY EASY. Try it! Or one of the many other recipes from that blog. (Vegan - but not all raw).

I have been a bit lazy in terms of my work out routine. My husband has been working more, and we usually hit the gym together. Thus if he can't go, I often don't. However, that isn't going to fly if I want to see results. I have changed my workout plan to higher reps/lighter weights for toning purposes. And also to avoid injury, as I still consider myself a beginner in weight training. I learn more each time I go!

I talked to my old roomie about green smoothies today! She was looking for yummy recipes. I find it is best to experiment when it comes to smoothies. Personally --- I recommend using young tender greens, like baby spinach. I started with a smaller amount (about 1 cup per smoothie). The basic "recipe" for my green smoothies is 1 to 2 cups of greens (spinach or kale), 4 bananas, and 2 cups of another fruit, such as peaches. Sometimes I add two dates for more sweetness. I always put the dates and greens on the bottom of my blender. I add small amounts of water until I get the desired consistency. I usually start with 4 to 6 ounces of water and increase as needed.

My wonderful parents brought me a juicer when they came into town a week or so ago. I am in love with my juicer. It is produced by Breville, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in buying a juicer because it is easy to use, and fairly easy to clean up. I have found sipping fresh juice is a must for me, just because the volume of food you eat on a raw diet varies from the standard diet. Often times I undershoot --- as you def need to eat more on a raw diet. Anyways, keeping fresh juice is a good way to keep the appetite at bay and avoid the take out until you can get home to your fresh fruits/vegetables. My favorite juice recipe:

4 apples
3 carrots
Piece of ginger (About an inch sized piece)

But you can pretty much just play with it.

Peace and Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!