Broke as a Joke and Sick as a Dog

It's that time of year again. We just moved into a new, bigger place so I am pretty excited that we actually have the space for a real tree and visible decorations. I am a sucker for those big bulb lights, call me old-fashioned.

I brought this up because at this time of year, as I am sure it happens to many others, I am conflicted with my finances. Luckily, we have a fun Christmas Eve planned. We are taking the kids to the snow, which other than stockings I don't feel that the kids need much else. However, I am nostalgic of the time when I was a kid and how great it felt to have at least 1 present to open.

I am torn because I have limited financial resources to pay my bills, buy enough raw food for myself on top of normal groceries, AND pay for Christmas. Eat healthy food or buy Christmas gifts for my kids? It's obvious that my kids are to come first so it's been difficult when buying raw groceries... I am pretty much buying the bare minimum; Food I know my kids will eat and food that I know I will eat outside of work salads.

I have been sick with the flu for over a week now so my raw food intake has decreased because I have been too tired from work to get groceries, besides being poor, etc. I used leftover veggies in the fridge and made a hot stew. Being sick in the cold really made it hard to want to do anything, so some warm stew really hit the spot. Potatoes, some squash, carrots, onions and garlic with vegetable broth and garlic tomato sauce. Raiding the pantry rules.

This is what our fruit bowl looked like the other day. Yeah, pathetic. That's why I took a picture of it, haha!

BUT, I did luck out, I stashed some strawberries in the freezer a few weeks ago so I scored big time and made a raw smoothie. I made some cheaters almond milk (1 TB raw almond butter to 1 cup water) for this smoothie and threw in some maca powder, and raw agave. Simple and cheap and Melody loved it.

I am on WIC and with my checks I can get a choice of dried peas, beans or lentils. I had a package of lentils in the cupboard so I decided to try one of the raw salad recipes I found in a book. I didn't have all the ingredients and at the top of my head I can't remember what they were but what I did have I created this simple salad that doesn't cost a fortune.

Lentils soaked in water for a few hours, drain and put in large bowl

Chop up as much cucumber as you like

Chop up as much tomato as you like

Chop up as much onion as you like

Splash of raw apple cider vinegar

Splash of lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

A couple tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil (This recipe calls for both olive oil and Udo's Choice oil, which I have both but it is still good with just olive oil so don't worry about the expensive Udo's)

Mix all together and let sit in fridge for a few hours so that lentils can soak up onion flavor.

I really like this salad because it is filling and savory so I don't leave the table feeling unfulfilled. I also like this because I get the lentils for free and everything else I can buy or get at my work for cheap (Tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, olive oil...).

Now to the best part of my post. My last entry I talked about the raw vegan sushi that I wanted to try and I did it! One of the dishes that made me feel very proud and it wasn't that hard. I was a little timid when trying to roll the sushi when I don't own any sushi tools, but it came out just fine. I actually made this 3 more times. This is a recipe that I will keep because like the lentil salad, the ingredients are pretty much the same. One bag of Nori has enough sheets to last me 2 weeks. Other than cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes (which I can get at work), the only thing else I have to buy are sprouts. Again, cheap simple yummy.

I hope everyone has a great holiday.

To conclude this post here is a recipe for a raw dessert I found and being that it is the Christmas season I have been prone to looking up a lot of raw sweets. So you might be seeing some more sweet posts.

Carrot Fairy Cakes with Lemon Frosting. Bee's Knees Kitchen

Carrot Fairy Cakes:

1 1/2 c Carrot Pulp, from juiced carrots 1/2 c Almond Meal 1/3 c Coconut Flour 1/3 c Walnuts, chopped 1/3 c Raisins, chopped 1 tsp Lemons Zest 1 tsp White Stevia Powder 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or 1/2 Cinnamon + 1/2 Nutmeg 2 pinches Vanilla powder Add all the ingredients in a bowl and massage together to blend. Shape into 1-2 tbsp size balls and lightly press into the fairy cake molds. Set in the fridge until ready to frost.

Lemon Frosting:

1/4 c Cashews 1/3 c Lemon Juice 2 1/2 tbsp Coconut Oil, melted 1 tbls Agave Nectar 1/2 tsp White Stevia In a personal blender, process the cashews into a flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a few seconds. The frosting should have the consistency of yogurt. Using a teaspoon, spoon the frosting over the top of each fairy cake and smooth over the sides with the spoon. Place in the fridge until ready to eat.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen fairy cakes

I want to make this when I get more money, and also tackle a raw raspberry cheesecake!

Goodnight everyone!

It's Good to be Back and Budget my Money

I miss my food stamps. Yes, food stamps. When I first started this journey I was on food stamps and that freedom was so inspiring whenever going to the grocery stores or farmers markets. Bad news is that after starting my new job I make over their income limit, so my food stamps were discontinued. I gave up the idea of eating healthy because it is really expensive and I thought "How can I afford this?" But after reviewing my spending on eating out, I realized I need to reverse those eating out costs to buying good groceries instead. It has been difficult! Eating out is one of my most favorite past times.To teach myself and discipline myself into not going out to eat every other night is like constantly smacking my brain with a ruler.

I am also trying to focus on what I know I will eat. I can't go spending-happy in Whole Foods as if I could try a multitude of things at once... I need to plan ahead and pick my battles.

Here is what my latest grocery store trip looked like:

- I know that raw vegan "meat" can go a long way and I can use it for a variety of different things. Therefore, I bought walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes.

-I know I eat a lot of salad and a few other greens - bam there you go

-Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a must for many raw dressings. I needed a refill.

-Basil and pine nuts to make my most favorite pesto dish... Which brings me to

-Zucchini. Raw pasta galore

-Tomatoes for sandwiches, salads, sauces, and salsa

-Avocados for sandwiches, salads, sauces, and salsa

-Sprouted bread and tortillas for my daily wraps and sandwiches. They make quick and easy lunches for work!

-Raw cheese (When I get in that mode that I want something comforting, yet it still has it's enzymes)

-Bananas and strawberries. Smoothies and sorbets for my morning and pestering late night sweet tooth.

-Apples because I love to eat them with my kids. They are something we share very well.

-Oats. I eat them pretty much every day for breakfast.

-Raw Agave nectar. I need sweet sometimes, okay.

-Sprouts. A MUST for almost all my lunch dishes.

-Cucumbers. Probably one of the most versatile veggies in my kitchen. My kids love them like crackers so their are excellent snack material. They are also excellent in salads, they can be cut up for sandwiches... The list goes on. Cucumbers are the kingcumbers.

-Carrots. For my carrot oat bites, my salads and also for my miso soup

-Unpasteurized Miso and

-Mushrooms for miso soup and

-Un-toasted Nori for miso soup because miso soup really helps me out on these cold days when all I want is something warm*.

*the miso soup I make is not cooked but it is warm. To

make: Miso paste by the tablespoon to taste, nori and mushrooms with hot water over it to mix. Done and tasty:

--->

-Raw cashews for my cashew cheezy weezy.

-SEA SALT

-and raw ALMONDS!! Because I use almond milk every single day and I can't live without it.

I love it. And, I am trying to make this work. I will also when I can, be buying things I need to make certain special projects... But I will be smart about it and I will update when these projects happen.

Like this one! This is my next project which I already have all the ingredients for so I will probably make it for lunch tomorrow morning before I head out for work. xoxo

...

Raw vegan "Sushi"

Ingredients:

• 
  
  
  1 raw, untoasted nori sheet
• 1/2 avocado
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh dill
• 1/4-1/2 raw zucchini
• 1 handful of sprouts (alfalfa, sunflower, etc…)
• 1 small tomato
• 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes

Directions:

Cut the avocado and tomato into slices. Cut the zucchini into long strands using a knife or julienne slicer.

Next, roll out the nori sheet on a sushi mat or a flat surface. Lightly spray the nori sheet with water to soften it and make it sticky. Lay down a thin layer of alfalfa sprouts covering the top 3/4 of the nori sheet, leaving about 2 inches uncovered. Then add the sliced tomato, zucchini and fresh dill. Add the avocado slices last. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of dulse flakes over the avocado for a salty, seafood flavor rich in minerals.

Gently roll the nori sheet, pressing it together with your fingers. Lightly spray the bottom 2 inches of the nori with water to make it sticky and finish rolling it. Give the entire roll a gentle squeeze to ensure the nori has stuck to itself all the way around. Try to keep the roll nice and tight as you roll it.

Let the roll set for a moment. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the nori roll into one-inch sections. Now it’s time to enjoy this delicious, raw taste of the sea!

Now here is your moment of Zen. Myrawkitchen :]

Hiatus

Three Kids and Fridge Full of Veggies,

It has been about 4 months? It's been a while... As with many drastic lifestyle changes, I had hit a wall. I gave up, I lost my motivation, I lost the raw food luster. Yet, here I am. Why? Something must have been knocking on my back door: Feeling overweight, tired, unhappy, and most of all guilty/ashamed of the food I was putting into my body. It wasn't the path that I had set out on, I had lost my way and I felt it was because I wasn't strong enough. Yet, here I am because something in my mind has been telling me that maybe I AM strong enough, maybe this is something that I CAN'T give up on.

I know what kind of foods make me feel good and I know what foods make me feel crappy - That's all it is to it. I am myself and nobody else, and I can be myself. Mommy of three, kick ass waitress, rock and roll girl, a drinker, a lover, emotional and still on my own road to growing up: MY OWN WAY.

After coming home today and putting away some groceries from Whole Foods, I realized that this second time around is a whole new view of myself. I think that before I was trying too hard to be somebody I wasn't. Trying too hard to be this "mold" of a "Vegan" or a "Raw foodist" when in reality I just want to make better eating habits.

I am not going to kick myself for screwing up, but just go day by day and try the best I can to be me and make better food decisions to better my health. Be a good mommy and to try to not be perfect. just me:)