Hitting the Reset Button

Today I want to share my excitement about the upcoming 28 Day Total Reset which will be kicking off February 1st and will be happening throughout the month. Although I've been facilatating health and wellness initiatives for years, this is the first program I've created and publically led since 2011. If feels great to be back and I'd love to share some details with you about RESET below and invite you to join us. To view a personal video message from me, click here.

During the 28 Day Reset we will:

• Take a personal inventory of our lives, recognizing the area(s) that could benefit the most from guidance & support in getting back or staying on track with personal goals and desires.
• Connect with a community of caring, supportive and like-minded individuals who are focusing on making lasting changes that will stick.
• Look at and address the personal image we have of ourselves (physically, emotionally, etc.)
• Look at realistic ways in which to incorporate life-long healthy eating and lifestyle practices.
• Consider beginning a time of cleansing/detox from food dependencies, emotional crutches and environmental blockages.
• Look at ways in which to open our hearts and lives to receive breakthroughs in health, weight, relationships, careers, etc.

Participants will also receive amazing downloadable materials that will offer support in making dietary shifts that resonate with them. The many recipes and photographs are incredible and so very healthy. Members of Reset can download everything or only the pieces that line up with their personal 28 Day goals.  Digital guides include:

• Guidelines for Optimal Health
• Recipes for Juicing 
• Smoothies, Soups & other Delightful Blends
• Raw Food - 24/7 (very simple to gourmet)
• Plant Based & Healthy - Cooked Food Comforts

Additionally, participants will have membership to a private community site that is focused and dedicated only to this 28 Day Reset, which will include support from other members, myself and our wonderful leadership team. There will be a place to ask questions and get answers along with several new videos each week to help stay connected, inspire you and to support you in staying on track with your goals and desires. There will be a private area for weekly weigh-ins for those members who are looking for that kind of support and accountability. 

The leadership team includes Debi Farley - licensed acupuncturist with a Masters degree in Oriental medicine, a certified raw food chef/instructor, holistic health coach, owner of the Acupuncture Clinic of Richmond and inspired advocate of the nutritional shifts to the foods that keep us pepped up, not pooped out! Debi is passionate about helping others deepen their understanding of the mechanics of their bodies -how we process, use and eliminate the foods we eat; and how our mindset, actions and lifestyle habits impact our overall well-being.  

Michelle K, full-time mother & wife, life explorer, wannabe yogini, occasional speaker/presenter and raw food chef. She loves playing in the kitchen and inventing recipes to go along with a healthy lifestyle for her family. Michelle is the lovable and funny star of her online uncooking show, It's a High Raw Life.  

Karen McCarville is a Board Certified Holistic Health & Nutrition Counselor and Detoxification Specialist who creates a personalized roadmap to health that suits her client's unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.  She is a graduate of the  Institute for Integrative Nutrition as well as The International School of Detoxification and runs  her company Mindful Life Nutrition out of Dallas, TX.  Additionally, she is an amazing vegan and raw food chef, and has a deep passion for helping people achieve optimum wellness through dietary and lifestyle coaching as well as herbal cleansing protocols. Karen's long-time life partner & love, Scott Oldner will also be along, bringing his own unique story of transformation and learned lifestyle wisdom to the party as well!

Allen Stern is in the midst of a complete life transformation. A used-to-be 2x's a day fast food eater, Allen is now on track, eating lots of fruits and vegetables for the first time in his entire life. Allen has become a big smoothie and juice advocate, and has lost an impressive amount of weight, just making the shift, one step at a time. He now runs Let'sTalkFitness and is sharing his journey, recipes and motivational content with the world. His story is completely inspirational and I can't wait to share it with you and I look forward to you getting to know Allen!

Shernell Cooke is a food writer, cookbook author, blogger and has a background as colorful as her personality. Her culinary education has been a mix of on-the-job training, formal classes at the Institiute of Culinary Education in New York and with countless private kitchen experiements! Shernell's down-to-earth approach to wellness, along with her wicked sense of humor will be a real treat to have along for the 28 Days! Check out what she's up to at her website The Raw Food Beginner Chef.

Linda Heflin, M.D. is a family physician who's been in practice for over 20 years and was recently voted "Doctor of the Year" within her community. Dr. Heflin has always had a heart for the wellness and prevention aspect of healthcare and has been on her own personal journey of continuing education in the practice of  Integrative Medicine. We are honored to have her wisdom and expertise as an intregal part of our leadership team. 

If you believe this program is for you and you're ready to make the committment, I have a couple of different price options to choose from based on your ability to pay. It is my heart's desire to recognize both the value of what is being offered and to make this available to everyone who deeply feels they are to be a part of what we are co-creating. 

Join our 28 Day Total Reset Now - $56 (just $2/day)

If your circumstances inhibit your participation at that level, we invite you to commit to our 28 Day Total Reset for a reduced price of just $28 (only $1/day)

If you truly are unable to pay at either of these levels, send me an email with a very brief mention of your situation, why you very much want to participate and the amount you would be willing to pay for this information and support at penniashelton@yahoo.com - please put RESET in the subject line as I receive 100's of emails daily and I don't want yours to get lost in the shuffle!

Eggplant Bacon Revisited

It's been a couple of years since I made Eggplant Bacon. I absolutely loved it then, so I'm not sure why I waited so long to recreate it. Perhaps it's because I remembered thinking it was fairly high in fat. I had made it in the midst of summer when eggplants were fairly prolific for a delicious BLT sandwich (you can view the recipe here).

So this time, when I got a hankerin' for vegan bacon, I decided to be a little more thoughtful about the ingredients, and the finished product did not disappoint!

I would recommend using a mandoline if you have one, which I do, but I cut my eggplants free style with just a cutting board and a knife and they came out just fine!  The goal is to cut them very thinly, but remember that they will reduce when you dehydrate or bake them.

Eggplant Bacon
2 medium eggplants, ends trimmed, cut in half and then into thin "bacon-like" strips
4  tablespoons coconut aminos (you can use tamari or low sodium soy sauce)
4 tablespoons coconut vinegar (or apple cider or umeboshi plum vinegar)
4 tablespoons coconut nectar (I actually used maple syrup, as I was out of CN)
a drizzle of cold-pressed extra-virgin organic olive oil (I am thinking next time I'll try coconut oil!)
1 lime, juice only
2 teaspoons chili powder
pinch cayenne powder (optional - but I like it spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked)
1/4 teaspoon smoked alderwood salt (only use if using coconut aminos - otherwise it could make it too salty)
freshly cracked back pepper (I used approximately 1/2 teaspoon)

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Fully coat each eggplant slice and lay into a 9 x 13 baking dish to marinate. Pour any remaining marinade over the top and cover with plastic wrap for at least one hour.

Transfer slices onto mesh dehydrator trays and warm at 135 degrees for the first hour. After one hour, I flipped the slices and brushed on the reserved marinade to re-coat. Return to the dehydrator, set now at 115 degrees to finish, approximately 8 -12 hours, depending on what level of crispiness you prefer.

If you don't have a dehydrator, place slices on parchment lined cookie trays and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 - 45 minutes, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.

The bacon was my delicious lunch today, served with a raw corn salad (recipe in Raw Food Cleanse or available online in this post). Getting my bacon, lettuce, corn & tomato on, even if it is the middle of winter!

I HEART Spirulina

This blended drink has been a personal favorite for a few years now and I enjoy it the most right after a hard cardio session. The protein from the goji berries and spirulina will keep you going for hours!

2 cups fresh citrus juice (I used a grapefruit, orange, clementine combo)
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
small handful goji berries
1 tablespoon spirulina

Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and combine until the berries are fully incorporated and the liquid is smooth.

Festive Chia Porridge

Festive Chia Seed Porridge

Serves 1

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I was a slacker & used Pacific boxed milk from WF)

3 tablespoons chia seeds

small handful goji berries

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1/2 honey crisp apple, chopped (any variety you like is fine)

1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

ground cinnamon 

Mix together the almond milk, chia seeds and goji berries in a small mixing bowl. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping of the seeds. This can also be done before going to bed, just put the mixture into the refrigerator and it will be ready wen you are for breakfast. Before serving, add in the hemp seeds, apple chunks, pom seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired. Enjoy!!

Fall Into Raw with Me!

Autumn has just began and I have an amazing digital resource for you, if you are looking for more education, seasonal recipes, pantry & shopping lists, and much more.  My ebook series, Falling Into Raw - Finding Simplicity & Balance in the Season has been recently re-edited and is available now at a marvelous price. A great deal of love and energy went into the creation of this collection and I know it will be a source of tangible support for you, whether you are brand now to raw foods, are a long-time raw food enthusiast or if you have fallen off track are ready to hit the reset button!

In this set you will receive 3 digital books:
Falling Into Raw - Finding Simplicity & Balance in the Season  - The main book includes my personal story with raw foods, how to get started & putting a plan into action, keeping your motivation, eating for the season, nutritional info on all seasonal produce, stocking your pantry, a market list, personal statistics & journal page.

Falling Into Raw - In The Kitchen - a collection of over 90 seasonally inspired raw and vegan recipes.
Falling Into Raw - The Photos - over 40 beautiful digtial photographs of many of the finished  recipes.
Falling Into Raw can be ordered immediately and for just $24.99 you will receive all of this material, which will be directly sent to your email Inbox.

*** Click Here to Order Falling Into Raw Now ***

And please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments below!

In the Kitchen - With Love

Gotta love the face after his first sip : )

Since my last blog, my dad has agreed to allow me to start introducing more raw foods into his diet, which is a big breakthrough. We've been making encouraging progress during the days, but he still desires a warm, comfort-food style dinner, so I am doing my best to come up with dishes that are thoughtfully prepared with fresh, organic ingredients that are vitamin, mineral and antioxidant rich. I'm also trying to add in as many herbs and spices as I can that are known for their cancer-fighting properties.

So we've been having fresh fruit or smoothies in the early mornings, a mid-morning juice or shake made with Rockin' Wellness and Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein, lots of salads for lunch & sometimes a bit of left-overs from the prior evening's dinner. I am sharing some of the favorite dishes from this week with you here. I hope you will enjoy!

Cancer-Fighting Vegetable Soup

Besides the ingredients and time allotted for chopping, be sure to add LOTS of love into your preparation. I fully believe there is a very special healing property involved when we intentionally put our loving energy and compassion into whatever it is that we are making for ourselves and our loved ones. Enjoy this delicious, health-promoting soup!

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
dash of dried red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cartons organic vegetable broth (64 oz.)
2 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices (I used about 4 cups fresh organic tomatoes - but canned will work)
2 cups carrots (about 4), sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup celery (about 3 stalks), diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced (any color but green is good)
1 big handful fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 -2 cups broccoli bits
1/2 cup fresh herbs (use flat-leafed parsley, basil, cilantro - whatever you like), minced
water, as needed to reach desired consistency
1 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 lemon, juiced
additional salt & pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Continue to cook for another minute or so. Add in the broth and tomatoes and stir. Add in the carrots, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms. Allow to simmer until the carrots are almost tender, about 10-12 minutes. Add in the broccoli, herbs and turmeric. Bring back up to simmer and cook until all the vegetables are tender, an additional 10 minutes or so. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and additional salt & pepper, to taste.

Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole
This turned out to be a marvelous main entree. Serve with a colorful side salad for a feel-good meal. If your family eats cheese, a bit of shredded white cheddar or gruyere added would likely make it extra yummy, but it was very good as the vegan preparation below.

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup chopped baby bello mushrooms (any variety is fine)
Vegetable broth, as needed
Himalayan salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

I cooked the rice while I was chopping the vegetables.
In a large stock pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add in onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook another couple of minutes, stir in the remaining ingredients and stir until all are well combined. Taste to see if it needs any additional salt or pepper. Pour in a cup or two of vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover, cooking until the vegetables start to get soft, about 10 minutes.
In a large glass casserole dish (mine was 9 x 13), combine the vegetables with the brown rice, using some of the vegetable broth to create a casserole like consistency, making sure not to make it soupy with too much liquid. Put into a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to allow all the flavors to come together.

Sauteing the veggies before I add the tomatoes

Epic Garden Vegetable Marinara Sauce
We have been so blessed with an abundance of tomatoes from dad's garden this year. This sauce was created from the last harvest of the season and it was truly spectacular.

2 tablespoons coconut oil (you can use a good quality olive oil - but I prefer evco when cooking these days)
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red peppers, seeded and diced  (a roasted pepper or two would be delightful)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup cremini mushrooms (diced)
2 - 28 fluid ounces canned plum tomatoes, include liquid (use fresh tomatoes if possible, skins removed & seeded)
6 ounces tomato paste (I used a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and blended)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
3 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons local honey
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil; add onions, sauteing  until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes, add garlic and stirring frequently for another minute or two. Add diced peppers, carrots and celery; saute' for an additional few minutes. Transfer mixture to a large stock pot. Add mushrooms, tomatoes (including liquid), sun-dried tomato paste, oregano, dried basil, fresh basil, bay leaves, honey, salt and pepper Bring sauce to boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove bay leaves and discard.
I used an immersion blender to make the sauce more smooth, but it would be equally as delicious if left chunky.

Serve sauce over pasta of your choice or serve over stemmed veggies. This sauce could be canned while it is hot, just follow canning instructions carefully. It also freezes well.

My Life in Cooked Food Rehab

Thanks to Linda Wagner for sharing this photo today!

I wanted to share an update here, as it's been awhile since I've updated my blog. For the first half of this year I was working nearly full time in a support/leadership role at Cleanse America, which is an awesome mission that is the brainchild of the fabulous Paul Risse.  I absolutely LOVED every minute of working with the Core Team and all of the truly amazing Wellness Warriors. Both the spring and summer 10-Day cleanses were epic, but I have recently stepped down from my leadership position due to a new role I've taken, which I'll share more about in the next couple of paragraphs. I am really looking forward to what Paul has planned for Cleanse America's upcoming Fall Cleanse (which will begin on September 21st) and I encourage you to stay plugged into his website and Facebook page for all the latest details!

For those of you who are part of my Raw Food Rehab family or are on the Cleanse America Community Site, you may have heard about my father's illness. My dear dad has had chronic leukemia (CMML) for about a year and a half, but fortunately, he has almost no noticeable symptoms....until recently. Dad started losing weight over the past several months, and it eventually became quite dramatic, getting down to 155 lbs. just a few weeks ago.  Dad's always been a fairly large man at 6 ft. tall and it was unusual for him to get below 200 lbs. So it was shocking to see how frail and thin he had become.

Dad has been living alone, at his little fisherman's getaway on Grand Lake.  He is an avid organic gardener and fisherman and is one of the more active fellows in his neighborhood of mainly retirement aged people.  Even at 82 years young, Dad was always mowing someone's yard or tinkering with a broken down air conditioner for a neighbor. When I went to visit him just 3 weeks ago, I found him nearly immobile, battling extreme fatigue and hardly eating, and I knew I had to do something.

So we've moved Dad into our home and I am now his full-time caregiver, making regular meals, driving him to all of his many doctor's appointments and looking for ways to entertain and keep his spirits up. We are hoping to be able to get some of the mobility back in his legs (they think it is unrelated to the leukemia and is a result of arthritis of the spine). A series of epidural shots may very well get him back to a more normal daily life, so I am praying that this will be so.  He has just recently started taking an oral anti-cancer drug daily, after a new bone marrow biopsy showed a shift in the diagnosis to Acute Myeloid Leukemia, in hopes of managing the aggression of the bad cell growth in the blood, but Dad is choosing not to go the route of traditional chemo-therapy, which I fully understand and support.

The good news is that he has gained over 10 pounds since he's been here with us. I am jokingly calling his stay here, Cooked Food Rehab, as he has absolutely no interest or palate for raw foods, salads or juices at this time (wouldn't you know it). I am able to get a superfood shake in him daily (thanks Mike & Seth for making Rockin' Wellness taste good to cancer patients!!) and I am doing my best to keep the cooked meals as healthy and appetizing as possible. So far so good!

I have had much kind input and suggestions by lots of people who are very well-meaning and wish to offer advise or their love and support. I read all my emails, but don't have much free time to respond at this time. But I appreciate each of you all so very much.

For now I'm approaching all of this one day at a time and trying to help support dad's quality of life as much as humanly possible while respecting his lifestyle wishes and desires. It is an honor to love and serve this amazing man, in this time of transition and uncertainty, as he is my biggest role model and who I admire the most in my life.

I will still be lovingly working on projects for Raw Food Rehab, and on my writing, whenever I am able, but I've stepped down from any other work related responsibilities or travel for now. Perhaps, if it isn't offensive to my raw food friends, I may share a healthy recipe from our time in Cooked Food Rehab on this blog from time to time.  Let me know how you feel about that.

Wishing you much love today & always!
Penni

PS - One of my recipes is being featured today at my good friend, Tess Masters' website Healthy Blender Recipes. Please check it out & let her know you stopped by! I also have a bonus recipe for those of you at Raw Food Rehab - Enjoy!!