Join Me on Mt Hood in March 2011!

I am very excited to be announcing EXPLORE RAW VITALITY - March 18th & 19th (outside of Portland, OR on Mt. Hood)

Join me, Dave the Raw Food Trucker, Tresa Yung, Thomas & Gabrielle Chavez and many other leading experts, chefs and guides within the raw food movement as we welcome Spring and explore the world of Raw Vitality.

Attend this event and you will:

• learn about resources for true wellness, longevity, and a healthier way of life


• meet the lifestyle experts, healers, doctors, and chefs who can make it work for you


• rejuvenate and heal


• explore your own true nature, naturally


• learn to live in grace

Event Package Includes:

• 3 unforgettably delicious raw gourmet meals prepared by some of the country's best live food chefs


• keynote presentations on Friday night: Dave the Raw Food Trucker and Tresa B.E. Grace


• Living the Compass of Grace workshop with Thomas and Gabrielle Chavez


• an interactive discussion with Penni Shelton, author of Raw Food Cleanse


• special activities including yoga and a live juice bar


• scheduled food demos, mini talks through the event


• health and wellness experts available Friday and Saturday with resources and advice


• access to holistic treatments including acupuncture, reflexology, reiki, sound healing, and naturopathic consultations


• a special group rate for your stay at The Resort at The Mountain of only $89/per double room per night

For all other details, and a 25% early bird booking discount, visit http://www.explorerawvitality.com!

Do You Feel Lucky?

I didn't want any of my beloved blog readership to miss out on the Big Mega Giveaway Extravaganza that's taking place this week over at Raw Food Rehab! Come log in and put your name in the hat!

Foodie Friday - Festive Holiday Drinks

This episode of Foodie Friday features festive & healthy Christmas "cocktail" recipes that will help you feel like kicking up your heels and decking the halls this holiday season (and without a hangover)!

No holiday party is truly complete without a selection of delicious drinks. Holiday libations can and should be fun and festive, but they don't HAVE to contain wine, champagne or spirits. The great thing about choosing to be conscious with your holiday drinking means that no one has to worry about who will be driving home from the party!

Holiday Fruit Punch

(from Raw For The Holidays - pg 59 )

8 oranges

6 apples

1 lemon

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup - 1 cup coconut nectar (or other sweetener of choice), to taste

1/4+ teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder

1 large bottle of chilled sparkling mineral water

additional slices of citrus, fresh mint & frozen cranberries for garnish

Either juice or blend & strain the apples, oranges, lemon & cranberries. Pour the juice into the blender, adding the spices and whirl until well combined. Pour the punch into a large pitcher or small punch bowl and add sparkling water. You are looking for a ratio of about 2/3 punch to 1/3 sparkling water. Finish by adding sliced fruit, fresh mint & a few cranberries to serve.

Raspberry Pomegranate Spritzer

2 cups kombucha, coconut kefir or sparkling water

2/3 cup frozen raspberries

2 sprigs fresh mint

3 ounces fresh or bottled pomegranate juice

ice

Combine all ingredients in a small pitcher and pour over ice filled glasses to serve.

Holiday Nog

(raw & eggless)

1 cup soaked almonds (4 - 8 hrs)

1 young coconut (substitute 2 ripe bananas if you don't have a coconut)

5 soft, pitted medjool dates

2 tablespoons coconut nectar (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 -2 heaping tablespoon cashew butter (optional - will make it creamier & add richness of flavor)

1 scant teaspoon rum extract (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

additional water to blend (2 cups if you are using the coconut, 3 cups w/ bananas)

Blend all ingredients and strain. Serve chilled or warm and top with freshly grated nutmeg & a cinnamon stick for a beautiful presentation.

Christmas Cran-tini

3 ounces of fresh pressed or organic bottled cranberry juice

3 ounces fresh orange juice

a few drops of Stevia hazelnut extract

a final splash of kombucha (or organic vodka if you're really on the edge)

Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. strain into a glass and top with kombucha, garnishing with an orange slice & a couple of frozen cranberries.

In addition to these fun drinks, be sure to check out all of the festive goodness in our holiday themed ebook, Raw For The Holidays! In it you'll find drink recipes for:

2 more delicious raw nog variations

Minty Chocolate Cocoa

Chocolatini

Poinsetta

Holi-tini

Toot You Horn Smart Cocktail

and so much more....

If you're looking for party appetizers, both Raw For The Holidays & Falling Into Raw have ou covered! Just a few suggestions:

Cheddar Stuffed Celery w/ Cranberries

Truffle Caper Tapenade

Pecan or Pumpkin Seed Cheese Stuffed Dates

Cucumber Cashew Canapés

Stuffed Mushrooms

BBQ "Meat"balls

Party Kabobs w/ Persimmon Habanero Dipping Sauce

Staying Raw & Sane at the Holidays!

On Thursday, December 9th, I will be joining Blog Talk Radio host, Cher Till for a fantastic internet program on Staying Raw & Sane at the Holidays! During this hour long program, Cher and I are dishing up some great holiday tips for staying raw, keeping it green, reducing stress and sharing recipe ideas. We cover a gamut of topics from dealing with the demands and stresses of the season to how to be prepared and stay on course with your healthy eating goals throughout 2010 and beyond. Please join us for some fun, helpful tips and tricks that will help make your season more Merry & Bright! Click here to learn more details and to find the time the show will be available in your area.

Healthy Shots with Cher is an award winning internet program that brings you the movers, shakers and leaders in raw, vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, as well as Masters in the study of Meditation. Master Life Coach Cher Till is your host and weekly she brings you her expert tools and those of her special guests. This will be a one hour show, with fun and information that will guide you to a balance of physical and mental joy. To learn more about Coach Cher Till go to rawqyourhealth.com

The Living Christmas Tree

Here we are at the beginning of December, which is the biggest celebratory month of the entire year! In today's episode of Foodie Friday, I am sharing with you one of my most favorite and impressive holiday party appetizers, The Living Christmas Tree, which is a perfect centerpiece and healthy conversation starter for any festive occasion. Putting this tree together is also a fun way to get kids involved in helping with your party preparations!

To put together your Living Christmas Tree (page 63 of Raw For The Holidays), you'll need:

One Styrofoam Cone (they come in several sizes, so choose a larger size if you have a larger number of guests) and Toothpicks:

Holiday Themed Mini-Cookie Cutters, if desired:

Lots of Leafy Greens to cover the cone:

Use toothpicks to secure your leafy greens to the cone to create the Christmas Tree Base layer:

Clean, cut and prepare a variety of veggies with which to decorate your tree:

Decorate the Living Christmas Tree as you would a real holiday tree, using toothpicks to secure the veggies in place:

Use the Living Tree as a table decoration or centerpiece at your holiday event:

You can serve a variety of dips as an accompaniment to this veggie tree. I made a variation of the Cashew Cheddar Spread from Falling Into Raw (page 32):

For the Cheddar Spread:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked one hour & drained
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon cashew or tahini butter
1 generous tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 scant teaspoon sea salt
water, only as needed to blend

In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients until completely smooth.

I also suggest these dips to serve alongside the tree:

Pumpkin Seed Cheese Dip (Falling Into Raw - page 34)

Chipotle Hummus (Falling Into Raw - page 34)

Smokey Guacamole (Falling Into Raw - page 31)

And be sure to check out the other offerings in our Dips & Nut Pate section in the Raw Food Rehab Kitchen! There is a Live Ranch dip & an amazing walnut pate in that section that are DELISH!

I've Got Sunshine......

Today I took a little road trip to Oklahoma City to meet up with my good friend Sunshine Boatright (raw food autism champion) at 105degrees. Sunshine and her family were passing through on their move cross-country from Atlanta, Georgia to their soon to be new home in Southern California.

It had been just over 2 years since I had seen Sunshine, so I was thrilled to get to hang out with her for a couple of hours, catching up over the most amazing raw & living food lunch! Check out these shots of our feast:



In the order of there appearance:

Shots of Wheatgrass (not shown)
Antiox-C (Orange, Lime, Goji Berries, Black Cherries & Raspberries)
Fork Crushed Avocado w/ Mint, Radish, Lemon, Sea Salt & Corn Chips
House Aged Tree Nut Cheeses w/ Seasonal Fruits & Raw Honey
Arugula Salad w/ Shaved Pear, Sweet Onions, L8 Harvest Vinaigrette&, Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Heirloom Tomato Lasagna w/ Macadamia Ricotta, Spinach, Pesto & Sun Dried Tomato Marinara
Mediterranean Hummus Wrap in Swiss Chard w/ Zucchini, Kalamata Olives & Sweet Red Pepper (with a side of Kale Chips)
Tiramisu
Gianduja Tasting (a celebration of hazelnuts & chocolate)

The final photo of the raw lasagna was a dish that one of the students at the Academy had put together - doesn't it all look amazing? If you ever have the opportunity to be in Oklahoma City, be sure to visit 105degrees!