My Big Fat Raw Experiment

Starting June 1st, I am going on a journey and I'd love to take you along with me. For 10 weeks, a posse of guinea piglets and I will be focusing on cleansing and weight loss. This is all in an effort to obtain research for a book that I am writing this summer on Raw Food, Weight Loss, and Cleansing. I've been blown away with how many people have written to me, wanting to come along for the ride!

I decided to start an internet site so that I can offer daily contact to all my wee little piggies in the program. Some need to lose 10 pounds and other need to drop well over 100 pounds. I love the diversity within the group and it should make for a great experiment.

During this 10 weeks our diet will consist of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, healthy fats, seeds, sprouts, herbal teas and good pure water. Kombucha is fine too. The more raw, the better. We'll also be incorporating healthy movement into our days by walking, rebounding and/or yoga stretching. Whatever your ability level is where you should start.

If you would like to come on board the Weight Loss Train, it will be leaving the station this coming Monday, June 1st!

JUNE 1st UPDATE: DUE TO SUCH OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, I CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT ANY ADDITIONAL GUINEA PIGS :- ( HOWEVER - IF YOU'D LIKE TO WATCH MY DAILY VIDEOS FOR THE EXPERIMENT ON YOUTUBE, PLEASE CHECK MY PAGE THERE.

The Kirstie Alley of Raw

Today I spill my secret to weight gain. Yes, you read that right, as promised last week in my interview with Matt Monarch, there has been a secret to my recent weight gain! I'm already sensing the excitement building as I prepare to embark on this literary and physically transformational adventure. I'm looking forward to sharing details with you over the upcoming weeks. I also think it's ironic that this blog came out on the internet this morning. Move over Oprah & Kirstie, there's a new fatty in town! Let me show you what the raw food diet can do!

Someone You Should Know - Olivia

Thanks to Dhrumil of We Like It Raw and Philip from Loving Raw for turning me on to this young REAL FOOD rockstar. Nine-year-old Olivia is a cancer survivor and she is on a mission to find out, What is Real Food? She takes us to the Farmer's Market and to her school. The video has been entered in a "Real Food is" video contest for the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference. It's all about getting fresh, locally-grown food into schools.

Learn more at farmtoschool.org

Matt Monarch Interview - Part 2 & 3

Today I'm posting the very entertaining parts 2 & 3 of Matt Monarch & Angela Stokes hanging with Real Food Tulsa:

Matt Monarch Interviews Penni - Part 1

Last evening Real Food Tulsa welcomed Mr. Matt Monarch and Miss Angela Stokes to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a very special event. We had a really nice turn out and everyone completely enjoyed hearing from these two dynamic figures of the raw food movement. Earlier in the evening, Matt sat down with me to do an episode of his popular television show, The Raw Food World. I wanted to share with you a few segments from our visit together, which I will post as a 3 part entry. I hope you enjoy our (very) candid interview. Matt will also have a video from their visit to Tulsa on his site.


Matt & Angela own and manage the Raw Food World. In my opinion, they have one of the most amazing selections of raw food and related products on the internet. I encourage you to take the time to visit Matt & Angela and peruse their impressive selection of superior quality merchandise.
See you tomorrow for Part 2 of Matt Monarch & Angela Stokes while they were living on Tulsa Time!

Eat Your Weeds!

For years I've been pulling this annoying weed from my flower beds and garden. Little did I realize that Lambsquarters is not just a common weed, but that it's a delicious and highly nutritious green vegetable that can and should be enjoyed.

I first heard of lambsquarters when I read Victoria Boutenko's book, Green For Life. In this book she shares that wild edible greens, specifically lambsquarters, are some of THE most nutrient dense and essential food for human consumption. Lambsquarters is a close cousin to spinach, but far, far more nutritious. It has a mild, green flavor like our domestic greens. In fact it is a relative of Swiss chard, beets and a few exotic garden greens like orach, all in the Chenopodium family. The only other wild edibles that are also nutritional power houses are dandelion, watercress, and stinging nettles.

This best kept secret grows all over America in many different habitats from rich farm soils to barren stretches of desert terrain. It often grows in disturbed soils, close to humans rather than in remote places. It is very likely that you have some growing in your own yard or garden right now. It is also most likely that you've been weeding this one out every year, just like me.Lambsquarters not only grows nearly everywhere but it has a very long edible season. It's at its best around June, being a late spring arrival, and its young, tender leaves will be available for the rest of the growing season. And best of all, it's free for the picking! It's the perfect food for all you freegan-vegan-localvores!

Harvesting: As with any other wild plant, make sure that what you are picking is in fact edible. When in doubt, don't eat it! Also, be sure that your weeds have not been sprayed with any chemical compounds or that they haven't been growing near a busy highway. Even though I know the lambsquarter that has been growing in my yard is safe, I still like to wash the leaves because they tend to have a powdery white substance on them that I don't care for. Once washed, spread the leaves out on dry paper towels, pat dry and store in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator if you're not going to use them immediately.

Lambsquarters can be used as a replacement for spinach in any recipe. It has endless versatility and can be incorporated into green smoothies, juices, dips, dressings, sauces, salads, soups and main courses. Of course you need not tell your family or friends that you are serving them a platter of weeds for dinner! See the nutritional profile of lambsquarters here. Here are a few recipes that I look forward to making this weekend:

Lambsquarter Pesto
2 cups (packed) fresh lambsquarters leaves
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
2 T fresh garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup pine nuts (or less)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Put the greens into a food processor fited with the S-blade and pulse repeatedly until both are well chopped. Add garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and nutritional yeast and blend until the nuts are finely chopped and mixture is well combined. With the lid on and processor running, drizzle olive oil in through the feeder tube until mixture is the consistency you prefer.

Lambsquarters & Kiwi Smoothie
4 very ripe kiwis
2 cups lambsquarters
1 frozen banana
2 cups water

Place all ingredients into a blender on high speed until smooth.

Lambsquarters Greek Salad
2 cups Lambsquarters greens
2 Cucumbers, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
1/3 cup raw olives

2 teaspoons fresh oregano
(Try to use tender, young leaves for this salad)

Dressing:
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh herbs of choice (ex: dill, parsley, oregano)
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Coat salad just before serving

You've Got 48 Hours!

I know there are still plenty of you out there reading this who haven't subscribed to the new RawFu Magazine yet. I know, I know...you've been hearing me go on and on about it. Pardon me while I toot my own horn, but I AM the Food Editor, AND you must know that I'm writing my little heart out and working my wee fingers to the bone to help make this the best natural health magazine in the world! And surely by now, you have seen that we have some amazing photography (eye candy), as well. But still, I haven't been able to twist your arm to subscribe?

Just this afternoon, Bunny Berry gave away a brand new Blendtec Total Blender to one lucky RawFu subscriber. The blender is amazing and it's list price is $599! The good news is that we have 2 more of those bad boys just waiting to be given away. If you subscribe now, you'll be entered in the next two drawings, one in June and July!

Believe me when I tell you that there are so many great articles in this upcoming June issue, with LOTS of pretty food pics and amazing recipes to tantalize your palate! We have a number of new contributors that have written some very intriguing articles on subjects that you might not expect. But I don't want to give away too much ;- )

RawFu is the ONLY monthly magazine available in the world that promotes a positive living foods experience. Is it just me, or is that impressive? For the next 48 hours Bunny has agreed to open up our online magazine so that non-subscribers can get a taste of what we are doing. Below is a link to our premiere issue, May 2009 and I hope you will enjoy taking a peek at what has been keeping me so busy lately:

Go to: http://www.rawfu.com/index.php/may2009_online
Username: May09
Password: magazine

After 48 hours this link will expire, so go check it out ASAP. I hope you will read it in it's entirety and then subscribe here.

My personal goal is to get RawFu into every Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and every other healthy, organic friendly market in the country. With your help and your subscription, we can make that dream/goal a reality! I love you people!