Raw Recipe - Holiday Pecans

While everybody else is gorging on candy, treat yourself to this really nice (& sweet) treat.

• 1 cup agave nector
• 4 cups pecan halves
• 1 cup raw orange juice
• 1-2 cup raw cacao powder

Heat the agave & orange juice, stirring till it is thin.  Don't get it too hot, keep it raw!  Stir in pecans.  Spread over wax paper.  Shake cacao powder over pecans till coated.  Let cool, then enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

This is how I get my caffeine nowdays...

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 heaping teaspoon raw chocolate
1 serving green superfood of your choice
shot of coffee
shot of agave

Blend in Vitamix on low setting for a minute, gradually turn up to medium/high for another 30 seconds or so.  Sit in the sunshine & enjoy.
mmmmm...

Raw Chocolate Recipes

My daily staple:

1 Gala Apple
freshly ground peanut butter
raw chocolate (powder works best with this recipe)
raw honey or agave--your choice!

Slice the apple then mix the rest of the ingredients together. Smear the apple slices with the mixture, go outside on your porch & make the squirrels jealous! 

One note--it's really easy to over-do the sweet taste so go easy on the honey/agave in the beginning. You really only need it if the peanut butter is too thick to mix well.

Simple pleasure...

Raw Food VitaMix Recipe

1 large ripe tomatoe
1 large cucumber
1 stalk celery
16 oz water

Blend on variable/high till smooth. Use this as lunch or use it to work as a light broth for soup.

Enjoy!

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

1 pint blueberries - washed & frozen
1 not too ripe bananna
1 package protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp raw vanilla extract
1/4 cup flax seeds
32 oz water
1/3 cup raw agave nectar

Mix water, flax, & sunflower seeds on Med/Hi till smooth (app 1 min)
Add each ingredient one at a time, ending with frozen blueberries

This recipe created a bland, somewhat gritty drink that could have it's taste changed radically with a few spices--maybe cardamom? Anyway, it was very good & relatively low glycemin with the addition of the protein powder.

Enjoy!

No, They Can't All Be Winners

Day 2 of "me on a soup kick" & I just created something so awful I'm not even going post an image of it for fear that it will cause me to go running for the bathroom door...

Needless to say, the Vitamix does not do a good job of fresh cream of broccoli soup.

Yuck!

Raw Food VItamix Recipes

I've heard that raw/living food is food that hasn't had the amino acids "killed" with heat. Use your judgement on how hot (or not) you let this soup get. It is a staple of my diet & one of the best soups ever!

1 stalk celery
1 cup spinach
1 medium carrot
1 medium tomatoe
Braggs tonic to taste
24 oz pure water

Throw it all in the Vitamix, set to medium high until hot.

Enjoy!

Vitamix Raw Food Recipe

It's apple season here in Hendersonville & they are good this year!


3 apples - cored (peel if you like)
pinch of cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw honey

Add to vitamix & blend on variable/high for about 30 seconds.

Enjoy the best applesauce ever!

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

The vegetables in Western North Carolina have been fantastic this year. We've had plenty of rain & you can sure tell it!

This is one that we make at least once a week. I know it sounds weird but it actually has a pretty good taste & is loaded with both vitamins & fiber.

1 apple
1 small carrot
1 cup pure water
1 small cucumber
1 cup ice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 small piece vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all together till smooth.

Enjoy!

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

2 cups pitted bing cherries
1 cup rice
4 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 vanilla bean
2 tbs raw agave nector

Soak the rice and vanilla bean in water overnight.
Put the goop in the Vitamix & blend till smooth.
Strain.
Put rice milk mixture into ice trays & freeze,

Add ice cubes, vanilla extract, agave nector, cherries & blend till smooth.

This recipe is a bit high in carbs, but a good option for those avoiding dairy. Not to mention it tastes great!

Enjoy!

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

Last week I posted a (gulp) failed recipe for chocolate coconut cherry candy. It didn't work because the coconut made it a little too runny. This week, no problem-->a real easy winner here!

1/2 fresh pineapple
milk & meat from one Thai coconut
1 tbs raw agave nector
3 cups ice


Blend till smooth then enjoy an incredibly refreshing drink. Simple but good.

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe - A Failed One!

I would sure appreciate it if somebody out there could help me make this one better--it has a lot of potential! We were trying to make a healthy version of a Mounds candy bar with this one but the filling was too runny.

We blended fresh coconut, a cup of bing cherries & a tsp of raw agave nectar for about 10 seconds & it tasted great!

The original plan was to dip this mixture into raw chocolate powder but we ended up just adding the chocolate into it & eating it out of a bowl. It was really sweet tasting & altogether a bit too...something, I'm just not sure. It was so sweet that a little went a looooooong way.

Hard to believe that something that decadent can actually be good to you : ) Tom was a bit surprised to learn that raw coconut is considered by some to be a "superfood". Here are some articles for you:

Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4

Fresh coconut meat is addicting!

Another Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

This is the time of year when bing cherries are so good, & I can tell you for sure that it is worth the time it takes to pit them. This smoothie is so refreshing & good! We use cashews that we have soaked in pure water overnight--somehow it adds to the general sweetness of the drink. Don't know how to explain that other than to say that we've tried almonds, flax, rice, etc., & the cashews are the definite winner.

1/2 cup cashews (soaked)
3/4 cup raw chocolate powder
1 cup bing cherries
1 glass (about 12 oz) pure water
1 cup ice
3 tbs raw agave nector or local honey

Blend cashews in water till smooth then add the rest of the ingredients, leaving the ice for last.

If you want a really intense taste, try adding a bit of cold coffee this--no more than a tbs or so. I also like this one with a bit of vanilla too if you're wanting something sweet.

Enjoy!

Vitamix Recipe - Make Your Own Raw Veggie V8

3 really ripe tomatoes
1 stick celery
1 cup pure water or ice
1-2 carrot
dash ground coriander

Add it all to the Vitamix & blend with variable setting till smooth. Strain it if you can't handle the pulp--don't strain it if you want all the fiber.

Enjoy!

Another Raw Vitamix Recipe

I had this yesterday--it was delicious!

1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 tbs raw agave nector
2 cups pure water

Add the sunflower seeds to water & set vitamix to variable. Blend till smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients.

Enjoy!

A variation to this (if you drink dairy) is to add about a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt and/or some ice.

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

This time of year in Hendersonville is so nice. We are starting to see some fresh produce & lots of strawberries (which I love). I don't know whether you could call this recipe vegan ice cream, strawberry gelato, or slush--all I know is it is good!

1 cup rice--soaked for 8 hours in 1 cup pure water
3 tbs raw agave nector
1 lemon wedge--peeled & frozen
2 tbs vanilla or 1/2 vanilla bean
2 cups ripe strawberries - frozen

Slowly add the ingredients in the vitamix until well mixed. Freeze if you want, then remix one more time in vitamix.

To make it more "slushy", add a few ice cubes.

Enjoy!

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

This is a good one for an afternoon snack or breakfast:

2 apples
1/2 bananna (not too ripe)
2 tbs agave nector or raw honey
1/4 stick cinnamon
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup almonds (soaked overnight)

Take cinnamon, sunflower seeds, & almonds, along with 1/4 cup water & add to vitamix. Set to variable/medium. Blend till soft. Add rest of water & other ingredients. Blend.

Enjoy!

Another Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

This drink is so simple but it's my all-time favorite. It never fails to be the perfect answer to a sweet craving.

Strawberry/Chocolate shake

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup pure water
2 cups ice
1 cup ripe strawberrys
1/2 cup raw chocolate powder
3tbs raw agave nectar

Combine cashews & water. Blend till smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients, saving the ice for last. Ease the Vitamix up to variable/high & blend till smooth.

Enjoy!

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

I love garlic & I love my Vitamix, so this just worked out.

Garlic Bread Spread

One medium avacado
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend together till smooth. Refrigerate. Spread on heated bread.

The avacado is a healthy replacement for butter/margarine. It still has the creamy texture, but without all the unhealthy fats. The sea salt does not have it's natural minerals leached out by processing.

Now if I could just figure out how to make really good italian bread that was not so bad for me...

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

Spring Zing Drink

2 cups pure water
1 medium carrot
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup sprouts


Add together in vitamix & blend till smooth. This drink is really more healthy if you leave the pulp in, but you can strain it if you want a smoother drink.

Another ingredient that works well with this is one really ripe tomato.

Enjoy!