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!

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!

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.

Raw Veggie Vitamix Recipe

This one is really good when it's hot outside.


Summer Smooth Chiller

3 or 4 really ripe tomatoes
2 sticks celery
3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
dash coriander-crushed
1 cup pure water or ice

Wash tomatoes then freeze for a couple of hours
Add pumpkin seeds & water to vitamix, till smooth.
Cut tomatoes in half & add along with celery. Blend.

Enjoy!

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!

Vitamix Recipe`

This was one of the better vitamix recipes we've created lately. We wanted to make a healthier taco salad & I think it worked : ) We used baby spinach instead of lettuce & a fresh-vegetarian version of the taco meat. The only things in it that were a bit questionable in terms of health were the sour cream & the cheddar cheese but we did go light on them. The whole meal took about 20 minutes to make, about 5 to clean up. It didn't cost that much either, as the ingredients are common. The salsa was especially good--light & tasty.

Raw Salsa:
2 or 3 ripe tomatos
1 small onion
1 small can jalepenos or 1/2 raw jalapeno (for the brave)
1/4 bunch cilantro

Throw it in the vitamix & blend till it's the consistency you want.

Non-meat taco stuff:
2 cans black beans
1 chopped onion
3 tbs cumin
1 package fresh mushrooms
1 tomato - chopped
Mix everything together & mash it with a wooden spoon until it's the consistency you want. Throw it in a skillet & heat.

1st layer - spinach
2nd layer - cheese (use sparingly if you are watching cholesterol or weight or whatever)
3rd layer - taco filling
4th layer - salsa
5th layer - sour cream

This was really good! I didn't regret eating it like I usually do after leaving a Mexican restaurant.

Enjoy : )

Free Shipping on VitaMix

Tom & I decided that we like our Vitamix so much that we might as well start selling them, so we applied & were accepted as vendors. That means we'll probably start a website somewhere with recipes, etc., but I'll always keep posting here too.

As always, I hate a sales pitch, so don't expect one from me. If you are interested in buying one that's fine, feel free to ask questions or whatever, but don't worry about sales pressure as it's not happening here. I just really like the product & don't see any reason not to be a vendor since I talk about it all the time & enjoy sharing the recipes & stories.

An unexpected nice thing they do is give free shipping to folks who use vendor's codes when they buy.

Here's ours: 06-004048
Here's the number: 800-848-2649 ext. 2316 (Janet).

If you buy directly from the site (like I did) there is a place to put in the promo code for the free shipping. It says "enter savings or coupon code". Then hit "apply"

I rarely pay for shipping when I buy on the internet anymore. I hope people like me can continue to find that in the future.

Ok, enough. If you live in Western North Carolina, go out & enjoy this beautiful weather!

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 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!

More Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipes

I have been eating so good this week!

Raw Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup pecans (don't soak)
3 to 4 tbs raw agave nectar
1.4 cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup dehydrated bing cherries
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup pure water
1 tsp fresh coconut

Mix together in vitamix w/setting on low/variable. Slowly increase speed till mixture is consistency of cookie dough.

Drop on dehydrator sheets & form teaspoon-sized balls.

Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 4 hours.

Decorate with coconut.

Enjoy!

More Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipes

A variation on what we have almost every day:

Chocolate Health Shake
4 cups pure water
1.5 cups raw pumpkin seeds (soaked overnight so they're almost sprouted)
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbs raw agave nector
3/4 cup raw cacao powder

Add all the ingredients together into the vitamix. Start on low/variable & work up to higher speed for about 1 to 2 minutes. If you decide to keep the Vitamix on to heat up the drink remember that it shouldn't really get much above 100 degrees if you want to keep the enzymes living.

If you don't like the pulp, filter & keep it to make the recipe below.

Raw Chocolate Cookies

Take the pulp from the drink above. Drop it in teaspoon sized balls then flatten out. Dehydrate at 100 degrees for 4 hours. Enjoy!

The cookies are so good! They have the exact same consistency as little brownies, but are good for you! The recipe above doesn't make too many cookies, just about 6 small ones. Here's a recipe for them that actually makes more:

Raw Chocolate Cookies (bigger batch)

4 cups raw pumpkin seeds (soaked overnight so they're almost sprouted)
1.5 cup raw aguave nector
1 tbs vanilla
1.5 cups raw cacao
2-4 cups pure water

add 1 cup of water & the rest of the ingredients to vitamix & start on variable/low. Slowly add water until consistency is doughy. Be sure that pumpkin seeds are crushed completly. When finished, add in fruit (if desired) by hand. Bing cherry bits are really good with these cookies or fresh blueberries.

Drop onto dehydrator sheet & set to 100 degrees for about 4 hours. These are chewy & so good! It's hard to believe that something that tastes like this can actually be good for you. I love this recipe because it's extremly easy & doesn't cost that much.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein & have a good amount of essential fatty acides, magnesium, iron, & zinc (not to mention fiber). As a matter of fact, raw pumpkin seeds are so healthy that the oil inside of them is pressed & resold as a nutritional supplement. An additional benefit is that they're cheap! I can get raw organic pumpkin seeds for under $2 lb vs $10.99 lb & up for cashews, $7.99 & up for almonds, etc.

I really like trying new raw food recipes. My energy level has shot up since I started including living food in my diet. If your mind is open to trying new things, I highly recommend this.

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Another Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

Chocolate Protein Shake

• 2 cups pure water
• 2 cups ice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 or 5 tbs raw cacao
  
• 1 cup barely sprouted raw almonds
• 1 cup protein sprout mix (or oat sprouts)
• 4 tbs agave nectar
  

Soak the almonds 24 to 48 hrs ahead of time until there's a little sprout peeking out of the end of them.

Add almonds to water & mix on variable/low gradually increasing to high until they are completely pulverized & the mixture is really smooth. About 45 seconds should do it.

Add the rest of the ingredients & do the same thing.

This shake is high protein, low glycemic, & tastes great. It provides sustained energy & is a good way for me to avoid caffeine in the afternoon. The sprouted almonds & regular sprouts are packed with healthy enzymes & raw chocolate is brain food! I love drinking this--it has become one of my favorite recipes because it is so easy to make. I occasionally add 1 cup blueberries to it, to change up the taste a bit.

Enjoy!

Here Are Some Raw Food and Vitamix Recipes

Tom & I are big into the Vitamix & raw food recipes. Here are some of the most recent things we've been creating.

Pecan Milk (tastes a bit like eggnog)

• 5 cups pure water
• 1 cup raw pecans (soaked in water overnight is best if you have time)
• 3 tbs agave nectar
• 2 tbs vanilla
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Blend until smooth. Strain it if you want to. (The pulp can be used later to make cookies). If you want the fiber, then go ahead--drink up! I've been adding a peach to this & heating it up just a bit, & really like it that way.

Raw Chocolate Pudding-ish Dessert

• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 tbs raw cacao
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 pitted dates
• 1 cup of pure water

Add all the ingredients to the vitamix, blend with water to your desired consistency. *note--using the water you soaked the dates in will add flavor. I call it pudding-ish because it doesn't taste like Jello pudding--which is what you might expect. It tastes far better!

Here's my favorite for tonight:

Sprouted Pancakes & Banana Syrup

• 1 cup of whatever you've sprouted lately
• 1 cup raw pecan milk or almond milk or cashew milk
• 1 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix sprouts with milk in Vitamix until smooth. Add salt, vanilla. Add flax seed & blend until the mix is the consistency of pancake batter. Pour into nonstick heated pan & cook on medium low, turning as needed, till done.

Bananna Syrup

• 2 ripe bananas
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup pure water
  

Blend bananas & vanilla in Vitamix till smooth. Add water to achieve desired consistency.

That's what we had for supper last night. Man, it was good! The pancakes are so dense that they are very filling, but without all the fat & gluten's in regular pancakes. The banana syrup had a very intense flavor. I'm sure you could add blueberry's, strawberry's, or whatever to the pancake batter to make them even more flavorful. IHOP has nothing on us!

Seriously, pancakes without guilt? Too good to be true...

Hope you enjoy these ; ) Let me know what you think if you try them out.

Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipes

Randy says he learned how important chocolate is not just from me, but from going in & out of multiple offices all day. Through the years he's evolved from bringing home the occasional Hershey bar, to bringing home "the good stuff", ie Godiva, Vans, etc. What a good husband!

I do like the typical "good stuff" but in the last year or so my tastes have evolved to more exotic chocolate. I discovered chocolate and red chilis at Earth Fare (my favorite last year). The spicy zing along with the dark chocolate just tasted right somehow.

For Christmas I got some raw chocolate & a book about the health benefits of raw chocolate. I have seen the health claims in various places on the internet about chocolate but didn't pay much attention to them till I read the book. It was pretty interesting. For instance did you know that raw cacao beans are known as 'the food of the gods' and were used as money by the Aztecs? Ok, so you knew that.

Well then, how about this: Cacao powder and butter are the beans pressed and powdered. Both are antioxidants; rich in magnesium and potassium. Without sugar or dairy products the benefits of chocolate reach you in their pure state. When chocolate is eaten raw, the enzymes (important for health) remain intact and the amazing properties of chocolate are undiluted to be enjoyed to the full.

Tom & I have long believed that enzymes contained in raw foods are more important than mainstream media have portrayed. Tom says that what makes a cell living is the enzymes. For instance, what seems more healthy--a raw apple or a cooked one? Why do you think that is? We both have tried to up our intake of raw vegetables to some degree of success, & I think it has made a difference in our energy overall.

Back to raw chocolate. It is full of Tryptophan (the relax chemical), Anandamide (the bliss chemical), Phenylethaylamine (PEA, the joy molecule), Polyphenols (heart-nurturing), MAO inhibitor (appetite suppressant), and about 300 other nutritional compounds. But most importantly, it tastes really good! It's not sweet but can be sweetened with fruit, aguave nector, or whatever you use.

We created some raw chocolate drinks in the Vitamix & they are really good so I thought I would share:

Toms Raw Healthy Chocolate Drink

2 cups pure water
one cup raw cashews
3 medjool dates
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs

Add cashews to water & set vitamix to low for about 30 seconds
Slowly add pitted dates & cacao nibs
Blend up to one minute
Drink up

Lala's Raw Healthy Chocolate Drink

3 cups pure water
1 1-2 cup raw cashews
aguave nector
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs

Add cashews to water & set vitamix to low for about 30 seconds
Add cacao nibs
Blend up to one minute then strain.
Add aguave nector to taste.

Man, I've got to go make some right now!

Hope you like our Vitamix recipes. I am a Vitamix nut & have lots of them so if you want more let me know.

Drink up : )

Here's the link to where you can buy the book I've been reading.