Saturday, November 30, 2013

Vegan Cut's Snack Box: A vegan foodie's dream delivery.



Image from Vegan Cuts




I think it’s pretty obvious that most vegans are foodies. I know we here at The Split Plate are. We love cooking, finding veg-friendly restaurants and we’re obsessed with grocery shopping. We’ll drive several miles for a vegan event, vegan restaurant or even for a new grocery store! Yes, we vegan foodies are crazy, but it’s made life way more fun! 


One of my biggest foodie obsessions is finding and trying new vegan food products. A trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joes is always an adventure and I always tend to walk out of the store with at least one brand new product, which tends to always be a snack, that I haven’t tried. But what if I said you could get vegan snacks, some, if not most, you may not have tried yet, sent straight to your door, once a month, all wrapped up nicely into a small box for a small monthly fee? Yep, it exists. It’s called a Vegan Cut’s Snack Box and IT IS AWESOME!

Now you may be thinking, these monthly food box subscriptions exist everywhere. What makes Vegan Cut's Snack Box better? Well, for starters, Vegan Cuts is well known, online, vegan marketplace with a great selection of vegan products, and they’re always adding new products which means you are less than likely to receive the same product every month. Second, it’s vegan focused which means you will get nothing but awesome, vegan snacks. Third, for only $19.95 a month (that INCLUDES shipping) you get quite a good amount of high-quality, certified vegan products; 7-10 to be exact. What’s NOT to love? It’s a great box for anyone from the seasoned foodie to the vegcurious. 

Last month I was given the wonderful opportunity to try one of Vegan Cut’s Snack Boxes, the October Halloween edition to boot! It was very hard to wait til I got home to open it but when I did I was thrilled to find a package of wonderful goodies perfect for the Halloween holiday. Sweet treats, candies, and a few savory treats for balance. ;) There were also a few money saving coupons in there as well! The snacks were yummy, there wasn’t one I didn’t enjoy, okay maybe one (nothing to cry over), but my family loved them just as much. See below for a breakdown of what I received and my thoughts. 


Overall, Vegan Cut’s Snack Box has been one of my favorite subscription boxes that I have tried so far. Vegan focused, a great variety, mostly delicious, reasonably priced, and you can cancel anytime. I highly suggest Vegan Cut’s Snack Box for any and all foodies, vegan or not, who love snacking and trying new things.

So wanna see what I got in my October Box!?



  • Crunchmaster’s Multi-Grain Crackers: I’ve always wanted to try these and I’m so happy I finally got the opportunity too! With my daughter still in the beginning stages of her GF diet, finding dry snacks to bring to school has been quite tough. Anything I make is either not dry enough, made with nuts, or too small for her to enjoy while doing her school work. On the other hand, almost everything on the market is made with nothing but starches that are void of nutritional value. Thankfully Crunchmaster adds some of the value back by using brown rice flour, along with quinoa, millet, flax and sesame seeds in their crackers. Only real ingredients. Concerned about the corn? Me too. Crunchmaster is working on getting their products certified GMO and thankfully this particular product is on the list of already certified products. Wohoo! I found the cracker’s to be very satisfying and my daughter loved them as well.
  • Mediterranean Snack’s Baked Lentil Chips, Cracker Pepper: These were also pretty good. I loved the salt and pepper flavor that gave the crackers this nice peppery, spicy kick.Only thing I didn't care too much for was the maltodextrin found in the seasoning. I'm a bit of an OCD health freak so if that stuff doesn't bother you, than rock on! It's all about balance right? :) GF and certified GMO as well.

  • Raw Snack’s Cranberry Cashew Bar: We all know this rawsie was excited to see a raw snack in my box. I took this for a mid-day snack and work and it was perfect. Filling, sweet, salty, crunchy and a great energy booster to boot. Perfect. Organic and GF.
  • Stash Tea's Spiced Dragon Red Chai Tea: Mmm do I LOVE tea! My daughter and I both actually. We adored the flavor of this tea with the aromatic, warming spices. We added a splash of almond milk and sugar for a mid-day treat.
  • YumEarth Organic’s Sour Jelly Beans: Seeing as this WAS the Halloween edition, candy was to be expected. These jelly beans hit the spot with their authentic texture and flavor. You would have never known these were vegan when it comes to the texture. As for the flavor, these babies were bursting with natural, tangy fruitiness. WAY better than a regular bean. These are good for a rare treat such as a one time for Easter. The ingredients aren't the best, but then again, we are talking candy here. :) GF, dye-free.
  • YumEarth Organic’s Fruit Snacks: These too were bursting with fruit flavor. They reminded me very much of Runts except these candies were chewy. My daughter and I both devoured both bags! The ingredient list on these yummy candies are a bit better. All organic ingredients including fruit juice to flavor. Good for an occasional lunch treat. GF, organic.
  • Surf Sweet’s Peach Rings: I’ve always been a Surf Sweet’s fan. You can actually read my review post here. They’re Peach Rings are always fun to have around. GF, organic, certified GMO.

  • Rescue Chocolate’s Peanut Butter Pit Bull Bar: OMG! The Nut Butter Addict in me did a little skip, hop and a jump when she saw this mini-bar of chocolate covered peanut buttery goodness. My husband threatened many times to eat it as I was attempting to save it for last. It made it’s way to my belly shortly after. Sweet, salty, crunchy, peanut buttery and chocolaty. Seriously, what is there NOT to love!? Fair Trade, purchase helps save rescue dogs (extra perk :))
  • Smooz's Coconut Pineapple Frozen Ice Pop: When I first got the box I had thrown this treat into the freezer to freeze. It was a week or so after I had cleared the last goodie in my box did I notice it in the freezer hidden away in my ice cream maker. I pulled it out for my daughter and I both to try and at first bite our eyes lit up at the deliciousness of this treat! It was sweet, creamy and oh my  the combination of coconut and pineapple is my favorite! It’s also my daughter’s favorite too. I tried to sneak in more bites but unfortunately she stole it from me and finished it quickly before I got a chance to have more. Now we’ve been searching for them in stores and can’t find them anywhere. HELP! Kosher.
  • Runa Tea’s Original Zero Calorie Clean Energy Drink: This was unfortunately my least favorite snack in the box. Now, let me say I’m actually a huge Runa fan. I buy and drink their warm teas regularly and I will randomly buy one of their flavored bottle teas to enjoy as well. Unfortunately, the energy in the can didn’t do it for me. It was a bit too sweet for my liking (which I found odd considering it's 0 calories yet contains sugar??) and it tasted off as if it had stevia in it; a flavor I do not like nor can stand. I'm not a huge drink in the bottle person anyways minus my local kombucha, so this isn't a shock to me. Just a personal preference. HOWEVER, what I will say is that Runa's Guayusa is a great alternative to coffee for that natural caffeine boost and I will use it as an energy source when needed. I just prefer the tea bags. :) Mostly organic.
* I sadly didn't capture every single snack individually in photo, but the links will direct you to the products*


As I stated before, Vegan Cut’s Snack Box is a winner. If you’re like me and enjoy trying new things as well as snacking your heart out, or if you're just vegcurious, then this box is perfect for you. 

For more information about Vegan Cut’s Snack Box as well as their vegan Beauty Box, then visit their site here, at vegancuts.com.

Disclaimer: While I did receive this box for free in return for a review, that in no way changed or persuaded my opinion about this product or the product’s in the snack box.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 6 and 7: It's not a competition, but about learning to listen to your body.

If there is anything I learn every single time I complete one of Brad's challenges, it's this: Listen to your Body. Brad's Raw Challenge is not about who can post the yummiest or prettiest food, or who can post the best recipe, or who can be the most creative, but it's about learning to feed your body royally while at the same time listening to it's needs.

On Saturday I was not feeling well at all. My stomach was doing flips all day and everything I ate...well...made it's way back out within minutes of eating it. It was horrible. All I could do was drink water and plenty of it. I was bummed because I didn't really have anything to share with the other challengers but the great part is, that was okay because instead of trying to create something just to waste food, time and make me feel worse, I just went with the flow and listened to my body. By late that night I was feeling way better and by Sunday, great! Lesson learned: making a lifestyle change isn't a competition nor does it have to be rushed. It requires time, patience and a good ear in order to know what is best for your body. Take it slow and just enjoy the journey.

Now for what I ate on Saturday and Sunday!

Day 6

Early Morning

Water, water, water!!

Breakfast

A piece of my raw almond butter cup pie....I know so healthy.

Snacks


Go Raw Lime Coconut Chips, some dates and almond butter and Pom seeds.

Dinner

A giant leftover veggie salad with avocado dressing. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of leftover veggies thrown onto a plate and topped with mash avocado, lemon and salt!

Day 7

Upon Waking

WATER of course :)

Breakfast

A twist on Sunwarrior's Power Smoothie. Instead of the blueberries, spinach and apple juice I used pineapple/mango, cilantro, lime juice and water. Super delish!

Lunch

I was so busy I forgot to eat lunch! By the time I settled down at home I realized I was STARVING! So I took the raw sourdough crackers I bought at the store (from Living Spoonful) smothered them in leftover garlic cashew cheese and nommed away!

Dinner

I finally made a raw soup! I'm still following Sunwarrior's Warrior Way in 30 days and on the menu was a raw tortilla soup. I'll be honest, I'm not a major soup fan, except for maybe creamy roasted tomato soup with rice....but I'm always open to trying things at least twice. So I gave this Tortilla Soup a go.

I allowed it to warm up in the blender to make it warm considering it's freezing. I have to say it tasted better that way and really allowed the flavors to shine through. I topped my soup with some avocado, cilantro and green onions.

Overall it was pretty good. I definitely was looking for some texture, maybe some quinoa when not 100% raw, but I liked it. It has great flavor, great texture and it really filled me up! I recommend giving it a try. It may surprise you how yummy a raw soup could be! I do wish it was a bit thicker. Next time I may throw the avocado into the soup as opposed to on top.

Makes one LARGE bowl 
 
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1/2 yellow pepper
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 1 green onion, whites only
  •  1/2 - 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • pinch of smoked paprika
  • cayenne to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 avocado, sliced or diced
  • cilantro, to garnish
  • green onions, to garnish
    1. Throw everything but the avocado, cilantro and green onions into a blender and blend on  high until smooth and heated to desire temperature.
    2. Pour into a bowl and serve topped with avo, cilantro and green onion
Aaaand once again another challenge has been completed!

So easy right??

SOOO who's going to join me next month!?

*Beth*

Thursday, November 21, 2013

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 4 and Day 5: When busy, eat simple.



It’s Thursday!! One more day til Friday! Tomorrow I head to the ‘burg to watch Catching Fire balcony style with my hubby, my sister and brother-in-law. I’ll also be challenging myself to eat raw while we dine at a favorite local pub…no pickles, no beer, just salad. Eek! I can do it though!  It IS after all called a challenge! 

On another note, I realized today that my body prefers the new diet changes I have been making the last few days. Today I skipped my juice due to chaos yesterday evening and lack of time this morning and ended up feeling grossly full after my lunch. The gradual increase in foods in the morning and decrease in the evening has my body feeling pretty good. I think I’ll stick to it. No excuses. 

Okay so here we go on Day 4.

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm soothing lemon honey tea.

Juice

:(

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Mmm finally tried Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie from his upcoming book, Brad’s Raw Made Easy! It is super delish! My daughter and I had a smoothie morning and while she didn’t drink much of her smoothie, I’m glad to see the impact my healthy habits are having on her food choices. 

This green smoothie is probably the tastiest smoothie I have ever had that includes both apple and pears! Most smoothies I have with either an apple, or a pear, or both are gritty and unappetizing. This one however, was great! It had some chew to it but it was still smooth and easy to drink and the flavor combo rocks! And no I’m not being paid to praise Brad’s recipes or products…I truly do love it! 

Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie
Makes 16 ounces


My smoothie partner :)
  • 1 cup kale
  • 1 – ½ cups water
  • ½ large apple
  • ½ medium ripe pear
  • 1 frozen banana
    1. Simple! Blend and sip away! Whee!

Lunch +16 oz water


Again chaos last night meant little time to prep meals for us all so I went for a simple Mexican-inspired salad…we all know I have to have my Mexicano food at least once a week ;)

Simple and easy to prep: lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, some red bell peppers, cilantro, a giant dollop of guacamole, a sprinkle of spicy sprouted sunflower seeds and a lime on the side. Mmm!

Snack +16 oz water

Since I skipped juice I had a snack. Again, simple and easy. Almond butter stuffed dates aka nature’s candy. Filling and energizing!

Dinner and LOTS of water!

No dinner just a kombucha and some fruit including mango and a persimmon. Lots of snacking today!

Day 5

Since I’ll be out practically all day and all night tomorrow, I wanted to go ahead and post tomorrow’s eats…or at least what I PLAN on eating!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm Lemon Tea!

Juice + 16 oz water

Yeah! Another recipe by Sunwarrior!! This is just as yummy as the other green juices! Refreshing!

Crazy for Kale
By Sunwarrior's Warrior Way in 30 Days
Makes 8 oz

  • 2 leaves of kale
  • Handful of parsley
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • ¼ lemon, peeled
  • ¼ - ½ cup red grapes or ½ apple
  • ½ cucumber, peeled
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger
    1. Juice and enjoy!
Breakfast + 16 oz water

Sipping on another Sunwarrior Power Shake! See Recipe in Day 1’s post here!

Lunch + 16 oz water

I’ve been following Sunwarrior’s meal plans as part of the Warrior Way in 30 days challenge and I have been super satisfied so far with this challenge! Tomorrow’s dinner called for Pesto Pasta. Since I didn’t have any zucchini’s on hand I improvised and decided to make Pesto Cauli-CousCous. It’s just as tasty as the pasta version, just a different texture! I’m serving it on top of a bed of greens, surrounded by tomatoes, bell peppers and green onions and served with a lemon as an extra dressing if needed.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch!

Pesto Cauli-CousCous Salad
By Beth Mickens
Pesto by Sunwarrior
Serves 1

Pesto
  • 1 large handful of basil
  • 1 small kale leaf
  • Sprinkle of oregano
  • 1 small clove of garlic, mashed
  • 2-3 Tbsp of nuts (I used a combo of cashews and walnuts)
  • 1/2 Tbsp of white miso
  • 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
  • 1 tsp of raw honey
  • 2 Tbsp of cold pressed oil (olive oil preferably but hemp will work as well)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
    1. In a small personal blender, blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed.
Salad
  • 2 cups of mixed greens or green leaf lettuce
  • 2 cups of cauli rice (cauliflower simply processed til it resembles a course grain)
  • 2 Tbsp of Manitoba’s hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2-3 Tbsp of chopped red bell peppers
  • 2 Tbsp of sliced green onions
  • ¼ lemon slice, as garnish
  1. In a small bowl toss together the cauli rice and pesto until the cauli is well coated. It may seem to stick together, that’s fine I promise.
  2. Toss in the hemp seeds.
  3. On a plate or in a large bowl, add the mixed greens or lettuce.
  4. Add the pesto cauli-couscous.
  5. Top with tomatoes, red bell, and green onions.
  6. Garnish with a sprig of basil and lemon wedge.
  7. Serve.
Snack (if I’m even hungry!) + 16 oz water























Plan on nibbling on some Pomegranate seeds if I get hungry before dinner!

Dinner + 16 oz water

So for dinner we have plans to go to  a British Pub, our favorite British Pub, in the 'burg. Only problem is there's very little raw food to eat. Thankfully I've been there enough to know just what to do! Salad it will be but it's going to be a GOOD salad!

I'll update this post when I return tomorrow night!

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

*Beth*

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 3: Raw Caprese Tapas



I think Christmas Fever officially hit me this morning. I pulled out the Christmas CDs and I have been belting out songs like no one’s listening...because no one is listening! Don’t want to damage any ears :) 

With the Christmas Fever comes the anxiety. What to buy, what to cook, which cookies to make out of the list of 1,000,000, and worse, what if I gain weight? This time of year can mean overindulgence but proper planning and a routine workout can save you from holiday bloat and the continuous need for a New Year resolution solely focused on weight loss. Keep up with your healthy habits and come January 1st you’ll be glowing with pride knowing you made it past the holiday’s bloat free. As for your resolution, it can finally be one that doesn’t involve fasting or excessive exercise.

Need a healthy quick start? Participate in Brad’s Challenge in December and you’ll be all prepped for healthy eating greatness!

So who’s ready for Day 3? It’s gorgeous outside and I’m feeling energized!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Yummy a warm lemon tea!!

Juice +16 oz water

Almost forgot to post my juice! Another wonderful recipe by Sunwarrior and another keeper!

Celery Citrus Cooler
by Sunwarrior
Makes 8 oz
  •  2 stalks of celery
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1/2 apple
  • 1 large handful of parsley
  • 1/2 lemon, peeled

Breakfast + 16 oz water

I saw this smoothie on Simple Green Smoothie’s site the other day and it immediately made my mouth water. The combination of beets, berries, fruits and almond milk made me think awesome pink milkshake that needed to be made asap. And so I did. I, of course, switched out the non-raw for raw ingredients and added 1 Tbsp of cacao since it tasted a tad too sweet for me. 

Overall delicious. The texture may throw some people off since it is a tad gritty and crunchy due to the pear, beets and berries seeds. I’m okay with texture as long as it tastes fabulous and this one definitely did!

Berry Beet Smoothie
Makes 16 ounces

  • 1 handful of bok choy
  • ½ cup raw almond milk
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ large ripe pear
  • ½ banana
  • ¼ cup frozen berries
  • 1 heaping ¼ cup of raw shredded beets
  • 1 Tbsp of raw almond butter
  • 1 Tbsp of cacao (optional)
Blend, sip and enjoy!

Late Lunch + 16 oz water

This flavorful raw caprese tapas is inspired by Sunwarrior’s Warrior Way Challenge caprese salad as part of this week’s menu. The cheese is made from a blend of soaked sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice and salt. I thinly sliced a kohlrabi to serve as my “bread” and topped the cheese off with a simple salsa made with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper and tiny splash of balsamic. I topped each tapa with a sprinkle of green onions for a flavor boost.

The kohlrabi and salsa is both fresh and crisp while the cheese is fragrant, robust and creamy. A wonderful light dinner! Not sure if this can count as a “pauper” dinner do you? I mean light yes, but the dish is rich in flavor!

Raw Caprese Tapas
Adapted from Sunwarrior
Makes 1-2 servings



Raw Sunflower Cheese
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
  • 1 garlic clove, mashed
  • ½ lemon juiced (about 1-2 Tbsp)
  • 1-2 Tbsp of cold-pressed olive oil
  • ½ Tbsp raw honey or agave
  • Salt and pepper to taste
    1. Blend in a high-speed blender til creamy and smooth.
Tomato Basil Salsa
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (preferably cherry or grape)
  • 2-3 leaves of basil, sliced
  • 1 tsp of cold-pressed olive oil
  • Splash of balsamic
  • Salt and pepper
    1. Toss all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
To assemble:
  • 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  1. Spread about 1-2 tsp of cheese onto one slice of kohlrabi.
  2. Top with 1 tbsp of salsa.
  3. Sprinkle with green onions
  4. Serve immediately.
Dessert +16 oz water


I have been waiting 3 days to cut into this dessert! I finally made Healthy. Happy. Life. Blogger Kathy’s Raw Chocolate Almond Butter Cup Pie and am I GLAD I did! As you may know, I’m a nut butter addict. Add chocolate and I am in trouble. BIG trouble. Like a whole jar of Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter in 3 days trouble. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. I knew it would be perfection on a platter and mmmm is it! Chocolaty nutty buttery goodness with a blend of sweet and salty that will make any woman swoon. One bite and I literally leaped. It was foodgasmic. 

Here is the recipe. I quartered the recipe to fit into my mini pie pan which also required a few adjustments in order to get the consistency and flavor down for the chocolate layer. I have no doubt that if the recipe is used as is that it will be perfect. I always have to be difficult J Maybe that’s because I know if I make an entire pie of this I would eat the entire pie which is no good for my figure haha!

Now time to go meditate that pie off :)

*Beth*

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 1 and Day: New Challenges and a reason to Celebrate!


Wow. I just realized that October marked one year of participating in Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge! I’ve been doing this for a year! How awesome is that? I have to say I’m quite proud of the progress I have made on my journey to ultimate health and wellness through a raw food diet, exercise, and meditation and I definitely couldn’t have made it without these raw challenges to set me back on the right track. So THANK YOU Brad’s for helping me on my journey to a raw foods diet and I look forward to participating in many more challenges!! 

So who’s ready to rawk November’s challenge? This week I’m not only participating in Brad’s Raw Food Challenge but I also started Sunwarrior’s Warrior Way in 30 Days challenge. It includes healthy eating, exercise and meditation. Can you tell now that I am addicted to challenges? I love them!! Free recipes, free information, free guidance…what’s NOT to love!? It’s the easiest and most fun way to get on the right track to living healthy.

Alrighty enough chit chat. Here’s Day 1 and Day 2’s eats.

Day 1

Early Morning

You know it :) Warm lemon honey tea! Alkalizing, hydrating and detoxifying. After my tea I downed a 16 ounces bottle of cold water! Re-hydrating every morning feels amazing!

Juice + 16 oz water

Part of Warrior Way’s Challenge menu includes a yummy green juice every morning which is something I really need to start incorporating more into my diet. Hopefully this will help me get into the habit!

This first juice was refreshing and super delish. I loved the combination and can’t wait to make it again!

Cucumber Aqua Fresca
By Sunwarrior 
Makes 8 Ounces

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup spinach
  • ½ apple

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Next on the list? A delicious fruit bowl. While their menu called for a berry bowl I went for an apple banana bowl instead. Topped with raw almonds and cinnamon and drowned in raw almond milk, nothing could be this simple AND this tasty.


Lunch + 16 oz water

Smoothie time!! This powerhouse smoothie contains everything you need to keep you fueled, energized, satisfied and most importantly, NOURISHED. This is a Sunwarrior recipe so of course it contains a butt load of Sunwarrior’s products which are no doubt my personal favorite, but feel free to use your favorite brand.

Sunwarrior’s Power Shake Smoothie
By Sunwarrior 
Makes 16 ounces 
  • 1 cap of Sunwarrior’s Liquid Light
  • 5 tablets of chlorella or Spirulina
  • 1 scoop of Sunwarrior’s Vanilla Protein, Classic Blend
  • 1 tsp of Sunwarrior’s Ormus Supergreens
  • 1 tsp of coconut oil
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh apple juice (about 1 large apple)
  • 1 heaping Tbsp of chia seeds (added in last, blended just to stir)
Dinner + 16 oz water

I got a little too busy for dinner and ended up sipping on a kombucha, eating leftover raw kimchi and leftover chocolate from my raw almond butter cup pie. I know. What a fabulous dinner. They say, eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper…I’m pretty positive I have that down. I stuff my face in the morning, eat a decent lunch and barely have dinner. Yep, I got it :)

Day 2

Early morning

Warm lemon tea and water!

Juice + 16 ounces of water

This recipe is adapted from a Turmeric Juice recipe I found online. It’s sweet, rich, loaded with carotenes and anti-inflammatory properties and best of all? It tastes amazing!

Orange Turmeric Juice
Adapted from Q by Equinox

  • 1 orange
  • ½ lemon
  • 2 carrots
  • ½ apple (optional depending on sweetness of orange)
  • 1 1-inch knob of ginger
  • 4 2-inch knobs of fresh turmeric, peeled
    1. Juice and serve!
Breakfast + 16 oz water

I opted for a smoothie for breakfast, but little did I know that I would create one of the worse smoothie I have ever had. Yes. The worse. I used a recipe I had, added some protein powder and ½ a banana  for flavor and at first, it was fine. But when I finally got to drink it at work, it was gritty, stringy, chewy…ugh! 

Not sure if it was the orange I used or what but it was definitely not an easy sipper. Unfortunately it was all I brought so I had no choice but to down it. It did keep me full though! 

Lunch + 16 oz water

After breakfast I was looking forward to lunch. I made an amazing Maple Curry “CousCous” which I adapted from, you guessed it, Sunwarrior. I rawified the original recipe by subbing in a few ingredients and yumm, the yummiest raw curry bowl was created!

Maple Curry Cauli "CousCous"
Adapted from Sunwarrior
Serves 1

 
Bowl
  • 1 cup mixed greens or green leaf lettuce
  • 1 cup cauliflower rice (which is simply raw cauli processed in a food processor to resemble a course grain)
  • 4-6 dates, diced
  • Handful (about 2-3 Tbsp) of raw almonds or cashews
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 2-3 Tbsp of sliced green onions
  • 1 carrot, shredded
Dressing
  • 2 Tbsp of Manitoba hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp of green onions, white only
  • 1 Tbsp of maple syrup
  • ½ - 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
  • ½ Tbsp of curry powder
  • Pinch of raw mashed garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1-2 Tbsp of water (as needed to blend)
    1. In a small personal blender, blend the dressing ingredients until well blended and smooth. Add water as needed to reach desired thickness and consistency.
    2. In a small bowl, toss together the cauli rice, dates, almonds, celery and green onions.  Set aside.
    3. To assemble, line a bowl with a handful of mixed greens. Top the greens with the “couscous” mixture then top that with the shredded carrots.
    4. Serve with dressing and maybe even a sprinkle of cilantro.
After Lunch Treat


WHAT!? Yes I have an after lunch treat. It’s usually a small piece of chocolate or a small treat I whipped up at home like brownie balls or cookie dough balls, something just to end the meal on a good note. Today I finally got a chance to try one of the raw chocolate bars from a new, fairly local company called Santosha Chocolates.

Made in Asheville, NC, Santosha’s chocolates are completely raw, stone ground, for 48 hours to be exact, only slightly sweetened and unique in its own sense. This chocolate is definitely NOT for the faint at heart. Only for those who know how appreciate real chocolate in its purest form.

The texture of these chocolates are very similar to that of common stone ground chocolates minus the grittiness you may get with the added sugars. Santosha’s chocolates are a tad gritty at first, but quickly melt in your mouth, giving your tastebuds time to explore the properties of real cacao: a tiny bit astringent, slightly bitter, rich and somewhat robust. The bar I tried today also contained Goji Berries, Ginger and Ashwagandha Root giving the chocolate a fruity smoky taste as well.

The best part are the health benefits! The cacao alone is rich in antioxidants, but the goji berries are also full of antioxidants and trace minerals, the ginger promotes digestive wellness and the Ashwagandha Root to increaste the body’s resistance to stress, to regulate thyroid function and metabolism, balance hormone levels and improve immunity. Umm WIN!

I’ll be sharing more on these chocolates later but I highly recommend them checking Santosha out. Their chocolates are different from other raw chocolates I have tried. All you need is a small bite to satisfy your tastebuds. And for me, we all know that’s a first!

Dinner + 16 oz water

Tonight was a mixture of events and my appetite was non-existent. So instead of prepping a dinner I knew I wouldn’t even care for, I grabbed a Blueberry Kombucha from MTO and did my thing. 

To end, since it is the month of thankfulness, I want to just say that I am truly thankful to all of you, our fans, for your support. You guys seriously rawk and we look forward to many more fun blogging years with you!

Hello and Goodbye to Day 1 and Day 2.

Haha sounds like a Dr. Seuss book!

*Beth*