B7DRC February 2014 - Day 4: Quick, raw eats for when life happens.

We’re halfway through Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge and I’m feeling great so far sans the mild, sore throat. I can’t determine if it’s the dry air in our home, the cold weather (right after warm weather) or if I got a small bit of my daughter’s head cold. Either way, I’m working on, once again, healing it with warm tea and “flu shots”. I’ve noticed that for the past few challenges I have had to deal with a sore throat. I wonder if maybe it’s a detox symptom? Hmm… 

As you read through today’s eats you may notice that my menu seems abnormal. No juice. No smoothie. Two salads. I know. It’s weird for me too, but sometimes life just gets in the way of your plans and instead of stopping everything you’re doing to scream, cry and mope, just ride along. You never know what you may discover or learn! Life is, after all, a journey.

So here is Day 4’s eats.

Breakfast

I was in a rush this morning to get out of the house so all my planned juices and smoothies were out the door. Instead I grabbed a classic fave: banana with raw (cashew, almond and walnut) nut butter, raw honey, cacao nibs, and coconut. The perfect breakfast: carbs, protein, quick, easy and fulfilling.

Lunch

Once I finally got home I was getting quite hungry, but was once again, in a rush to make my food so I could get to work. I grabbed some greens, added some cukes, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, and sunflower seeds and whipped up a quick salad which I drizzled with some cold pressed grapeseed oil with garlic, lemon, salt and pepper for a quick dressing. Yumm!

Dinner

Another quick one! I made a quick massaged kale salad which I massaged with grapeseed oil, raw garlic, lemon and salt! I mixed in some shredded carrots and green onions for added goodness.

Dessert

I have been craving for something caramely and wanted my next treat to include raw caramel. Sounds yummy doesn’t it!? I saw a recipe for chocolate caramel cookies and was all prepped to make them…until I found these. Raw caramel chocolates. 

Yes they are just as amazing as they look and sound. What makes these different from any other raw chocolate is the texture of the chocolate itself. Instead of being that hard chocolate that cracks when you bite it and melts instantly the moment it hits your lips, this chocolate is fudgy and chewy. Whether or not Emily, the author of this recipe, intended for the chocolate to be chewy is beyond my knowing. I may have easily messed up the recipe somewhere along the way and created a whole new chocolate. Either way, I love it!! The results are a chewy tootsie-like chocolate with a creamy caramel center. The pecan adds a little nuttiness and crunch which complements the chocolate and caramel very well. The only issue I have is this: I. CAN’T. STOP. EATING. THEM. AAAH!

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cups with Pecans

By Emily from This Rawesome Vegan Life

Makes 12 Mini Cups

 

 Prepare mini-muffin cups by lining them mini cupcake liners.

Melted Chocolate

• 1/3 cup coconut oil or cacao butter, melted (I used a mix of both)
• ½ cup coconut nectar or date paste (I used raw honey and maple syrup)
• ¾ cup cacao powder

1. In a double boiler, melt coconut oil and/or cacao butter.
2. Remove from the double boiler and add sweetener; mix til well combined.
3. Sift in the cacao powder and mix well.
4. Add 1 ½ heaping tsp to the bottom of the liners and push some of the chocolate halfway up the liners in order to coat.
5. Set in the freezer to set.

Salted Date Caramel

• ¼ cup dates
• 2 Tbsp of melted coconut oil
• ¼ - ½ cup of warm water
• Pinch of sea salt

1. In a small blender, blend the ingredients together until a thick creamy caramel has been created. I only used ¼ cup of water for a thick caramel but use as much as you need to achieve the consistency you want.
2. Remove the pan out of the freezer.
3. Add about 1 tbsp of caramel. Smooth out with your finger.
4. Top the caramel with another heaping teaspoon or so of chocolate to cover the caramel.
5. Place back in the freezer to set. 
6. Keep in the freezer until ready to devour!

Day 4 done. Of course, as you may have realized, it’s day 5 because last night I crashed before I even had a chance to write my post for the day. Lesson learned: I need my fruit for lasting energy!

*Beth*

CHALLENGER'S RECIPES

Massaged Kale Salad

By Kristin Lassonde

•  Chopped Kale
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tomatoes
• Onions

1. Massage kale with apple cider vinegar til soft and wilted. 
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix til combined.
3. Enjoy!

 
Green Juice

By Lucia Morrison

 

 

• 3 large handfuls of kale
• 3 large handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 inch cut cored pineapple
• 8 raspberries
• 1 clementine
• 28 blueberries

Banana Nut Butter

By Nick Lassonde

 

 

1.  Blend 1 tsp nut butter per 1 medium banana
2. Mix in cinnamon, cocoa, carob or stevia depending on flavor preference. 

OTHERS

• http://www.choosingraw.com/chocolate-avocado-sauce-and-chocolate-avocado-breakfast-salad/

 

B7DRC February 2014 - Day 2: Bring on the Rawcho Cheese + a frosty Macaccino that will knock your socks off!

Day 2 is here and kickin’…and so is this weather! The forecasted flurries have turned into this heavy snowfall which is quite beautiful view, but is also a sad indicator that my dreams of sugar snap peas and juicy berries is still very, very far away from becoming a reality. Oh spring where art thou? *Silence* *Sigh* Oh well. Ralph Waldo Emerson quoted, “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience”…and so I shall.

Now that I’m more at peace with Mother Nature, who’s ready to see what goodies I made using the best food ONLY Mother Nature can offer!?

Upon Wakening

This morning I had a warm, raw apple cider vinegar tea with a drizzle of raw lemon. Apple Cider Vinegar has an array of health benefits. It aids in weight loss, helps the body maintain a healthy alkaline pH level, it aids in detox, and much much more! I can really tell how much my body LOVES this tea when I drink it right when I wake up and right before I go to bed. I always feel so amazing afterwards!

2 tsps or 2 capfuls to 1 8 ounce cup of warm water with as much honey as you need to lightly sweeten is all you need!

“Juice”

I am officially ADDICTED to this frosty, Macaccino recipe courtesy of The Grounded Nutrition. It’s sweet, chocolaty, earthy and super frosty! To boot it’s loaded with minerals, antioxidants and natural energy boosters! It’s soooooo good and one of my fave drinks to have in the morning time! I usually have 2 or 3 of these a week. I like adding Garden of Life’s Marley Coffee or Yerba Mate raw protein powders in the mix for a little flavor and protein boost. This drink is a must try! If you get addicted though, don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Macaccino

Adapted from The Grounded Nutrition
Makes 16 ounces 

• ¼ heaping cup of dates, soaked overnight
• 1-2 Tbsp of cacao powder (based on flavor preference)
• 1-3 tsp of maca powder (based on flavor preference)
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup nut or seed mylk
• 1 cup ice

1. In a high speed blender, add the dates, cacao, maca, water and nut milk and blend on high til smooth.
2. Add in the ice and blend on high until the ice has broken down and you have a nice frosty drink.
3. Pour and serve immediately!

Hmm this baby needs a raw, coconut whipped topping….

Smoothie

Today I decided I would try a smoothie that was low in sugar in order to control my love for all things sweet…while it was okay, it was definitely clear that I have a major sweet tooth problem! I love sweet, juicy fruit and can eat/drink a lot of it if my heart (and pockets) so desired! While it’s actually not a bad thing that I love my sugar in the form of raw fruits and treats, it’s good every now and then to break the habit and give my body a new challenge. So cheers to low sugar smoothies!

Strawberry Creamsicle

By Young and Raw

Makes 16 ounces

• 1-2 stalks of celery (mine was really strong in flavor so I used one)
• ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 juicy orange, peeled
• 1 cup strawberries, frozen
• 1 cup nut mylk
• 1 Tbsp chia or hemp seeds

1. Blend and enjoy!

Lunch

I don’t know why, but yesterday evening I had MAJOR “cheese” sauce cravings. Major. I recalled Brad’s Raw Made Easy had a recipe for Raw Nacho Cheese aka Rawcho and decided heck, it would be perfect as a taco salad dressing! Boy was I right! It was the perfect compliment to my veggie loaded salad! I even added a little dill in there for fun.

What I love about Brad’s Rawcho cheese is that it uses the yumminess of raw fermented miso in place of nutritional yeast to give it that savory, cheese-like flavor. I was actually quite surprised by how much the flavor resembled that of nacho cheese! Great recipe Brad!

Taco Salad with Rawcho Cheese

Salad by Beth Mickens
Rawcho by Brad from Brad’s Raw Made Easy (Need to buy the book to get the recipe ;))

For the Salad:

• 2-3 cups of leafy greens such as red leaf lettuce or romaine
• 12-15 grape tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced and diced
• 3 Tbsp to ¼ cup corn
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp diced red bell pepper

1. Arrange leafy greens on a plate. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients and toss well to combine.
3. Pour over leafy greens.
4. Drizzle with rawcho sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro, if you desire, before serving.

Enjoy!

Dessert

I was all ready to make these delicious raw, chocolate caramel cookies until I realized…they need to be dehydrated (BOO!) which I can’t do until Thursday and Friday when I’m home. So in the meantime as I wait PATIENTLY, I decided to whip up these yummy German Chocolate Brownie Balls by Chocolate Covered Katie.

These sweet balls of yumminess are nutty, chocolaty, chewy with that brownie like texture we sometime crave when eating 100% raw. The little twist is the delicious coconut inside that gives it that German Chocolate Cake feel. Simple, easy to make and of course, satisfying and delicious! Thankfully I can make those cookies in one more day because these babies aren’t gonna last long!

German Chocolate Brownie Balls

By Chocolate Covered Katie
Makes 9-12 balls 

• ¾ cup dates
• ½ cup pecans
• 2-3 Tbsp of cacao powder (I used 3)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp shredded coconut
• Pinch of salt

1. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are broken down and well combined.
2. Pour into a bowl and squish the brownie crumble together with your hands until a dough forms.
3. Using a Tbsp measure, measure and roll into 1 Tbsp balls until all the dough has been used.
4. Eat whatever crumbs are left!
5. Refrigerate til ready to eat!

Dinner/Late Night Snack

Nibbled on a large juicy apple as a light late night snack! Love apples!

Day 2 is done and the snow, gone! Seriously the snow accumulated then melted in less than 8 hours. Patience pays :)

See ya tomorrow!

*Beth* 

CHALLENGERS RECIPES

Energy Balls

By Ang Roberts

•  1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter 
• 1/2 cup flaxseed
• 1/2 cup honey or preferred liquid sweetner
• 1 tsp vanilla

1.  Process in a food processor till well combined.

Curried Chickpea Salad

By Ang Roberts

• Chickpeas, soaked and/or sprouted
• Red Onion
• Red Pepper
• Raisins
• Curry Powder
• Olive Oil
• Maple Syrup
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Lime
• Sea Salt

 Afternoon Pick Me Up Juice

By Lucia Morrison 

• 1 Granny Smith Apple
• 1 Clementine
• 6 Strawberries

Curry Avocado Soup

By Nick Lassonde

• 2 avocados
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 turmeric root
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp curry leaf powder
• 2 cups of water

1. Blend in a high speed blender.
2. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.  

Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

By Kristin Lassonde

•  2 apples
• 1 banana
• 6 dates
• 1/2 cup almond pulp
• stevia to taste
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 cup RAW rolled oats

1. Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender.
2. Fold in another 1 cup of RAW rolled oats and 1 cup of raisins.
3. Spread mixture thinly on dehydrator sheet and score in desired shape.
4. Dehydrate for several hours at 115 degrees until gooey then flip and dehydrate a bit longer til desired texture is achieved.
5. DEVOUR!

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - Mmm Blueberry "Muffin" Chia Pudding!

It’s Day 4 and we have officially hit the half way mark! It’s amazing how fast 7 days can go by…especially when you’re having a blast in the kitchen! Brad’s raw challenge, or any challenge for that matter, doesn’t have to be hard. As long as you have the right tools, you will be successful!  The right tools include a stocked fridge, recipes, and most importantly, a wonderful supportive community which we definitely have. It’s very hard to “fail” when you have so many amazing people cheering you on. So if you ever decided to take on Brad’s raw challenge or any other challenge, know that we are here to provide support, recipes and to cheer you on to success!

Wanna see how easy it is to eat 100% raw? Here’s day 4!!

Early Morning:

I woke up his morning with a super dry, sore throat. Nothing sounded better than a warm lemon tea with raw honey. It was soothing and just what I needed.

Breakfast:

I decided to change up the diet routine, skip the juice and go straight for the smoothie. Today’s smoothie was of course, another rich creamy dessert smoothie by Simple Green Smoothies. This one is full of Vitamin C (just what I need to fight this icky sore throat) and iron. The smoothie? The Orange Dreamsicle. Yes another dreamsicle! This smoothie was delectable! You must try it!

Orange Dreamsicle

By Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 ounces

• 1 cup spinach
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup water or coconut water
• 1 juice orange, peeled
• 1 large banana, frozen
• ½ tsp vanilla

1. Blend and enjoy!

Lunch:

Last weekend I had tried the chickpea “tuna” salad from one of my favorite places to dine and was quite disappointed by the lack of flavor it had. The texture was great but it was missing something. I was quite disappointed and it was unsatisfying. So my craving for a chicken/tuna salad continued. That was at least until I made Brad’s Deli Salad from his new book, Brad’s Raw Made Easy.

Before I go on I just want to say I know I sound like a "walking" advertisement for Brad’s, but I do not promote products or anything for that matter, unless I truly love it. Seriously. And no I am not getting paid in kale chips for my opinion. :) Moving on…

Brad’s deli salad was everything the restaurant’s tuna salad was not: meaty, creamy, crunchy and bursting with flavors. The salad contains nuts, seeds, celery, onions, apples and dill mixed with Brad’s recipe for a tangy mayo dressing. I placed it on top of a salad of red lettuce, apple slices, tomatoes, leftover radish and sliced scallions. The deli salad was so creamy and flavorful, I didn’t even need a dressing!  I did make a few changes to the recipe, adding more veggies to balance out the large amount of nuts and seeds and adding extra sweetener to balance out the tartness of the mayo. If you’re looking for a raw version of chicken/tuna salad, this is a great recipe to try. 

Late Snack/Dinner:

Co-challenger Ang has been posting some droolworthy pics of her chia puddings. I finally caved and decided to make one of my own! With the large box of blueberries in my fridge, I decided a blueberry pie/muffin pudding was the perfect way to re-introduce myself to chia pudding. It’s been a long while...

After three attempts, I finally got the recipe right. The results? A creamy, sweet vanilla pudding topped with juicy blueberries and nutty coconut. A pinch of cinnamon and mmm you have a guilt-free treat ready to be happily consumed. 

Blueberry “Muffin” Chia Pudding

By Beth Mickens

1 small serving

• 2 to 2.5 Tbsp of chia seeds
• 6 ounces of almond milk
• ¼ tsp of vanilla
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 1 Tbsp raw unsweetened shredded coconut
• Raw honey or maple syrup to taste

1. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and almond milk together. Allow to sit for a couple of hours to overnight. I like overnight best.
2. Prior to eating, mix in the vanilla and enough sweetener to taste into the chia pudding.
3. Top with blueberries and coconut.
4. Chopped almonds would be a great addition to!

Enjoy!

For the rest of the evening I nibbled on raw almond butter and raw coconut chips while watching an episode of Jason Wrobel’s How to Live to 100 TV show featuring coconuts!!

 See now wasn’t that easy!?

What would you eat on an all raw day?

*Beth*

Participant Recipes

Spanish Breakfast Scramble

By Ang Roberts

Adapted from Ani Phyo

• 1 cup dry almonds 
• 1/2 cup dry sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1 Tbsp scallions
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves
• Salt and pepper

For an instruction video, click on "Ani Phyo".

Brad's 7 Day Raw Challenge: January 2014 - "I'm bringing summer back"...with this refreshingly bright blueberry corn salad!

Welcome to Day 1 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge for the NEW YEAR!! Exciting! If you’re looking to change your eating habits and develop a healthier lifestyle filled with raw foods, juices and smoothies, then this challenge is for you! Seven (7) days, 100% raw, no excuses! So who’s ready? 

For the next couple challenges I am going to be using recipes from Brad’s NEW book, Raw Made Easy. This book is GREAT for those new to raw foods and looking to incorporate more raw foods into their diet. It’s not about restrictions, but about making small changes that will lead to better choices and even better eating habits. Want to know more? Read my pre-review here. It’s a great book that I highly recommend for those who are a bit rawcurious ;)

FOLLOW: If you're interested in participating or just want to follow along, you can find updates, recipes and more on Brad's Challenge page here: https://www.facebook.com/Brads7DayRawChallenge

Also, follow hashtag #Brads7DayRawChallenge on instagram, FB and Twitter!

What I ate: Day 1

Early Morning:

Mmmm hello to a mug of warm green tea with lemon and raw honey. I needed a serious wake up boost this morning. Sleep and I are currently trying to find our balance again. We’ve been quite off and it’s making me tired and a bit grumpy....

16 ounces of H2O

Juice:

I started my morning off with a yummy green juice. I’ve fallen head over heels for juices lately. I find them to be energizing and easy on my digestion.  Green ones, all fruit ones, citrusy ones…I love’ em all!

One of my favorites is Brad’s Green Lemonade straight from his new book, Raw Made Easy. Kale, apples, celery, cukes, lemon and ginger all juiced into a frothy green thirst quencher. It’s tart, sweet, spicy and a bit salty. It’s also refreshing and cooling…although not exactly what I needed on this brisk cold morning. Brr. Still delicious!

16 ounces of H2O

Breakfast:

Simple Green Smoothies is at it again with their 30 day challenges!! This week is all about guilt free dessert smoothies and mmm is my sweet tooth singing!!

Today’s smoothie is the Coconut Dream. I ditched the greens for multiple reasons. A) because finding greens (even grass!) right now is a bit difficult B) spinach is a nutrient inhibitor so I use it sparingly and c) I really wanted it to be a different color :)

This smoothie was AMAZING! I literally did not breath the entire minute that it took me to drink it! Next time I’ll add the greens so I feel a bit less guilty :)

Coconut Dream Smoothie

By Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 ounces

• 1 cup fresh kale or preferred greens
• 1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade almond milk)
• ½ cup mango
• ½ cup pineapple
• ½ banana
•  1 Tbsp of coconut flakes
• 1 Tbsp of flax seeds (I added at the end for a boost!)

16 ounces of H2O

Lunch:

For me, winter has been here LONG enough! The last few days...and now tomorrow...has literally had me on the floor a few times screaming and kicking wishing for the freezing temps, multiple inches of snow and worse, the lack of produce variety to just go away!! I just want my summer back :(

Well, while I can't make mother nature change her ways, what I can do is make summer happen in my kicthen. Finding the fruits and veggies has been, of course, very difficult but thankfully, the last few weeks I have been blessed with one of my summer faves: blueberries!! 

My local store recently started selling bulk organic blueberries for a pretty good price so my daughter and I have been buying them every week and using them in every way possible. Actually, I barely can get a chance to make a recipe with them before they disappear. So today I decided I better make one of my favorite summer salads before they disappear. 

One of the greatest combos I have ever discovered is the combination of blueberries and corn – blueberry corn muffins, blueberry corn pancakes, blueberry corn salsa, and this blueberry corn salad. The light refreshing flavors will brighten your day and bring summer back into your kitchen..at least for a moment. But what makes this salad really burst are the spicy jalapenos and the sweet tangy cumin lime dressing. It’s absolutely amazing.

Blueberry Corn Salad

Adapted from BHG

Makes 1 large salad

• 3-4 cups of mixed greens, leaf lettuce, or favorite leafy green
• 2-4 Tbsp of sliced or diced red onions
• ½ small cucumber, peeled if not organic, quartered and sliced
• ¼ cup fresh corn (or frozen from the summer crops)
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries
• ¼ - ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
• ¼ avocado, sliced
• 1-2 tbsp of sprouted pepitas
• Small handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp of raw honey or preferred liquid sweetener
• ½ large lime, juiced (1-1 ½ tbsp)
• ¼ tsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of raw hemp oil (optional)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, cumin, oil, if using, and a pinch of salt.
2. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or on a plate, layer the leafy greens, red onions, corn, cucumber, blueberries, and jalapeno. Top with avocado slices, a sprinkle of pepitas and a sprinkle of cilantro.
4. Serve with dressing.

Enjoy!

Dinner: 

No dinner. I’m super tired and well exhaustion leads to mindless nibbling and that’s what I did. Kale chips, dates and almond butter, leftover veggies...thank goodness it was all raw goods but still, I seriously need to get some rest!

Desserts:

Last night I whipped up a batch of desserts for the week so I wouldn’t have to make them throughout the week. Only problem is, I have to learn to have this thing called self-control or willpower. So far, I’m doing ok. Sort of.  I made two favorites: raw fudge and raw macaroons. Chocolate and vanilla :)

The CHOCOLATE.

I’ve been on a raw fudge kick the last couple of weeks. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, adding something new each time, and of course, every single time I ate the entire batch within a few days. They’re that good! Sweet, creamy  chocolate – it’s every chocolate lovers dream! 

Raw (Maca) Fudge

Adapted from Practical Paleo

Makes 9 mini cups

• ¼ cup of creamy, raw almond butter
• ¼ cup of coconut oil (see NOTE below)
• ¼ cup cacao powder or replace 1 tbsp with maca powder for a maca chocolate!
• 2-3 Tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• Pinch of salt…or more for a salted chocolate (yumm!)
• Superfood toppers (optional): goji berries, cacao nibs, etc

NOTE: Measuring the amount of coconut oil in solid form will yield a bit more oil melted and result in a firmer, candy like chocolate. Measuring the amount melted will result in a softer fudge like chocolate. You want a 1:1 ration between the coconut oil and almond butter, but you’ll always get more of one than the other, so remember more coconut oil means harder chocolate, more almond butter means fudgier chocolate. I love em both :)

1. In  a double boiler, melt the coconut oil.
2. Remove from the double boiler and add the almond butter, honey and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
3. Add the cacao powder (and/or maca) and whisk til well incorporated. You should have a smooth, slightly thick chocolate sauce.
4. Line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.
5. Pour in enough sauce to fill each liner.
6. Top with superfoods if desired before freezing for 2-3 hours or until the chocolate has set and hardened.
7. Remove from pan and store in a freezer friendly container.
8. Keep in the freezer until ready to devour.

These are dangerous so eat with caution!

My “vanilla” treat are these flippin’ amazing raw coconut macaroons by Gena Hemshaw from Choosing Raw. She developed this recipe specifically for 22 Days, 22 Day Vegan Challenge back in December and I have no doubts every challenger made sure to keep this recipe to make over and over and over again. They are super simple to make! Blend, form, freeze, eat. That’s it! 

Raw Vanilla Macaroons

By Gena Hemshaw from Choosing Raw

Makes 9

• ¼ cup raw almonds
• ½ heaping cup of shredded or flaked coconut, unsweetened and raw
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil, soft but solid
• 1 ½ Tbsp of raw honey or maple syrup
• ½ tsp of vanilla
• Pinch of salt

1. Add almonds to the food processor and process till they’re finely groun
2. Add remaining ingredients and process again till everything is well combined.
3. Working quickly roll the coconut mixture into small 1” balls (I love using a Tbsp measure for this!) Place on parchment lined platter.
4. Transfer platter to the fridge and refrigerate for a few hours until the macaroons are solid.
5. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat!

TWIST: Add cacao nibs for a fun, cookie dough twist!

Whew! There we have it! Day 1 done!

Oh! As a new feature, I’m also going to be adding the recipes from other challengers on my page! This is so I can keep a list of all the amazing recipes to refer back to and so you can have a list as well! 

Cocoa Goji Energy Bars

By Ang Roberts

• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• ¼ cup raw goji berries, ground
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp almond flour
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp of raw honey or agave
• 2 Tbsp spirulina
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients together in food processor.
2. Roll into balls or press into small banking dish and cut into squares after freezing.
3. Freeze for 15-20 minutes.

Tomato Snacks

By Lucia Morrison

• 1 medium zucchini
• ½ avocado
• ¼ lemon juiced
• ½ cup baby spinach
• 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
• ½ tbps EVOO
• Sea salt
• 1 heirloom tomato, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves to garnish

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place a scoop on top of a slice of tomato, garnish with basil and serve

What's the one reason you WANT to include raw foods into your diet? What's the one reason STOPPING you?

*Beth*