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avocado

Raw Diet Day Five: Who Lives in A Cardboard Box Under The Sea?

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on July 16, 2010

SpongeBob SquarePants!!

…’cause I ate his house for dessert! :o

Sorry SpongeBob, it was delicious. :mrgreen:

The avocados I bought on Sunday are perfectly ripe all at the same time, so I’m eating them like it’s my job. I was thinking about making banana soft serve, but decided to kick it up a few notches after remembering how much I liked the avocado banana “mousse” I made a few months ago. So the blender got a little more crowded…

Along with a GoRaw banana nut bread raw food bar (120 cal) that really did taste like banana nut bread. The texture was like a crunchy Fruit Roll-Up or fruit leather, yet it almost tasted like it had grains in it even though it didn’t. I liked it a lot; one more yummy thing I’d buy even when I’m not doing a raw diet.

Strawberry Banana Avocado Pudding

  • 1 ripe avcado
  • 3 small frozen bananas
  • About a cup of fresh strawberries
  • 1 TBSP raw honey

Method: Add all the ingredients to your blender; blend until creamy and smooth, but do not over-blend or it will get too airy. I had to use the Vita-Mix plunger to move things around a couple times.

2 servings, serve immediately

I had about 1.5 servings in my bowl. It was sooooo yummy! And FILLING! I sprinkled some raw pumpkin seeds and raw cashews on top and enjoyed every last bite. <3

The day before, I started the process for making raw vegan meatballs. After I made the mixture, I took my food dehydrator out of the box for the first time ever and gave it a whirl. The end result? Huge success!

They even look like real meat :shock:

Raw Vegan Meatballs

  • 1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats
  • 2 oz raw Brazil nuts
  • 1 TBSP raisins* (Technically not considered raw if dehydrated above 118F degrees. Most commercials brands are dehydrated @ 200F degrees)
  • Dried Italian herbs: parsley, oregano, garlic powder, thyme to taste (I used about 2 TBSP combined)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Garlic salt or salt to taste

Method: Soak the oats and Brazil nuts in water overnight; the next day drain them well in a strainer, use cheesecloth or a paper towel to remove as much of the water as possible. Add all the ingredients to your food processor and mix until a dough forms. Roll 4 or 5 balls, then put in your dehydrator for about 4-5 hours; no higher than 118F degrees.

Unfortunately, I realized that mine doesn’t have an adjustable thermostat, nor does it say anywhere on the box or instruction manual what the default temperature setting is. So today, I looked it up online and found that it reaches different temperatures for each layer, but all of them were well above 118F degrees, the lowest tier being 190F degrees. :? Ooops! Although, the trays and balls didn’t feel hot when I touched them, not scolding anyway, just warm. They were definitely not thoroughly cooked, though. They tasted REALLY good! Especially because they were warmish when I ate them. :D They would have been even better if they had been cooked through, but alas, that’s not my plan this week. ;) The texture isn’t like meat, but they did rival a lot of vegetarian meatballs I have had. The flavor was nearly perfect, and they held together nicely. One day I’ll buy a food dehydrator with an adjustable thermostat and try these again below 118F. I’m actually excited that I took it out, I want to make salmon jerky next week! Doesn’t that sound good? It sounds amazing to me, lol.

I ended the meal with SpongeBob’s house, which I reluctantly shared with Dustin. Fresh pineapple is soooo goooooood! Love the texture! I could seriously eat the entire thing in one sitting.

Raw Diet Day 5 Menu

  • Piece of Jarlsberg Swiss cheese
  • Remaining olives from half-pint of olive bar
  • Bowl of banana strawberry avocado pudding with raw cashews + raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 banana nut bread GoRaw live food bar
  • 2 pieces organic nectars raw 70% cacao bar
  • 1 “raw” vegan meatball
  • Leafy greens salad with fresh baby spinach, romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Garlic Gold nuggets, pitted kalamata olives, black pepper, 2 slices Sargento provolone cheese, and 3 “raw” vegan meatballs
  • SpongeBob SquarePants’s house fresh pineapple
  • 1 anjou pear

My stomach is in knots today. I had some cottage cheese this morning, maybe that was the culprit? I don’t know. :( I’m not ready to eliminate dairy right at this moment, so I guess I’ll just suffer, lol. Honestly though, it seems like everything upsets it. There’s a specialist in NJ that I want to try to see, I’m going to try to make an appointment on Monday. Obviously there hasn’t been any improvements with diet alone, plus I’m on day 10 of Culturelle and that hasn’t helped yet, either. Ah well, I’ll get to the root one day soon. :)

I’m going to have a baked sweet potato with dinner tonight. SO looking forward to that!! :D I’m in the final stretch now… just over 24 hours to go, ok 28 hours, but who’s counting? ;) lol I might do another update later tonight so that I’m in sync with the end of the trial. We’ll see. All I can concentrate on right now is the smell of that sweet potato roasting… Mmmm! Heavenly. :)

Tagged as: 7 day raw diet, avocado, banana strawberry avocado pudding, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, Deni food dehydrator, food dehydrator, fresh pineapple, high raw diet, olives, organic nectars raw 70% cacao chocolate bar, raw, raw diet, raw vegan meatballs, salad, semi-raw diet, SpongeBob Squarepants's house

{ 7 comments }

Enjoying It While It Lasts

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on June 10, 2010

We’ve had some nice, cool days this week, but I know it’s not going to last. :( Booooo! So, I’m savoring it while it lasts. :) Gingerbread’s doctor called and said he’s doing much better today and he’s keeping his food down. Yay! She said that he’s getting intensive care, he’s even getting acupuncture! She said that it will help his liver heal faster. He’s on at least 10 different medications, supplements, and herbs. She’s pulling out all the stops for him, and we are forever grateful. He’s definitely in good hands. :D

I’m still trying to use up leftovers and an overstocked fridge, so I shared an omelet with Dustin for dinner last night.

I defrosted a Trader Joe’s ciabatta roll from the freezer. I bought these MONTHS ago, so they have to be eaten or thrown out pretty soon. I choose to eat ‘em. :D

I asked Dustin to make his English muffin while I tended to the omelet. This is what he made:

:shock: Peanut butter and Hershey’s chocolate bar melted in the microwave. He’s a freakin’ culinary genius! LOL :lol:

That avocado was very tiny, about the size of a small nectarine. The pit was almost the entire size of the inside, lol.

  • Omelet made with: 4 large cage free eggs (300 cal), olive oil cooking spray (15 cal), 2 slices tempeh fakin’ bacon (66 cal), 1oz Cracker Barrel shredded cheddar cheese (110 cal), 1 fresh jalapeno pepper (5 cal), and topped with 1 small avocado (~150 cal)

2 servings, 323 calories each (~575 cals including roll + grapes)

I also had a small dipping cup of red grapes with it. It was delicious, but eggs hardly ever keep me full very long. :? I was hungry less than 2 hours later. This is a perfect example of how protein + fat just don’t do it for me. Le sigh!

I planned to have this crock pot lentil/veggie stew for dinner last night, but it wasn’t done. :|

It ended up cooking all through the night, and still didn’t soften the split peas as much as I wanted. They were still semi-hard! The rest of it cooked perfectly, though. It was edible as it was, but the split peas + lentils were firmer than I like. We actually ended up liking it a lot after adding provolone cheese, I’m just going to have to cook the vegi mix before adding it to the crock pot next time. With the cheese in the middle, it was like lentil lasagna!!

Loving these TJ’s ciabatta rolls. They defrost so well.

  • In the crock pot: 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill vegi soup mix, 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth, 2 cups chicken broth, 2 cans no salt added diced tomatoes with juice, 3 medium zucchinis, 1 large white onion, 5 garlic cloves, Garlic Gold Italian seasoning, salt (I used AlsoSalt) and pepper to taste

Servings vary, I’d estimate at least 8-12 servings.

I suggest cooking the vegi soup mix ahead of time if you use it, if not you can substitute just lentils, split peas, or a combination. The vegi soup mix contains barley and alphabet pasta letters. I put 2 slices Sargento reduced fat provolone (100 cal) in between my scoops and topped it with a little grated parmesan cheese. If the split peas and lentils were a little softer, it would have been perfect, but it was still VERY good the way it was. Like I said, it was almost like lentil lasagna. YUMMM!

It’s almost midnight now, we have to go to sleep early. We’re going to visit Gingerbread tomorrow. Can’t wait to see him!! :D Thank you all for your well-wishes, I really appreciate your support!! And so does Gingerbread, even though he can’t read. hehe :mrgreen:

Nite nite

Tagged as: avocado, Bob's Red Mill vegi soup mix, Cholula hot sauce, Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese, eggs, lentil stew, lentils, Lightlife Fakin' Bacon, omelet, red grapes, Sargento reduced fat provolone cheese, split peas, Trader Joe's ciabatta rolls, veggie soup, zucchini

{ 17 comments }

My Inner Child

by Jenn (j3nn.net) on March 3, 2010

We watched the movie Julie & Julia for the first time last night. I loved it! Dustin’s been telling me that I would like it, so it finally arrived from Netflix after being in our queue for the longest time. Meryl Streep was absolutely brilliant! I could relate to Julie Powell a lot, but I was fascinated by Julia Child’s story. I had previously read a bit about her life, but to see it breifly portrayed on the silver screen gives you an even better sense of her passion. Her life in Paris was remarkable and something I, too would have enjoyed during that period of time and even in present day. She and her husband actually remind me of Dustin and me. I often think back to my favorite Julia Child quotes when I try to cut corners with “lighter” foods or eliminate foods that American society frowns upon:

“Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food do to the digestive system” “I, for one, would much rather swoon over a few thin slices of prime beefsteak, or one small serving of chocolate mousse, or a sliver of foie gras than indulge to the full on such nonentities as fat-free gelatin puddings.”

“The pleasures of the table ” that lovely old-fashioned phrase ” depict food as an art form, as a delightful part of civilized life. In spite of food fads, fitness programs, and health concerns, we must never lose sight of a beautifully conceived meal.”

From “The Way To Cook,” written by Julia Child and published in 1989.

I’ll probably never even be close to the chef that Julia was, but my inner Child pretends to be. ;) I have my own style and I like it a lot, but I truly appreciate all cooking techniques and recipes. Not much cooking went into my breakfast yesterday, but that’s ok, it was still awesome!

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  • 6oz Fage Total 0% plain yogurt (90 cal) topped with 4 large strawberries (25 cal), 14g slivered almonds (85 cal) and 1 tsp honey (20 cal)
  • 1 Kashi Heart to Heart multigrain waffle (90 cal) with 1 TBSP MaraNatha dark chocolate almond spread (90 cal)

Calories: 400

Deeeeeeeeelicious! I know strawberries are WAY out of season, but wherever these came from, they are in season and taste great. This kept me full for quite awhile, yum!

Dustin’s still sick, but feeling better, YAY! I went rummaging through the chest freezer to find something easy for him to eat. I found pot pies. Well, mine wasn’t exactly a pot pie, it was an Amy’s Light in Sodium Sheperd’s Pie (vegetarian)…

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Being it’s only 160 calories, I paired it with some peas & carrots and warmed up a white bean burger that I had previously frozen from the last time I made them.

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But first, I made a mess with the peas & carrots :lol:

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Easy as (sheperd’s) pie!

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Half a tablespoon REAL butter on my peas & carrots, Julia would approve. :D

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  • 1 white bean burger (~200 cal) warmed in the microwave for 1 min, then drizzled with 1/2 TBSP Heinz no salt added ketchup (10 cal) and 1 TBSP Mr. Spice salt free garlic steak sauce (10 cal)
  • 2/3 cup peas & carrots (50 cal) with 1/2 TBSP butter (50 cal)
  • Amy’s Light in Sodium (vegetarian) sheperd’s pie (160 cal)

Calories: ~480

Delightful, but quick comfort food. Amy’s sheperd’s pie wasn’t the most attractive thing to graze my plate, but it tasted really good! I was pleasantly surprised to see chickpeas inside of it–YUMMY! I really liked the ketchup and steak sauce on my bean burger. This reminded me of meatloaf with mashed potatoes, the light-in-calories-and-sodium veggie version. hehe :)

After the movie, Dustin was in Benadryl coma, but I was hungryyyyyyy! So I trotted down to the kitchen with a parade of kitty cats behind me to make something to eat. I haven’t had many cold, raw foods, like leafy greens, since I got sick, but now that I feel much better, salads sound SO good to me!! I know that I jumped the seasonal gun with the salad, but I couldn’t help it. :oops: I also found some past-their-prime shrimp in the freezer when I was down there earlier, but that didn’t stop me from using them anyway.

I planned on topping my salad with the gorgonzola crumbles that I picked up last week. Well, that’s when I discovered that they weren’t crumbles, it’s a gorgonzola spread :o !!

strawberry_shrimp_salad_1_m

I debated putting dobs of it atop my salad, but then decided to just spread it on the roll I was having on the side. Good choice, it was amazing!

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  • ~2 cups mixed leafy greens (10 cal) tossed in 1 tsp EVOO (40 cal) and 2 TBSP red wine vinegar (10 cal), then topped with: 3oz grilled shrimp (100 cal), 2 large strawberries (15 cal), 26g avocado (45 cal) and 1 tsp honey (20 cal) drizzled over the top
  • 1 Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain roll (170 cal) with 14g gorgonzola spread (45 cal)

Calories: 455, 240 calories just for the salad

Wow! Despite the shrimp not being the greatest, this salad was still INCREDIBLE! The bread with gorgonzola on the side complemented it perfectly. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, chewy, creamy–OMG, heavenly. :mrgreen: LOVE! I had to add up the calories 3 times to make sure it was accurate. LOL So low in calories for all of that deliciousness. Next time I make this I’m going to do grilled salmon. I can’t wait!

It’s so warm out today. I woke up and it was 73 in our bedroom even though the heat is only on 66. Spring is on its way, hooray!! I feel so energetic and bubbly today, I’m going to take a shower and make something to eat. Be back later!

Tagged as: almonds, Amy's Light in Sodium Sheperd's Pie, avocado, bean burger, butter, carrots, gorgonzola spread, Julia Child, Julie & Julia, Kashi waffle, MaraNatha dark chocolate almond spread, peas, salad, shrimp, strawberries, yogurt

{ 5 comments }

Smoussie

February 22, 2010

Hey guys! Sorry that I’ve been MIA for so long, I’ve been insanely busy since last week. I wanted to do a quick update to share this amazing smoussie with you. What’s a smoussie you ask? Well, it’s when you attempt to make a smoothie and it turns out thick, fluffy and creamy like mousse [...]

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