Fairygirl! You're my Heroine!

[Carmella]

OMG! Fairygirl!

You just gotta open that raw restaurant! I'm always blown away by the beautiful creations you come up with!

Maraw's Chewies look soooooo cute! What did you use to make them all so uniform?

Your "Nanaimo bars" got me drooling all over the keyboard! PLEASE try to remember what you used! If you really, REALLY can't, perhaps you could get someone to hypnotize you or something... :D

[Ama]

You are remembering.... remembering.... remembering the ingredients....

sleepy... getting sleepy

BUT

Before you sleep remeber the ingredients and write them down for us

[Linda1970]

Your "Nanaimo bars" got me drooling all over the keyboard! PLEASE try to remember what you used! If you really, REALLY can't, perhaps you could get someone to hypnotize you or something... :D

I too drooled over your nanaimo bars. You can't remember what you used at all? I really really really really want to make it. Oh, pretty please. :o

[wyjoz]

I too drooled over your nanaimo bars. You can't remember what you used at all? I really really really really want to make it. Oh, pretty please. :o

here is a link to SAD version of nanaimo bars; we could convert it to RAW? http://www.joyofbaking.com/NanaimoBars.html

Two recipes: Graham Crackers Pie Crust to start with:

http://rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14171&highlight=Graham+Crackers


http://rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5670&highlight=Graham+Crackers Joz

[Sharon in Colorado]

You are remembering.... remembering.... remembering the ingredients....

sleepy... getting sleepy

BUT

Before you sleep remeber the ingredients and write them down for us

ROFL!

...and when the bell rings you will instantaneously remember every specific ingredient and measurement down to the grain for those bars...

:D

[Sharon in Colorado]

here is a link to SAD version of nanaimo bars; we could convert it to RAW? http://www.joyofbaking.com/NanaimoBars.html Joz

I've never heard of those bars before. Must be a crazy Canuck thing! Looking at the ingredients just made me clog an artery!

[Carmella]

I've never heard of those bars before. Must be a crazy Canuck thing! Looking at the ingredients just made me clog an artery!

Yop! You got it! :p Nanaimo is a city (quite dreadful if you ask me!) on Vancouver island.

But I'm sure FG revamped it into something out of this world... :D

[fairygirl]

LOL, u guys are halarious.

OK...here is ROUGHLY what i did, so u cant get mad at me if they dont turn out, lol.

The base- dates, soaked almonds, soaked pecans, carob
Middle layer - dates, maple syrup*, soaked macadamia nuts
Topping- coconut butter, dates, carob, maple syrup*

yes u can use agave - i cant get it here, only maple syrup and raw honey

hope u enjoy, cuz seriously they are outta this world. :D

[Carmella]

fairygirl,

Thanks! I'll play around with these ingredients as soon as our big (read HUGE) stash of Xmas sweets starts to diminish! The only draw back about coming up with all those creative raw recipes is that it's just the two of us here and our 2 (small) freezers are already packed with goodies.

Oh well, just gotta be patient... LOL

[fairygirl]

haha carmella,

tell me about it!
i have so many raw goodies in the freezer and fridge its not even funny - esp since im the only one who eats it around here, execpt when i get friends/family to try my creations.

maybe i should drop over and help you "get rid" of your treats so u can make the nanaimo bars :D

let me know how they turn out when u do!

[Carmella]

FG,
At least I'm not the only one stuck in this precarious predicament! Sigh.... :p

Hey, are you telling me that your boyfriend doesn't like your raw treats? If so, I'd consider ditching him 'cause something just GOTTA be seeeeeeriously wrong with 'im! :D

[fairygirl]

lol, well he tries my raw treats but never sits down to eat a portion himself. he's a meat and potatoes kinda guy - the good thing is he's supportive of my raw diet.
who knows, maybe one day he will be a convert :D

[carolg]

Fairygirl,
At least you are a living example to boyfriend how great looking and delish raw foods/treats can be especially yours in his face. You have planted the seeds and he can choose now or later. Lucky him if he realizes that someday. I'm in love with them even if I don't try them right away. The visual pictures never leave my imagination from you all all here.
carolg

[Carmella]

fairygirl,
As carolg says, you're doing your part by planting the seed... Whether the soil is fertile is out of your hands. Wow! I really admire all of you guys who have to share your life with SAD eaters. It's hard for me to imagine how difficult that would be. You see, I've been blessed as Don has been working on his diet for about 25 years, having even eaten nothing but fruits for 7 months (which he says was when he felt the greatest in his entire life!). So we got into this raw thing together really...

He is usually in charge of the morning juice and afternoon smoothie and sometimes desserts while I'm the mastermind behind our late afternoon meal. He's always willing to give me a hand though... It's awesome to be able to get that sort of support. I wish you all can experience such harmony in your raw kitchens too!

[fairygirl]

carolg, ure right - u better believe ive introduced my bf to all kinds of "new" things :) at least he tastes it and does enjoy what he tries...one day he might actually sit down to a raw meal, lol.

carmella, i think its sooooo awesome that you and your hubby are raw together. honestly, i dream of that life! i have raw friends, but only 1 of them lives here...and my town is too small for raw food groups/potlucks.
Last year i put on a 7 course raw food dinner and 10 people came over for it. they LOVED it (all SAD eaters too!). People are asking me to do another one so i will next month.

[Carmella]

Last year i put on a 7 course raw food dinner and 10 people came over for it. they LOVED it (all SAD eaters too!). People are asking me to do another one so i will next month.

Wow! Way to go gal! Keep us posted on your menu ideas and how it turns out! I soooooo love sharing the food I prepare yet we're really quite isolated where we live. So I keep passing goodies across to my next door neighbor (and good friend!). I think she finds raw a little too intense for her though... LOL

Just today, the possibility of me getting a ride with her (actually, her name is Livina) to Calgary just came up. See, Don's sister (which I LOVE) lives there and she's been into raw on and off for a number of years but only recently decided to get back into it in a more serious way. So, if it all works out, I'd go visit and we could have our own little raw workshop!:D Yay!

Perhaps we could arrange to have a one-day little course or a potluck too! I'd sooooo love that! Fingers crossed. I'll give her a call and see if that would work for her too. I'd be leaving early next week so that's pretty short notice.

Oh well, let's see how things fall into place. If they do, I might need some help in deciding what I could make while I'm there...

[fairygirl]

Carmella,

ill definately keep you posted....and might need some ideas from you for the dinner party ;)

Cool!!! your trip sounds fun, i hope it works out for ya! is there any kind of raw scene in calgary?

and i was wondering, how long have u and don been raw?

[mongomango]

Wow! Way to go gal! Keep us posted on your menu ideas and how it turns out! I soooooo love sharing the food I prepare yet we're really quite isolated where we live. So I keep passing goodies across to my next door neighbor (and good friend!). I think she finds raw a little too intense for her though... LOL

Just today, the possibility of me getting a ride with her (actually, her name is Livina) to Calgary just came up. See, Don's sister (which I LOVE) lives there and she's been into raw on and off for a number of years but only recently decided to get back into it in a more serious way. So, if it all works out, I'd go visit and we could have our own little raw workshop!:D Yay!

Perhaps we could arrange to have a one-day little course or a potluck too! I'd sooooo love that! Fingers crossed. I'll give her a call and see if that would work for her too. I'd be leaving early next week so that's pretty short notice.

Oh well, let's see how things fall into place. If they do, I might need some help in deciding what I could make while I'm there...

Hi Carmella!

I've been reading your posts and I really must tell you that your avatar makes me smile. The two of you just look so contented and comfortable and happy in your own skin that it makes me happy too! :D

[carolg]

My husband refused to become vegan way back. I already posted today at another link his story. However, when he had a one time seizure way back he was ready to change. The freezer got a new look inside--all turkeys gone and replaced with veggies. I even was freezing fruits. It was a one timer, healed in 6 weeks, but his part was the desire to change and act. Meds only 10 days.

I did my best and he has been free ever since. He wasn't ready before he got sick was the bottom line. I took lots of cooking classes as raw was not known however I already ate lots of fresh. Sure hoping others don't have to wait for that to happen, but many don't have any reason before they get sick. I'm glad I didn't wait and still going strong as my sister has sleep problems over 25+ years, now osteoporosis, and not even a vegan yet. Her problems continue as she is alone, no kids, no one to help and far away.

Keep planting seeds. My son eats the SAD way and refuses to go back to the roots of what he saw at home. It is his choice and now he is a new dad too. Oh well. He refuses to change and for me the baby is going to continue being vaccinated. Yikes.

carolg

[Carmella]

fairygirl,
So I'm off to Calgary in a couple of days! Both Sandy and her daughter Jaimie have been interested in raw food for a few years although they still eat mostly SAD food. Doesn't matter, as carolg reminds us, the seed is what's important. It will mature in its own time! They can take all the time they need to include more and more raw in their diet. The key is that they are gradually moving in the general direction of health.

See, this may be hard to believe but Don and I have done our transition without using any form of control. In other words, we haven't tried to impose any ideal on how we should eat. It is our experience and firm belief that control is like using force of some kind or other. Therefore, it is bound to bring its opposite: excess and obsession. We think this is one of the main reasons any form of dieting can only work in the short term. Sooner or later, as we say in French "Nature comes galloping back".

How did we do it then? The easiest way to explain it would be to say that it is our intention to lead more fulfilling, healthier lives that has brought us where we are now. The improvement in our diets- which has been slow and gradual over the years-has only been a side effect. It's not to say that our diets have been "perfect" (if there's such a thing!) or that we haven't made "mistakes", but the OVERALL trend has been ever improving. We have to honour where we're at (and that includes those around us), trusting that each and everyone one of us is doing what we have the energy to do at any given time. It really helps from getting trapped into blame or guilt which aren't very constructive. Hum! It's difficult to put in just a few words such a profound thing... As usual, words are sooooo limited.

In my case, I've been vegetarian, mostly vegan, since 1995 which was the best thing I could ever do for my body as I've been plagued with digestive problems since childhood. However, I was still far from being healthy in every sense of the word. Let's just say I was somehow coping better but I was extremely devitalized and unhappy. Then, following a stream of synchronicities, I left Quebec and moved to BC in 2000. I didn't have a clue where exactly I'd be going or what I'd do. Would you believe me if I told you that I looked at an add for a room to rent in Victoria and went to check it out...only to be greeted by Don! Yop! That's how we met! LOL

Anyway, let's just say it's been an incredible 6 years since! I did a master cleanse almost immediately after moving in with him, then got into raw a few months later. We've had various phases, mostly fluctuating with the weather. While we were 100% raw on Vancouver island, we found it difficult to maintain in the winter when we came to the Kootenays in 2002. So we included some simple, alcaline cooked foods such a steamed veggies and quinoa during the winter months. We've also spent several summers eating only fruits. This is our first winter staying raw and we feel that our acquiring a dehydrator last fall was instrumental in that matter. We approach this as an experiment, with a light spirit, rather than the fixed ideal that we HAVE to stay raw. We're just going along with the flow and it's been incredible! We haven't had any craving for cooked foods, at least so far. It's as though the more complex, comforting, warm meals from the dehydrator have replaced the cooked stuff. As Don's favorite saying goes: "So far, so good!" LOL

Hey mongomango,
It always amazes me how so much can be transmitted through a simple picture! I'm SO happy that our essence gets across so clearly and accurately!

Blessings,

[maraw]

I'm going to try and make these using a friend's raw cheesecake recipe to get a sort of turtle cheesecake taste. I'll let you know what happens! And thanks for the beautiful inspiration and all the gratuitis drooling (wiping off the keyboard now...).

Thanks for sharing!

[luna99]

I'm definetely become a fairygirl fan... in fact, a lot of you make stuff that looks sooo yummy, I can't believe my eyes! :eek:

I'll have to start taking pics of the things I make, though they won't hold a candle to the treats and meals I've seen on this board.

p.s. I live with a sad eater and it's pretty difficult to have two eating styles in the house. :(

[fairygirl]

carmella, thanks for sharing your story...i appreciated hearing it...and i love your and don's approach to be kind and patient with yourselves and not force anything.

Ive been raw on and off for about 6 years now. i became vegan when i was 14, then started eating fish when i was 19 after recommendations from natropathic docs. It did make me feel better...temporarily, and there were times that i just didnt want it so id really try to listen to my body. Now for the past while ive been about 90% raw and feel so much better as a result.
And like you guys, i havent told myself that i have to be 100% raw forever. if i do eat something cooked, i do but get back into raw right away and feel good about it instead of harboring guilt.

maraw - ooh i cant wait to see what you create!!!!!!!!!

luna - i live with sad eaters too, and my boyfriend is one. there he is eating his meat and potatoes and im eating my lettuce wraps and sprouted nut cookies, lol. so i know how u feel and it can be hard sometimes when there are yummy foods around the house that i used to love so much.