Some Questions - 2 Days In

[goobygirl]

Hi all,

I was on the board almost 2 years ago, and never did quite go raw. I first learned about raw 7 years ago when I met my (now) husband. He was shining with vitality and looked at least ten years younger.

He still eats a lot of raw, but I struggled because of the recipes, always needed more preparation that I had time or ability for.

This time I read a raw book that uses no dehydrating or soaking, and so it seems like it is a bit easier. I do have Alyssa's, but it's currently packed away since I just moved.

I have some food limitations due to a medical treatment I am on, no sunflower products, no pumpkin seed, no mushrooms. Almost everything else in the raw category is fine.

I have kept my days all raw until dinner when I make a vegan soup. I am currently drying some potato chips and kale chips in the dehydrator.

I have heard some talk through the grapevine of people doing raw wrong, and haven't really figured out what that means, although I'm not really worried.

I think I have been detoxing the last two days because I have had a headache for two days.

Here's the menu of food I've had, I'm wondering if I haven't had enough sugar, or whatever, or if it's just a detox. I have been vegetarian for 7 years with about a 25% raw diet.

Breakfasts - green smoothie in Vitamix (strained) - cilantro, romaine, lemon juice, apple, orange or a peach. One day put in some raw hemp seed oil.

Lunch - usually a salad or beet/parsnip chips with guacomole.

Dinner - slice of homemade sour dough bread, chickpea soup (has tahini, veggies, etc).

Snack - airpopped popcorn.

I still drink coffee every day and make fresh iced tea. I am going to assume at this point it is a detox. I have not felt hungry that much, but have been pretty focused on the food to make sure I have enough around to satisfy me.

I need very simple and easy recipes (thus the green smoothies) otherwise I just can't handle the pressure. Extensive sprouting, dehydrating, or spending time in the kitchen will undo my good progress, so if anyone has other ideas, please feel free to share. I am confident I can make raw condiments, some desserts, but am lost a bit in the entree area.

Also, if I can find recipes that don't rely on the same ingredients, I'd be happy. It seems a lot of recipes have (depending on what you read): jalepeno, garlic, onion, nama shoyu, olive oil, tahini. Love all of these, but I don't treasure having every dish taste the same, just my two cents.

Right now having some easy to prepare/achieve recipes is key because without them, I will go back to whatever is easier, which for me, is a higher cooked ratio. I realize there is skill and time involved, and I also realize my (self-imposed) limitations.

Thanks for reading!

[goobygirl]

Oh, I forgot to add, I also cannot have flax or flaxseed oil. Which blows, since the onion bread I learned to dehydrate was soooo good. So, I think I am going to experiment with sprouting some other grains to make my crackers/breads, like rye and wheat.

I have an automatic sprouter (it waters the sprouts automatically and drains automatically) so hopefully I can find a way to make crackers.

My potato chips I threw in today have been going 8 hours and still are not crisp enough (in an excalibur dehydrator) and the goddess kale chips have been going six hours and are starting to turn out nice. I had a few of the kale chips and I'm absolutely in love with them, they are YUMMY!

[StarFire]

gooby girl - there are alternatives to the flax... you can try (once you unpack it!) Alissa's rye bagels, or the pizza bread... or even the tortillas. You can try substituting ground psyllium in small quantities and see how that turns out. There are several recipes where I add ground psyllium - and it really works great.

Although you do have some limitations -- there is still SOOOO much that you CAN have! I'm excited for you -- there are some fantastic recipes for salads, or stir unfryed veggie wraps (that uses young coconut wraps - no flax anywhere in that recipe!)

Have you checked out the recipe section here? Some awesome recipes are shared there!

good luck to you - and it's great that you've come back to raw! oh... and btw - you are SOOO right -- Kale chips totally RAAAAWK http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/thyahoo.gif !

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/36_1_33.gif

[jacsam]

I'm the same way as you are....I have to keep it simple and if the recipes are to complicated, it doesn't matter how good they are, they just won't work for me. I usually have fruit in the morning with some nuts sprinkled on top of them, lunch is a green smootie and dinner is some type of salad. I also make cracker to have sandwiches with or to have with my salads. I also always have one or two desserts in the fridge. That's the way it works for me. Good Luck!!!

[goobygirl]

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I've looked in the raw recipes and will continue to try to keep it simple and tasty.

I'm also going to check out the blogging area to keep a journal. I think it helps if I can kinda chart my progress (without getting overly analytical about it, of course....)

Goobygirl

[homeschoolmom23]

Could ya'll tell me the dressing you use for salads?

[Zaphirah]

oh yeah-no crazy foods for me. I rarely even use my dehydrator, tho the whole phamily's going raw in a few days so I will probably make a few complicated recipes in the beginning. I have gone raw like 4 times or something. Each time I get it more simple and I enjoy it more.

[homeschoolmom23]

This will be my second time around.I think I will also go the simple route,maybe I will stick to it.LOL

[goobygirl]

Funny note, I made more kale chips today. I couldn't get organic, so I bought conventional. Did the recipe almost exactly the same, but didn't soak in salt water first, and used bragg's instead of soy sauce (didn't have nama either time). I kept looking at the kale and saying, hmm, this isn't curly or as dark as the organic I had. Oh well, it must be because it's conventional.

I tasted them as they were drying and thought, hmm, a little bitter, but maybe it's the conventional thing again.

Tonight I was complaining to hubby that they didn't taste as good, and that I didn't know whether to blame the process or the produce. He opened the dehydrator and looked at them and said, "Well, it could be that it's because you are dehydrating collard leaves, not kale!"

I laughed my butt off. I could have sworn I took a twist tie off the collard leaves that read kale....oops

PS The chips were "ok" but not something I'd do again (note to self...)