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View Full Version : What I Wish....



goobygirl
09-29-2008, 11:03 PM
This may be silly, or lazy, or whatever, but I have a wish.

Having read almost 15 raw books, many recently (including Alissa's, which is MIA since my move...) I am trying to come up with a weekly plan.

Here's the deal. I'm kitchen disabled. I mean, these things don't come easy to me, and I have to have a plan. I have never been much of a cook. While I and hubby are vegetarian, and eat fruits and veggies, we also like rice, tortillas, refried beans, stir fries, and indian food. These things are relatively quick to make with frozen veggies and canned food. We make a weekly pot of soup/stew and homemade bread.

What I wish is that I could find a book that was frugal like Mattye's and had a MONTHLY eating plan. With that plan I would love to have a cost estimate. I would love to have a weekly plan that allows one to prepare on Sunday the majority of things that can get one through the week. In my mind, based on posts by others, this would be a few dips, crackers/breads/tortillas, nut cheese, salad dressings, fruits and veggies, at least five entree meals, and one dessert.

I have read Ani's book that tells you how long something will keep in the fridge (typically 1-3 days). I glanced through Sunfood Nutrition at the bookstore that had some meal plans in the back (after several hundred pages of other stuff). These are good ideas.

I've read some very basic recipes, most are complex, nut or seed laden (which I am somewhat avoiding), and require several steps. I'm ok with the several steps if the resulting food could be used the next several days, even in new recipes. I'm also ok with devoting a few hours on the weekend to prepare.

I'm sure everyone new to raw has these issues, including how to stock a kitchen, how to use appliances, etc. But what I would really like to see is a recipe book that omits the things we can learn elsewhere and is more of a planner.

Now, I can hear people saying now, maybe I'm the one to do this. However, I don't think I am, at least at this point. I'm trying to go from 75% raw to 100%. I would love to be able to have one shopping list for a month and now how much I need (thus buying in bulk if possible, or knowing how much produce I will need for a week). I want to know how much it will cost. I want to be able to reuse my recipes, if possible.

While I'm gleaning different ideas (including things I've never heard of, such as freezing basil, I am really kitchen disabled) I would love a compilation.

This is what I wish for...

rawstrength
09-30-2008, 07:57 AM
I don't know of anything that is exactly like what you are describing. I do know that the book Raw Food Made Easy for One or Two People has a lot about planning in it, and has a lot about simplifying your life/eating. For example, one tip that this book has is to juice a big jar of lemon juice and chop up a big jar of parsley, so that you will have ready-made seasonings to use throughout the week. This book has no dehydrated recipes and relies on a combination of planning ahead to make complex meals and using a wealth of delicious meals that can be whipped up in about ten minutes. You might like it!
Also, I saw Jennifer Cornbleet (the author) speak at a potluck and she was one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen in real life. Seriously. She must be doing something right :) .

annavon
09-30-2008, 11:57 AM
Paul Nisons book "Raw Food, Formula for Health" has a 21 day meal plan. His recipes and meal plan are based on simple eating with lots of greens. He recommends 100% raw. Also, if you are not doing 100% raw (which I gather from your post), there is a book called "Hallelujah Simple Weekly Meals" by Marilyn Polk. This has a months worth of recipes and is basied on the Hallelujah diet which is an 85% raw diet. I am currently 100% raw and I still use a lot of the raw recipes out of that book. I found that doing 85% was a good transition for me. I hope you find your copy of Alissa's book soon, I couldn't live without mine!

I can empathise with you because even though I am fairly good in the kitchen, I am a bit disorganized and I like having a menu as a "road map".

goobygirl
09-30-2008, 04:19 PM
Great! I have been waiting on the book raw food made easy from the library. I will definitely check out the Pauls nison and Halleujah books. Thank you so much!!

jacsam
10-01-2008, 08:59 AM
Have you read the part in Alissa's book where she gives you a whole weeks menu, all the ingredients and a shopping list. There are 4 weeks worth, which would be the month you were talking about.

spicyfull
10-01-2008, 09:32 AM
I see your Wish has been granted. My Best to you.

goobygirl
10-01-2008, 09:59 PM
Yes, I have seen Alissa's book of recipes, but not since I moved.... It's somewhere...

Also, I do not like to use as many nuts, and can't use any sunflower, mushroom, pumpkin or flaxseed.

I would like an idea of cost, calories, and nutritional value. When I last tried Alissa's book (a few years ago), I didn't follow all the recipes because they had more nuts than I liked and I wasn't able to do the recipes due to the time involved.

Now I have more time, but have food limitations.... So, I'm just trying to put something together that would work for me.

Today I made a shaved asparagus salad that I found in Carol Alt's book, and it was pretty good! It reminded me of cole slaw.