Love to get your help- My preparation for my first ever 30 days raw...

[Tru]

Greetings. (Food discussion - your suggestions wanted)

So I've been preparing for the 30 days raw. Note: This is just for one person -- me, I don't want to overbuy and have food rot; I don't want to run to the store every three days either.

I've got my juicer, blender, dehydrator, chopper and smile.

I've got a bag of lemons, a huge bag of spinach (I might need to freeze some), bag of snap peas, romaine, apples, italian prunes (I think these = small plums), apple cider vinegar (braggs raw), garlic, sea salt, raw groats, some of the 70%cacao bar (need to check on this), some sort of a raw bar from the store, chia seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, carrots, cold-pressed virgin olive oil, hmmm... dark and golden flax seeds, I've dehydrated chips from scratch (raw corn off the cob recipe) truly raw almonds from Italy (about 2 cups) and raw walnuts (about 2 cups), ginger root.

Other regular things around here are regular produce (fruit and veg), english cucumber, zuchinni.

I plan to drink cold coffee from the "toddy" method. I have some store-bought almond milk -- this I don't think "can" truly be raw, your suggestions?

Alrighty:

My plan: To get recipes that I like (especially dinner) and preprint them and see that I have their ingredients on hand.

Breakfast: Juicer ("green lemonade") fruit when hungry throughout mornign
lunch: Salad & maybe fruit smoothie (some nuts in some form)
afternoon snack -- here's the time that takes me down guys -- 3-5pm I'm hungry like crazy... WHAT should I eat to tie me over? hhhhhelp
dinner: Need a yummy filling hearty salad. I wish I could find the raw version of panzanella salad - it is simply amazing. I'd need a bread substitute and a salami substitute (for the crisp salami ribbons that top it).

I just remembered I bought the buckwheat groats to soak (in place of oats) since these are raw "for sure" and hmmm... when should i eat these? Should this replace my popcorn fettish at bedtime?

What should I add to my grocery items?
I'm thinking some raw young coconut, can I use braggs liquid aminos in place of soy sauce?

I know some folks aren't into substitutions -- I understand that -- but I'd like a few anyway.

My main replacement need at the moment is the milk for my coffee.
And what about my favorite tea? I love Starbucks "Awake" tea. It's in a bag and i can brew it. So... If I cold brew it, does that still count as raw?

:)

Thanks for your help!!!
p.s. Please tell me your favorite raw dinner entree :)

[Tru]

p.s. What about cinnamon? Do I have to get raw cinnamon? How/where? Can't I just use my own cinnamon and nutmeg?

What if I freeze blackberries, can I use them still and call it raw? (i.e., does freezing something cancel out it's rawness? I'm also thinking of freezing a portion of my spinache - no blanching).

[AllergyGirl]

My favorite snacks for the 3-5 pm hungries would be veggies (celery, red/yellow/green pepper strips, cucumbers, etc) cut up and dipped in Alissa's spinach dip, OR red/yellow/orange pepper strips dipped in zucchini hummus.

My favorite raw dinner is zucchetti - take zucchini and either make it into angel hair "noodles" with a spiral slicer, or use a carrot peeler to make long, thin strips out of it, then toss in Alissa's marinara sauce. You can warm it slightly either in the dehydrator, or by putting it in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and setting the jar in a bowl of warm/hot tap water. If you use the first method, stir it occasionally, and if you use the second method, shake it occasionally to make sure it gets warmed evenly.

[Stella Green]

zuchetti: great name!

my favorite snacks: grapes (great popcorn replacement because you can just pop 'em in your mouth) and dates.

[truthfairy]

Dear Tru,

You are on the verge of an exciting journey. I once went totally raw for 6 weeks and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Here are some answers to your questions and reflections on my experience:

1. Packaged almond milk is not raw. The very best almond milk is made from almonds that you soak overnight and blend, then strain. If you don't have time for that, you can use this quick and easy way to make almond milk. It's not as good as the very best, but is much better than the cooked milk: Put a scoop of almond butter in your blender with some water. Blend for 5-10 seconds, then let it sit for another 30 seconds. Gently pour off the milk, leaving most of the gritty pieces behind. No soaking or straining, so very quick. You can also adjust the richness of the milk by adjusting the ratio of almond butter to water. I tend to like 1:3.

2. Most spices and herbs are raw. However, spices from overseas are usually pasteurized. My thinking is that the spices are such a small part of your diet that even if they have been pasteurized they won't hurt you.

3. You can use Braggs in place of soy sauce, but check the sodium content and adjust amounts.

4. For your grocery list, definitely include young coconut, as well as lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

5. My favorite raw dinner entree is a tie between rawvioli, strawberry crepes, zucchini alfredo, and enchiladas. All are in Alissa's book.

6. Good substitutes for croutons on salads are eggplant chips, made by dehydrating thinly sliced eggplant.

7. Yes, you can freeze any fruits and vegetables. There is some loss of structure (as in apples, for example), but food value is generally preserved. But do use fresh-frozen produce soon, as it doesn't keep for a long time.

8. Now for some tips. I managed to stay raw by always having available tasty treats that I like. So I highly approve of your plans to keep treats on hand. Initially I made lots of raw cookies and chips. Interestingly, as time went by, I needed them less and less, until I actually preferred carrots and cucumbers. But at first having the treats (like Lara bars and any treats you make yourself) does help a lot. My favorites included almonds or walnuts coated with maple syrup (which is not raw, however) and salt, then dehydrated until crisp, oatmeal cookies (made from the groats with apples, dates, raisins, and walnuts), bananas with almond butter, celery with pumpkin seed butter, kale chips, raw trail mix, olives, bananas, dates, and Alissa's fudge balls and almond butter balls. I also made smoothies that were more like shakes: Blend together a frozen banana, cup of blueberries, heaping spoonful of raw cacao or carob powder, heaping spoonful of tahini, a handful of spinach or chard leaves, water. Delicious, and can substitute for an entire meal. This time of year cherry tomatoes are wonderful, so they make terrific snacks.

Be sure to let us know how things are going for you as you set off on your wonderful new adventure!!!

[Shelly11]

I make a version of coconut milk I saw on Monday Night Live. This might be ok in your coffee. For thicker "coffee creamer" like consistency, you could play with the water amount.

2 cups shredded dehydrated coconut
5 cups water
3 dates, pitted
pinch of salt
vanilla to taste ( 1 or 2 tsp does it for me)

Blend in vita mix. This takes a while as coconut is high in fat. Maybe 3 minutes. U can usually tell when it's done when there are no more chunks of fat on the blender sides, it will be a little warmish. Strain thru nut milk bag.

I use this in cereal (cut up apple, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, banana and some granola). Also I make a mean version of starbucks iced mocha for those days when I just want a treat.

Iced Mocha
1 cup coconut milk (recipe above)
1/4 cold pressed coffee/espresso (1/2 cup coffee to 1 1/2 cups water. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain. Use high quality coffee. French press works awesome for this)
1 T cacao
1 T agave

Blend in vita mix. Again the cocount milk, (especially when refrigerated) will sometimes be a little fatty. Every batch is different. Blend untill you see the fat particles disappear from the sides of the blender. Pour over ice....YUMMM!
In winter let it blend till warm and you've got a warm treat.