Metamorphosis

I spent 2 days uncooking for Christmas. Didn't get much help eating these beautiful raw foods from my family, so after Christmas I had four raw friends came over to enjoy it with me. It was a really special time. Would be nice to do it up this big more often. :)

On the Menu:

Drinks and Appetizers

Mocktails - Cranberry Rooibos tea, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, lime, lemon, satsuma, and agave syrup; shaken, not stirred.

Almond rosemary crackers, Cheezits, and fresh veggies with Cashew sour cream with herbs

Empanadas - Pine nut crusts with a filling of blended coconut meat, cashews, Irish moss, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and oregano; topped with a slice of green olive stuffed with jalapeno

Dinner:

Alissa's Pesto Mushrooms

Calzones - Alissa's fillings and another variety filled with "da bomb" cheese sauce and marinated brocolli, shallots, and mushrooms

Green Salad with Lemon-Honey-Ginger Dressing

Tomato Avocado Salad (brought by a guest) very refreshing with all this dehydrated food

Desserts:

Cookies filled with an almond butter/caramel creme and dipped in chocolate

Candied pecans and walnuts (soaked and marinated in maple syrup, coconut crystals, vanilla and salt, then dehydratred until crispy)

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Pears with Cranberry Sauce and Ginger Cream



By the time we finished eating dinner there was no room in tummies for dessert. That is until we got a taste of the Pears. I'm going out to get more pears and another young coconut and make this recipe for New Year's Eve. If I can wait that long. ;)

I've saved this handwritten recipe for well over a year. I can't remember what website it came from. If you know it, please chime in and remind me where it came from. Too good not to pass on. Here is the recipe:

Pears with Cranberry Sauce and Ginger Cream

Put halved, peeled, cored pears in the dehydrator for 2-4 hours.

Cranberry Sauce: 1 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup agave, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 T. lemon juice,
1 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. nutmeg Blend all until smooth. Serve at room temp or chilled.

Ginger Cream: 1 cup young coconut meat, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup agave, 1 T. grated fresh ginger, 1/8 t. ground cloves, 2 t. vanilla extract Blend all until smooth. Chill 2 hours.

Pour Cranberry Sauce over warm pear half, top with a dollop of Ginger Cream. Opt: sprinkle with cinnamon, garnish with sprig of thyme.

Don't be afraid of spending time in the kitchen making a mess. It is so worth it! Especially when you have friends to share it with!