Alissa and Annie - NOT Julie and Julia

[anniez]

Well, duh! I would have thought I’d be smart enough to realize that a “sauce” (as in Blueberry Sauce and Plum Sauce) would be thin. I can’t imagine how I thought it would be thick enough to use as a tart filling! Needless to say, they were thin. Really good (what’s not to be good about fruit and honey) but certainly not fillings. So I ate some of each over some sliced bananas and they were really good. (The Oriental Buffet that we used to go to always had bananas in some kind of sweet red sauce that I loved. That sauce was thicker than either of these, but they were good over the bananas nevertheless.

I had some Cannoli filling left and used that to fill the tarts. Quite successful. I will be using this wrapper recipe to make tart shells.

Another busy day and I have some blueberries left, so for today:

Recipe 181 Berry Soup Pg 358

I’m off to have fun! Hope you do the same…………

Annie

[ginadj]

Hey Annie! Well I haven't contributed anything yet as I really am not in a recipe mode right now at all, more of a basic put together whatever mode! BUT I did make the blueberry pie last week and I just wanted to state for anyone who might try this.....don't use frozen blueberries!!!!

I knew going in that it might not work..but I was really feeling like blueberry pie and had some in the freezer - so oh well! Another day I will try it with the fresh and I know it won't be sooooooo thin and watery!

[truthfairy]

Well, duh! I would have thought I’d be smart enough to realize that a “sauce” (as in Blueberry Sauce and Plum Sauce) would be thin. I can’t imagine how I thought it would be thick enough to use as a tart filling! Needless to say, they were thin. Really good (what’s not to be good about fruit and honey) but certainly not fillings. So I ate some of each over some sliced bananas and they were really good. ....

I’m off to have fun! Hope you do the same…………

Annie

You can thicken thin sauces with ground-up chia seed (or Irish moss, but that takes a bit more effort). Should make wonderful tarts!

Thank you again for sticking with this and for making it sound like so much fun!!! You really have me inspired to keep on the raw track and to be more adventurous with raw recipes. I never heard of many of the dishes you are making, even though I have been using Alissa's book for years. Yet there they are, right in the book! I've heard we often don't know when we are in a rut until we get to a place where we can see out. So my fun day tomorrow will involve California salad and then morning muffins!

[anniez]

Hey Annie! Well I haven't contributed anything yet as I really am not in a recipe mode right now at all, more of a basic put together whatever mode! BUT I did make the blueberry pie last week and I just wanted to state for anyone who might try this.....don't use frozen blueberries!!!!

I knew going in that it might not work..but I was really feeling like blueberry pie and had some in the freezer - so oh well! Another day I will try it with the fresh and I know it won't be sooooooo thin and watery!

Thanks for the heads up! And, do try it again, because it is truly yummy.

And thanks for checking in!

Annie

[anniez]

You can thicken thin sauces with ground-up chia seed (or Irish moss, but that takes a bit more effort). Should make wonderful tarts!

Thanks for the great idea! I love using chia!

Thank you again for sticking with this and for making it sound like so much fun!!! You really have me inspired to keep on the raw track and to be more adventurous with raw recipes. I never heard of many of the dishes you are making, even though I have been using Alissa's book for years. Yet there they are, right in the book! I've heard we often don't know when we are in a rut until we get to a place where we can see out. So my fun day tomorrow will involve California salad and then morning muffins!

I'm glad it's sounding like fun, because it is a LOT of fun! Let me know how you like them. Both are high on my favorites list.

Annie

[anniez]

The Berry Soup wasn’t as good as I thought it sounded. The “broth” was a little tart – I added more honey and then it was just “OK.” I only used blueberries so maybe it’sbetter with an assortment of berries. My problem with fruit recipes is that I just love fruit as is. Many recipes are, to me, gilding the lily, and my fruit lilies don’t need gilding! I don’t think I will make this again.

Another busy day having fun, so another easy recipe:

Recipe 182 Tomato, Onion, Avocado Sandwich Pg 439

This is another thing I love about Alissa’s book: there are easy, almost no-time-at-all recipes, and more complicated recipes and time-consuming recipes. All have their place in my raw food kitchen, and I imagine in yours as well.

Go out into the world and stay raw………….

Annie

[truthfairy]

Hi Annie,

When you made the morning muffins, did you use sprouted almonds and sunflower seeds or did you just use the seeds and nuts off the shelf? If you sprouted, did you dehydrate them to dry them out before grinding them? I worry that if the nuts and seeds are moist they won't make a good flour.

Had Alissa's California Salad today and it was fantastic!! Even though I didn't make a full recipe, there was an enormous amount, enough for three gigantic main-dish size servings that had to be served in mixing bowls, as no salad bowl would hold them. Good enough to lick the bowl, too (won't say if I really did that).

[anniez]

Hi Annie,

When you made the morning muffins, did you use sprouted almonds and sunflower seeds or did you just use the seeds and nuts off the shelf?

I just used them as is. Alissa says in the introduction to the recipes that if the recipe doesn't call for soaking, then don't do it.

If you sprouted, did you dehydrate them to dry them out before grinding them? I worry that if the nuts and seeds are moist they won't make a good flour.

You are right: if they are moist you can't grind them into flour. If you want to soak - and many people say you should - then I think you should dehydrate them for awhile to make sure they are good and dry.

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!

Had Alissa's California Salad today and it was fantastic!! Even though I didn't make a full recipe, there was an enormous amount, enough for three gigantic main-dish size servings that had to be served in mixing bowls, as no salad bowl would hold them. Good enough to lick the bowl, too (won't say if I really did that).

I'm glad to hear you liked it. I love it, and will be making it, or a variation of it, at least weekly! And I know what you mean about the size. I eat my salads in mixing bowls, too, since those dinky salad bowls don't work for the salad of a raw eater.

Annie

[anniez]

Well, another surprise. I had some Blueberry Sauce left and put it in the fridge. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I went to get it to put it over some bananas to find that it had solidified considerably. So, it might make a good tart filling. However, I didn’t have any tart shells left, so will have to try that another day.

Tomato, Onion, Avocado Sandwich I have said several times in this thread how much I like sliced tomato and avocado, so it’s no surprise that I liked this. I added the onion just because I wanted to follow the recipe, but I am not a raw onion lover and I didn’t have time to soak the onion in salt water to take out the bite. I will try it again with a soaked onion and if that doesn’t make it better, I will make these from now on without the onion. These would make good travel food: just pack everything separately and put together when ready to eat. I will especially use these when traveling internationally. I also think these would be good with any number of dips or thick dressing spread on the cracker.

The last of the busy days for awhile (I hope!), so another easy recipe:

Recipe 183 Charoses Pg 503

Have a blessed day!

Annie

[anniez]

Charoses I was not familiar with this dish, so I googled it and found out that as part of the Passover meal it is meant to represent the mortar used by the Jewish slaves in Egypt. At any rate, I love it! It is far more delicious than the sum of its components! If you have been following this thread you have probably figured out that I love gadgets. Anything to make it easier in the kitchen – I’m all for it! Anyway, my apple slicer is a gadget that I wouldn’t be without. One push and the apple is sliced and cored, and in this case ready for the food processor. I chopped the apple and put it in a bowl as the recipe says to do, but I didn’t rinse out the processor before continuing. I wasn’t sure if I had gone too far blending the honey and cinnamon into the almonds, because it was a very sticky mass. But when I added it to the apples and stirred for awhile, the sticky mass softened up and coated the apples. Yum! I can see lots of applications for this: a tart filling (I guess I’m fixated on tarts right now!), stuffed in romaine, bell peppers, celery, maybe even nori. I know many of you are far more creative than am I, so tell me how you use this yummy dish. I wasn’t sure it would keep overnight because of the raw apple, so I tried it, and it is fine. I really like the “cook once, eat twice” concept, but a lot of raw food recipes don’t keep well. I’m glad this one does. I will be making this probably monthly.

OK, after all the running around today is a “stay home” day. I love “stay home” days because I can be fully in control of the day. I started having “stay home” days after my first child was born (more than 40 years ago!) when I realized that we both loved those days almost more than the “run around” days. I have always (yes, even before raw) been comfortable with who I am and pretty content with my life. When my children were pre-schoolers our “stay home” days were the most fun. I hasten to add that we didn’t necessarily play all day. They would help in the kitchen, help clean, help fold laundry ( even a 1-year old can fold kitchen towels and dish cloths.) And they loved it! (I remember someone once told me that as soon as the children would really be a help they would lose interest! And I have to confess that I found some truth to that. But the fact remains that I cherish those memories of us “working together.) Gosh, sorry! Off the soap box!

So, since I will be home, today’s recipes are:

Recipe 184 Golden Carrot Flax Crackers Pg 345

Recipe 185 Key Lime Pie Pg 521
A
ctually, these don’t look to take a lot of time, so I may add another recipe.

Have a great day!

Annie

[appifanie]

Still doing awesome Annie! :)

[anniez]

Still doing awesome Annie! :)

Thanks. Glad you're here!

Annie

[anniez]

Golden Carrot Flax Crackers I tasted the batter before I dehydrated the crackers and I thought it needed some salt, so I added about ½ teaspoon of sea salt. I shredded the carrot in the food processor, but in retrospect I think I should have used the hand shredder to get a finer shred. They are still in the dehyd, but I broke off a piece and it is good!

Key Lime Pie This crust is really good – it’s a softer crust than the almond-date crust, because the macadamias are a creamier nut and also because of the banana. I’m not crazy about the filling, though. If I make it again I think I will peel the limes, because the filling is pretty tart. It’s somewhat offset by the sweet crust, but not quite enough for my taste. It’s a really pretty pie, though, with the limes and avocado carrying the color. I let it sit in the fridge overnight and even then it was pretty soft, so it doesn’t slice very well.

For today:

Recipe 186 Thai Coconut Soup Pg 363

Recipe 187 Chocolate Turtles Pg 486

Recipe 188 Pineapple Sundae Pg 520

I’m out the door for my walk!

Annie

[anniez]

Golden Flax Crackers I really like these. Next time I make them I think I will double all of the veggies and see what that does for the flavor. And, as I said earlier, I will shred the carrot by hand rather than in the food processor.

Chocolate Turtles Yummy! This is to be mixed in a bowl by hand. You best have some strong muscles! This is very sticky! Alissa says the mixture may spread, but mine did not. Here is what I see as a “cultural difference.” To me (having grown up in the Midwest) turtles were made with pecans. If you want any of these to make it to the dehydrated state, do not taste them during dehydrating. Consider yourself warned! These are taking a really long time to dry.

Thai Coconut Soup Well, this was interesting. I’m not sure I liked the cumin in it, though. Actually, I think I’d just rather drink the coconut water! I don’t think I’ll make this again.

Pineapple Sundae This was really good. The Apple Nut Cream is really good and is given elsewhere in the book, so I have included it below. Alissa says the Apple Nut Cream is good over fruit, and it will be! Although Alissa says she doesn’t use the pecans or strawberries, I did add them. The pecans were a nice touch.

Recipe 189 Apple Nut Cream Pg 326

And for today:

Recipe 190 Pineapple Boats

Have a great day!

Annie

[truthfairy]

Hi Annie,

The morning muffins turned out delicious, although mine looked a bit like failed kindergarten clay ashtrays. There were enough wheat berries left over to make a half recipe of the hamentaschen, which were also delicious.

I have made the turtles in the past and they were wonderfully good, although they never did firm up.

I had a thought about grating carrots for the flax crackers. Suppose you just put them through a juicer and recombined juice and pulp (or used a blank plate)? Would that be too fine a texture?

Truthfairy