Are you looking for a high fibre cookie that is also very delicious? One that is a little softer than the dog-biscuit-like quality of some of the commercial high fibre cookies?  Do you like banana bread?  Then you will love these cookies! Alert: This is a real kitchen-equipped raw foodie recipe (i.e., juicer, VitaMix, dehydrator) but you can improvise if you don't have all the tools yet. Ingredients: 2 cups raw organic carrot juice pulp (drink the juice or make a raw soup with it) 8 tbsp ground chia (grind in a coffee bean grinder or in VitaMix before adding in to recipe) 3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts 3/4 cup Thompson raisins 5 organic bananas Optional ingredients: 1/2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt Sweetener of Choice (I used 1 T. raw honey)  Pinch of nutmeg? Mix together the carrot juice pulp and bananas in the VitaMix. Add in the ground chia, salt, and nutmeg (or other spices/seasonings of choice) and tamp and let the VitaMix run until the seeds are completely mixed in. Transfer the mixture to a bowl with the walnuts and raisins and mix them in thoroughly by hand.  Drop by spoonfuls onto paper on dryer trays. Dehydrate for 3-5 hours at 105 degrees F. and flip over for an hour or so to dry on the other side.  For major yumminess, top with 'Cream Cheez' (see below). Cream Cheez Flesh of three avocadoes, punky but not spoiled 9 medjool dates, pitted juice of 1 or 2 lemons 1/2 tsp. of Celtic Sea Salt Blend in the VitaMix.

To increase the font size of this post, simply press the Control key at the same time as the += key (at the top on the numbers row) until you have the size that is most helpful to you.  Start by clicking your cursor directly on the screen This recipe has strawberries incorporated right into the cheezcake... yum!  It was originally (I think) posted on the Post Punk Kitchen blog and comes to us from Nicole's Vegan Nom Noms blog (the photo and the 'monologue' in the recipe below is from Nicole...lol).  This is the way we do recipe swaps in 2009-- from the Post Punk Kitchen Blog Crust - 1 cup pecans - 1 cup almonds - 1/4 tsp. salt - 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped Filling - 3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 3 hours) - 1/2 cup agave nectar - 1/4 cup water - 1/4 cup lime juice - 1 tsp. vanilla extract (alcohol free preferred for raw desserts) - 32 oz. strawberries (reserve about 9 for decorating) - 3/4 cup coconut oil Fluffy White Frosting - 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight - 1/2 cup water - 2 tbsp. agave nectar - 1/2 tsp. vanilla (alcohol free preferred for raw desserts) - 1/4 cup raw coconut oil Strawberry Coulis - 2 cups chopped strawberries - 3 tablespoons agave nectar Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside. To prepare the crust, pulse nuts and salt in a food processor fit with a metal blade. When nuts are fine crumbs, add the dates and pulse until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Firmly press crust into the bottom of prepared cake pan. Set aside. To prepare the filling, pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly. Add agave, water, lime juice and vanilla and puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Feed the strawberries through the top of the food processor and puree until incorporated. The filling should turn a pretty pink. With the processor running, add the melted coconut oil in a steady stream. I don't have a big food processor so I just put everything at once into my blender and it was fine. Pour the filling into the cake pan. It will look like a smoothie and you’ll think wtf this is weird, but it worked out okay for me. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours. Prepare the frosting in basically the same way as the cake. Pulse the cashews in the food processor until crumbly. Add the water, agave and vanilla and blend until smooth. With the food processor running, stream the coconut oil in through the top until combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 2 hours. Prepare the sauce when you’re close to serving. Just mash the strawberries up with the agave until it’s all red and syrupy. I forgot about this part, but maybe you'll want to try it! Mine was still mighty tasty without it, but now I have extra strawberries. To assemble release the cake from its springform prison. Use a mini scoop to place 8 mounds of icing around the perimeter of the cake and one in the center. Slice the tops off the reserved strawberries and gently smush them upside down into the frosting mounds. If you don’t have a mini scoop, just use a spoon and make them as pretty as you can, they’re gonna get smushed anyway. To serve, place some Strawberry Coulis on the plate and serve the cake over it. Dig in! Nomnomnom.

I made a dressing similar to this today for our church potluck and it was a big hit.  I threw in the ingredients he suggested (except for I didn't have dill or pepper) and added/substituted a big handful of fresh parsley, a small-finger's length of peeled fresh ginger, a tablespoon of chia seed, a couple of tablespoons of Grade "C" (dark) Maple Syrup, and a fresh green onion (just one) in lieu of the granulated onion. I love this fella's chutzpah-- doing a video for Youtube out of his bedroom... have VitaMix, make video!  Yeah!

This is a great little video and I love the house that results from the design and building. My sister-in-law has a dream to build herself a strawbale house on a piece of land in Alberta. I alternative housing! I also love raised bed and container organic gardening-- here is a great post on how to build some boxed, raised beds... simple and inexpensive and so provident over time!

To increase the font size of this post, simply press the Control key at the same time as the += key (at the top on the numbers row) until you have the size that is most helpful to you.  Start by clicking your cursor directly on the screen Desserts are really the first reason that people become raw vegan, truth be known... they are healthy AND tasty and can be eaten as a meal.  If you hanker for the creamy sweet uniqueness of cheesecake, here is one we love (called 'chia-zz' cake because of the inclusion of wonderful ground chia seed). If you want to know more about the versatile chia seed with all its omegas (balanced) and calcium, etc., do a search on this site.  No dairy and No glutens in this recipe!  Enjoy! First, start with the Pie Crust. I have chosen a classic pistachio-almond crust that goes very nicely with the Pistachio-Almond filling, but you could use any raw crust of your choice.

Raw Pistachio-Almond Crust

1 cup pitted Medjool dates 2 cups pistachios and almonds mix (approx. equal proportions of each) 1 cup almonds 2 T, orange juice

Directions:

Start by grinding the 'dryer' of the nuts, one cup of almonds, in a clean, dry VitaMix container.  Grind in a slow (about "4") variable speed.   Stop grinding before nuts start to turn buttery. Set Aside for later (do not put this powdered almond mix in with the other ingredients).

Put remaining two cups of pistachio-almond mixture into the VitaMix container. Grind slowly again until fine enough that they just begin to get some nut-butter sticking on the sides of the machine

Add dates and combine thoroughly until the mix begins to ball up as the oils start to pull out of the ground nuts

And lastly, with the machine still running, add orange juice. The clumps of mixture will suddenly ball up in one solid mass.

Now take the ground almond powder that you set aside and put it into a strainer/sifter and shake powder over wax paper. Put the whole ball of nut/date mixture in center. Press down. Sprinkle more nut powder over top.

Put another sheet of wax paper on top. Press or roll out with rolling pin into size big enough to fit pie pan. Pull off wax paper from top side of crust.

Sprinkle almond powder in pie plate and turn date/nut crust over into it. Remove the last sheet of wax paper. Gently press into pie pan and trim off any excess.  Dust the rim of the pie crust with remaining almond powder. Put the pie crust into the freezer to chill while you make the following filling.

Pistachio Chia-zz Cake

2 cups shelled pistachios 1 cup almonds 3/4 cup raw honey 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (or to taste) 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil gently warmed to liquid state 4 T. ground Chia seeds (grind in a coffee grinder or the VitaMix) Soak the almonds and pistachios overnight. Decorticate the nuts. You can remove the almond skins fairly easily by squeezing them and popping the kernels right out. The pistachios might require a little more in the way of persuasion to part with their cortices, but look at how gorgeously green those decorticated kernels are! Combine the decorticated nuts with honey, salt, coconut oil, ground Chia seeds, and two cups of fresh water in the VitaMix.  Position the two-part lid and blend first on the lowest speed, working up to the highest speed for several minutes to make the puree as satiny as possible. Pour and scrape the nut mixture into the prepared crusts, or into individual parfait glasses and chill. This recipe is based on the Almost Raw Pistachio Cheesecake by the Chocolate Lady in her blog.  The crust is an adaptation of Catherine Ryan's Raw Pie Crust. Recipes are so synergistic, really a community event.  I thank the Chocolate Lady and Catherine Ryan for starting this process. **I was amazed at how the pistachio nuts sprouted overnight, a sure indicator of their living energies.  Delicious! ~Cynthia

~from an interview with Dr. Lorraine Day at http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/members/lday.htm When we are facing the statistics that 1 in 3 of every US citizen will develop cancer of some sort, you may want to turn to Dr. Lorraine Day for education, guidance and practical wisdom. At 69 years young on the day we inteviewed her, Dr. Day is a living testament to creating health and healing through natural means. Lorraine trained as an orthopaedic surgeon and was head of the department in San Francisco General. She has investigated the source of the AIDS virus and has challenged conventional wisdom, her colleagues and the medical establishment. A strong and determined woman, Lorraine tells it like it is, so if you have someone in your family that has a medical condition and you don't trust what you hear, you may want to pay very close attention to this interview. Her official products site contains natural healing products, CD's and DVD's that won't cost nearly as much as your next prescription. If you have anyone in your family that has cancer, please urge them to listen to this interview.

Oh my oh my don't these Nori Rolls look tantalizing! Here is a nut spread that works well as the Nori filling (I've used it before). Click here to learn more information about Frederic's upcoming Low Fat Raw Vegan Cuisine DVD series that includes the following information: • How to make a salt-free vegetable seasoning • The art of raw smoothies (several ideas and recipes) • Green smoothie (including my favorite green smoothie recipe — ever!) • Fruit soups — one of the best fruit meals you can make (two recipes) • Fat-free vegetable soups. These soups are so delicious that I have one every night. Learn how to make these amazing soups without even needing to add extra fat in them. (two recipes) • Fat-free dressings (three recipes) • Fat free salads (including great recipes) • Vegetable juicing • How to use nifty kitchen tools that you may not be aware of • Creamy vegetable soups (two recipes) • Creamy blended salads • Low fat dressings (three different kinds) • Low fat salads • Nut pate + How to make a Nori Roll and more! • Avocado dips • Fat-free raw spaghetti • How to open a coconut! • Dessert recipes: coconut cream, durian pudding, and more! • Much more! Looking forward to it! In the meantime, see what he has to offer here.

This is a recipe for that kind of soooo delicious a salad you wonder why you don't take the extra 15 minutes to make a big old salad like this every day! As with all my recipes here on Raw Genesis, you are free to make adjustments and substitutions.  I would suggest that you use the absolute most fresh, ripe, organic, local produce you can manage.  Of course, I live on Vancouver Island so yo will know that the lemons, pecans, olive oil, Celtic Sea Salt,  and cayenne came from quite a distance, but the other produce is conceivably local. Fresh Living Italian Dressing Add the following to the canister of a VitaMix and blend until smooth:

• 1 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 C. Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 T. Maple Syrup (Dark C Grade)
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp. Fresh Oregano
• 2 tsp. Parsley
• 1 tsp. Basil
• Pinch of Cayenne
• Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt

The Salad Proper

• 5 C. grated or thinly sliced organic Cabbage
• 1 C. grated organic Carrot
• 1/2 C. Green Onion, chopped
• 1/2 C. organic raw Pecans
• 2 organic Apples, cored and quartered

Crisp and delicious! Makes enough for 8 folks, apparently, although makes for a hugely satisfying meal for 2 as well.   Put 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing in a dark glass bottle in the fridge for the next salad.

Is this not every 'old hippie's' dream home?  Right in the middle of the city of Pasadena, California you can find this charming 'homestead' belonging to the Dervae family. They harvest an amazing 6000 pounds of food annually from their 66’x66’ backyard. They grow over 350 different vegetables, herbs, and fruits, gather honey from their beehives, and eat the hundreds of eggs provided each year by their chickens and ducks. The family’s carbon footprint is impressive – they brew their own biodiesel (for a car that rarely gets used), consume just 6.5 kWh of energy a day, eat seasonally (and vegetarian), make their own compost, buy secondhand and make almost all of their food from scratch. I would personally do a pass on the livestock (but each to his own). Now if it weren't for that dim-blasted septic field I'd start building me the same garden layout.

The following is adapted from "Jim's Dangerously Famous Brownies" that is part of the excellent recipe offering you get when you register with www.PureJeevan.com _________________________________________________________________ Ingredients:

• 2 C. organic Thompson's Raisins
• 1 C. raw organic Walnuts
• 1/2 C. raw Pecans
• 1 1/2-2 T. raw Honey or other raw sweetener
• 2 T. raw Carob Powder
• 2 teaspoons organic Cinnamon (optional)
• 4 drops food-grade Orange Essential Oil

Directions: Combine all of the ingredients in the VitaMix canister and process briefly, starting on lowest variable speed and using tamper, until the mixture is moistened throughout (but still chunky if you like).  Spoon into a baking dish (but this will not be baked, of course) and press flat.  Cut into brownie size pieces and yum yum! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Are you thinking about trying a raw vegan lifestyle but feeling a little unsure of what you might have to give up? This recipe e-book is a fun and super delicious collection of healthy, nourishing raw chocolate and carob recipes. Go here to purchase this delightful collection for only $10 USD.

Wow, this is one of the most inspiring transformations I have come across in Raw land... Wendi Dee has a great site at www.PureJeevan.com where you can sign up for a couple of free ebooks too.

I was cutting up an apple for a green smoothie this morning and came across this... what a surprise!  A baby apple starting right inside the apple.  I have since planted it in a little pot in my kitchen window.  My son tells me that he "discovered" a couple of apple cores in a plastic ziplock bag, and found that, left on a window sill, they had both sprouted.

Oh how I love my 'chia feed' on twitter (I twitter at http://twitter.com/healthiacynthia). Here are Ten Raw Chia Recipes -- 'hardcore' raw foodist recipes, developed and used by long-term raw food eaters. Some may seem quite peculiar or unfamiliar to those who are not accustomed to eating raw. We encourage you to try them out though and to perhaps use them as a 'spring-board' for creating and enjoying your own chia recipes. All of these recipes are based on one person eating. (Enjoy!) Basic Chia Gel Chia Water Mix 1/3-cup chia seeds to 2 cups water. Stir. This is the 'basic gel' recipe that can be stored in your fridge and used as required. Sweet Shortbread Chia 4-5 tbsps chia seeds 2 cups fresh apple juice 2 tbsp lucuma powder 1/4 cup dried mulberries 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds Soak the chia seeds in the apple juice. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. 'Chia Fresca' 2 tsp chia seeds 10oz pure water juice of one lemon or lime agave syrup or raw honey to taste This is still a popular drink in modern-day Mexico. Simply stir the ingredients together and enjoy. Fruity Chia 3 small or 2 big apples 8 dates, pits removed 4-5 tbsp chia seeds 1/4 cup dried mulberries Blend the apples and six of the dates together. Transfer that mixture into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds and mulberries. Chop down the remaining 2 dates into pieces and stir those in too. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. Bana-paya Chia 1 banana 3/4 cup papaya flesh 6 dried Turkish figs 4-5 tbsp chia, ground Blend the banana and papaya flesh together. Put the figs in this mixture and leave it to soak overnight. Blend the whole mixture, including the figs, the next day. Stir in the ground chia seed. Serve. Chia Gel 'Muesli' 1 cup of basic chia gel 2 bananas, mashed with a fork 1 tbsp lucuma powder 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds Mix together the ingredients in a bowl with a fork and eat. Green Chia 8 dried prunes, soaked in 1 pint pure water 1 tbsp spirulina powder 1/3 cup chia seeds Drain off most of the prune soak water and put the chia seeds to soak in the prune soak water. Blend together the prunes with the spirulina and a small amount of the soak water. Stir the spirulina/prune mixture into the soaked chia seeds. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. Persi-nana Chia 4-5 tbsp chia seeds 1-2 bananas 1-2 persimmons 1tsp maca 1 tsp cinnamon handful of goji berries handful of pumpkin seeds Blend together the bananas and persimmons. Pour out the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the chia seeds, maca, cinnamon, gojis and pumpkin seeds. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. Raw 'Rice Pudding' 4-5 tbsp chia seed 2 cups almond milk raw honey or agave syrup to taste Combine the ingredients to your taste. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. You can also add other flavours like vanilla, cinnamon or cardamom. Banana-nut Bread 2 cups vegetable juice pulp (preferably at least half carrot) 8 tbsp ground chia 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup raisins 5 bananas Mix together the veggie juice pulp and bananas in a food processor. Add in the ground chia and let the food processor run until the seeds are completely mixed in. Transfer the mixture to a bowl with the walnuts and raisins and mix them in thoroughly by hand. Shape into a loaf. For major yumminess, top with 'Cream Cheese' (see below). Cream Cheese Flesh of three avocadoes 9 dates juice of 1 or 2 lemons big handful of dulse seaweed Blend. --------------- Thanks so much to angela@rawreform.com for these incredible sounding recipes. Anyone try any of them? Let us know what you think! -------------------------------------------------------------- Are you thinking about trying a raw vegan lifestyle but feeling a little unsure of what you might have to give up? This recipe e-book is a fun and super delicious collection of healthy, nourishing raw chocolate and carob recipes. Go here to purchase this delightful collection for only $10 USD.