Almonds and dates and cherries- oh my!

I am yumaliciously concocting some recipes lately.  And today's is a Cherry Smoothie- 100% raw, 100% good for you, and packed with protein!

If you've ever been around me, you know I have a killer sweet tooth.  I LOVE sugar.  Unfortunately sugar doesn't love me back.  But wait, Natural Sugar (found in fruit, known as fructose) is ok for you!  WOOHOO!  

I made the most delicious almond milk today.  It's thick and creamy and sweet and perfect for what I was using it for.  How do you make that?  Oh so simple grasshopper.

1c. almonds (soaked overnight in water- enough to swell up and break the enzyme inhibitors, so you can actually digest the proteins!)

about 4 cups of water (give or take.  mine tends to be a little thick, so I have to use more water to remind myself, I"m not making cream.)

10 dates (I use small ones so that's why so many) without the pit.  (optional- and can do less or more)
1/2 t. vanilla extract OR 1 t. vanilla powder.

blend in a blender.  High power/speed is great (I have a Vitamix) but it's not a requirement.  Blend until totally mixed.  strain in a nut bag if you're lucky enough to have one, or a strainer lined with muslin cloth.  If you do that, unbleached is best.

You can even save the pulp.

Anyhoo- on to the real recipe.

1 c. almond milk (more or less)

handful of frozen cherries.  (if you can buy organic, great!  If not, you can always pit and freeze your own.  If THAT's not possible, hey- fruit is better than a milkshake...)
5-10 more dates

Blend all of that (may need to add more water or more almond milk) in your blender until totally creamy!  enjoy and hope it's yum for you!  Yes, you can add greens to this.  Yes, you can even run this through your ice cream maker -according to MFR's instructions. (wow, that looks a little wrong....  sorry!) In fact, I might make some of that and take some pictures.  You can even drink this after a workout because of the digestible protein will help rebuild your muscles.  Yeah, buddy!  Enjoy!  Want to see it?  I knew you would.




Raw food is awesome-sauce for your body!


Lastly:  I made this recipe myself.  If you see something similar, please know I didn't jack someone else's recipes, this is just what I came up with by experimentation.

Wanting to do so much.

Hey Y'all.

So this past week has been very horrible for my family.  We lost a baby that I was carrying on the 23rd.  We're grieving so much, but it's made me reevaluate some things.  What if it was my fault by the crap foods that I had been eating?

Yeah, I just had an order from nuts.com come in (about a month ago) and I'm working on some new raw recipes.  My goal is to record some new videos making raw foods, and have a kids segment and stuff.  I really REALLY want to do this, but we'll see how much I'm able to do with my being in school and homeschooling (which will be a little easier considering it'll be summer!)


So good news:  I am looking forward to coming up with some new recipes and getting healthier. :)

Be blessed!
Heather

I NEVER update this.

Yeah.  I suck at blogging.

BUT to my credit, I'm a SUPER busy homeschooling mom of 5, back in school for my Bachelor of Science degree!  I want to be sure that I get this down.


you ready?


I'm expecting #6!  I just had Nate in 2011, and the twins Elli and Abi came in 2012 and now in 2013, we're expecting again!  I'm "due" (I seriously have issues with that word- my baby isn't a library book!) Jan 1, 2014.   And I feel PHENOMENAL!  That makes me 6 weeks pregnant right now.

I only feel nauseous when I'm smelling cooking meat.  Which the husband won't give up right now, but as of right now, I'm not eating anything but raw.

I am so excited about this.  It's not an experiment.  I really want to have a 100% raw vegan pregnancy!  I feel so great right now, and want to continue it.

So this (hopefully) will be updated every so often (ideally once a week; more if I remember something important) and will do my best to remember between school and kids and being a wife.

Here's a note:  I will not be giving up honey.  There are too many proven health benefits with it, so I won't technically be 100% vegan, but for all intents and purposes, I'm raw vegan for this pregnancy and beyond!

Be blessed!
Heather!

Day 3. suuuuuuuuuck!

Holy shiz, this is hard!

I am the one who does the cooking in my home.  Luckily, my 8 year old daughter asked if she could help today.  For the family I made scalloped potatoes, meatloaf (pathetic little meatloaf!  it was tiny!!) and fried cabbage.  Zoe did the cabbage.

Anyway, it is SO frigging hard to smell the wonderful aromas of a food that you're used to eating when you're in-taking nothing but juice.  I'm on day 3, so this is one of the "hardest" days.  yeah.  sure as flip is!

I started this journey at 161, after my water fast and upping my juice fast/feast I started on Monday instead of Tuesday like I wanted.  I haven't had much of a detox, except a headache but that's gone.  I'm feeling rather sorry for myself though.  instead of focusing on what I can eat, I find myself focusing on what I can't.

The twins:  they are nursing more often.  I am going to watch them very closely to be sure that they're ok- I'm certain they are, I'm just more vigilant now.

STARVING!

So stats:
day 1- weight:  261.4
           sugar level:  didn't take, honestly forgot.
            size:  22/24ish  IDK, I haven't truly checked.  I really only have a few outfits that fit me, so I tend to wear them over and over.

day 2- weight:  259.6
            sugar level:  96 (2 hours after eating)
            size:  no change.

day 3- weight:  257.4
           sugar level:  85
           size:  no change.


So, that's where I am.  I'm going to be uploading a new video and I'll attach it in a little while.  blessings!

90 day juice feast!

Holy bashiz- has it TRULY been a year since my last post?

SO MUCH has happened this year.

Let's see.... My ex-husband and I had it out in court over the kids.  I won on that.  Actually, THEY won that but not for this post.  Charlie and my 2nd anniversary was March 25.  That was the day my MIL passed away.  I was truly looking forward to her living with us.  I had the twins on April 16th.  THAT was a funny story that I will save for another post.  And we moved over 400 miles away- yay military move.

So, it's quickly coming to a new year and I've decided to take control of myself.  Don't we always do that, every year? LOL!  well, this time I mean it darnit!

I've started my transition already and here's my plan:

Today and tomorrow (and yesterday but that's gone) I'm eating raw vegan.  Saturday - Monday I'm doing a water fast to cleanse my system.  Tuesday the 1st starts 90 days of juice feasting.

96 ounces of fresh fruit and veggie juice a day plus 1/2 my body weight in fluid ounces of water a day.  Holy kidney workout, batman!

Meanwhile, I will be using the fruit and veggie pulp to make crackers in my dehydrator.  For both the kids and myself when I'm done my feast.

My goals:
Aside from the "just get healthy" aspect, (what does that even mean?!  health means so much to so many)  I want to see how cured my asthma can be- (I believe that it's a curable autoimmune disease because of what I eat) and I want to see weight loss.  I want energy and for my kids to see me as the fun, energetic mom, the one who plays with them.

I'm not putting an actual weight-loss goal though, I would LOVE to initially get down to 180.  that was the weight I was when Charlie and I met and while it's not the best looking weight, he was attracted to me. :)  I want to see my body in a shape other than round.  I want to be the eye-candy that my husband deserves when he is in his dress uniform instead of what I feel I look like now.

My Attitude:
I have heard some really crappy things all of my life from my parents.  I have been told that I'm ugly, not worth "it", that I'll never be pretty, that my body will never be desirable, etc- all the things that normal people would NEVER say to a child, and yet I have heard them.  I won't go into the most damaging things, but I want to erase these toxic thoughts from my brain when I purge my fat.  When I detox my body, I want to detox my mind as well.  I have already removed certain toxic people from my life and I am a happier person for it, but I have work to do before I am renewed.

My Spirituality:
I am not only hoping to draw closer to God, but I am not ashamed to share that.  I plan on doing scripture to help me get through whatever I need for that day.  This is not to "bible-thump" to you, but this is to help myself.  If you have an issue with that, please don't watch the videos.  there's no need for you to be insulting with it by leaving nasty comments or even "disliking" the vids I post.  I'm not here to do this for anyone but me, but I do hope that you can gain wonderful information with it, and maybe I'll be able to help you through something you're going through.

Why I'm doing this:
I'm blogging and video logging this, because I want to be sure that I see changes.  I may have tons of energy, but I want to SEE it.  I want to feel it, I want to verify and have proof that I'm losing and that I'm gaining at the same time.

My starting stats:
Weight: 261
measurements:  IDK.  I haven't checked.  I will before the 1st day of the fast.


Today's video:

Twins, blender murderer and more...

I am preggo with twins!  Double trouble; two times the blessing!  Charlie and I couldn't be more thrilled, however I've had to up my chow intake.  boo, scale decided to start climbing up and up.  Yeah, I've been crying a little bit lately over that.  Chock that one up to increased hormones.

So, I murdered my blender.  no really.  I had a preggo brain fart and was putting a mason jar of garlic granules on my shelf and when I thought i had it up on the shelf, I let it go.  Yeah.  It wasn't on the shelf.  The glass pint jar fell and shattered my blender carafe. It was pretty. - Glass, 12 speed, made "snow".  I miss it.  I have been DYING for a green smoothie.

After the new year, I'm going to be upping my raw food intake.  The way I figure it can only help me, not harm me or the babies.  After all, everything I put in my body affects both of us, why not give them the best start possible- but you can read about that in my last post.

STILL working on my ebook.  It'll be out sometime... if my wonderfully amazing husband (not sarcastic there!) stops knocking me up, and after we relocate and I get used to life with twins, in a new place, and if Charlie's mom moves in with us (I'm truly looking forward to that!) life will be a little different, and hopefully I'll be able to get stuff done. :)

So, that's the news for now.  as soon as I'm blenderized again, I'll see what I can do to post a new smoothie or something.

Blessings in Christ,

me. :)

Raw Pregnancy!

I am having a raw pregnancy this time.  I want the absolute best for my body and in all honesty, being this big (dare I say obese) during pregnancy is hell on my joints.  My hips are already hurting, BUT I'm getting plenty of nutrients in what I'm eating.  I have lost 9 lbs this week.  I'm rather excited about that!

I know with the SAD (Standard American Diet) pregnant are expected to gain weight.  I get this, because you want the baby to grow.  Why do you need to gain 30 lbs?  (standard)  You only NEED to gain the weight that baby is, the placenta and the fluids.  How is htis a hard concept?

Well, you shouldn't be dieting while pregnant.
you're right.  you shouldn't.  Raw food isn't a diet.  I am eating nutritionally what is right for me and my baby.  Answer me a question:  which is better, a bag of cheetoes or a bag of salad?  any idiot (and some smart people) will of course say salad.  So why is it a major deal that I'm eating salad more than anything else?

I don't see what the problem is.  I"m getting 100% nutrition and yet people are worried about me getting nutrition.  Sure, makes sense to me.

What about detox?
my thought on that is this- I'm not a medical doctor, I don't work for hte FDA and if you follow what I'm doing it's on you, not me.  Now, with that disclaimer said, even though I might detox into my blood, 1, the placenta is a filter, 2, I am flushing those toxins out.  They're not staying in my body.  3- if I continue to eat a greasy cheeseburger, my cells become made of that.  my cells become nutrient deprived and "greasy".  So do my unborn child's.  I breast feed to give my children the best start.  The most normal, natural, healthy food for my children, (and I'm doing it to this day!) why wouldn't I start that in-utero?

Well, last night I made some date mini donut holes and some cauliflower popcorn (I've posted that earlier).  Zoe helped suck down the popcorn, and they both helped me eat the donut holes.

The donut holes recipe:
I didn't measure anything, so I'm winging this.  PLEASE suit it to your taste!  All measurements are "about".
cup or so of dates, pitted
2T cacao nibs
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. walnuts (soaked)
tsp vanilla extract
few pinches of sea salt.

process in a food processor until almost a paste consistency.  scoop out using a mini scoop, and put on dehydrator sheets.  dehydrate 12-14 hours at 115*.  remove to plate (or glass mason jar).  Just try to deny these to your kids.  HA!

Btw, I started this week at 250, and I'm now down to 241!  WHILE pregnant.  rather excited.  (funny thing, I don't look like I weigh that much, but it still is hard on my joints while I'm pregnant).

as I'm writing this, the baby is kicking giving me the "kid tested and approved" recipes! LOL!!

My next endeavour will be an ice cream maker.  There's some nut ice creams that I am wanting to make.  Ani Phyo has an AMAZING coconut one!!  No really, ask Charlie, I've eaten BOWLS of this multiple times before I was pregnant last time and it was hard for me to keep it in stock!  It was so delicious and I craved it.

Well, I'm going to sign off for now, but 9 lbs down.  6 more weeks until Charlie comes home.  I'm hoping to surprise him!  I'll post pics of progress when I get them.