Hello everyone and TGIF :)

This week I did lots of experimenting. Since I've only been raw three months, there are still SO many things I haven't tried, and still so many things that are new to me. I'm getting more and more creative and putting more time and energy into my lifestyle. When I started my raw journey, I'd eat a smoothie for lunch, a salad for dinner (and usually the same damn one every night), and Larabars and fruit for snacks.

Anyway I've been having tons of fun trying new things... I still try to keep it relatively simple since I'm a beginner and all, but sometimes the simplest things turn out to be the most amazing! For example, I read on Gone Raw, that pitting a date, and sticking a couple pecans in a date can be a tasty little treat (And essentially a Larabar minus the chopping of nuts and dates) and I was blown away by how tasty, yet how simple it was! That's what is so intriguing to me about having a "from Earth" type of diet. So many people dismiss how many wonderful things come from our beautiful planet... "fruits and vegetables?! I'll stick to my bag of chips and hamburgers!" they say.

I won't deny that I used to feel the same way. I think almost everyone (unless raised as a vegan) probably has. Even when I went vegan at first, I was a total junk-food vegan... which most people don't understand is TOTALLY possible! I ate all the convenience foods...the Amy's dinners...which might not be as bad for you as McDonald's... but still certainly not something you should be living off of like I was. I ate macaroni and cheese, pizza, and refined sugars like no tomorrow. Even just a year ago, I was living off of candy. I never in a million years thought that I could love veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds the way that I do now. Even things that I didn't like before, have become favorites of mine. Besides peanut butter that was loaded with sugar, I haaated nuts... and now I can't get enough of raw almonds, pecans, cashews....

to be honest, they taste so much better when they aren't roasted and salted. Ick!

Anyway... a couple pecans and a date, and I was in heaven.

I also have been dehydrating my little butt off. This week I made red pepper tortillas brought to you by "what the hell does a vegan eat anyway"... which is turning out to be one of my favorite spots on the web to visit...

I filled them with some romaine lettuce leaves, avocado spread, salsa, chopped zucchini, and fresh corn. Deee-lish! I know I'll be making those tortillas over and over again... so good! Nice and soft, the way I always liked my wraps. Nom nom...

While those were sitting on the dehydrator, I peeled a humongous sweet potato into strips, tossed them in some olive oil and spices, and threw those on the deydrator too for sweet potato chips. I've only had them a day, and I'm almost done with them already. They are SO damn tasty, I can't get enough. Just as addicting as "regular" chips. I will definitely be making those again, too, but I'll have to hold myself back a bit, otherwise I'll definitely over-indulge.

Just off the dehydrator this morning came some "bread"--- well, I'm not sure I'd call it bread. It's thinner, and a bit chewy (but it holds together just fine so it works!). I took the same concept as the red tortilla wraps, and I used equal parts flax to equal parts water. I threw in a mashed up banana and some cinnamon, and threw it on the dehydrator for about 12 hours. I made this "bread" so that I could indulge in some cashew butter and "jelly" sandwiches...

PB & J used to be one of my faaavorite things before I went raw, and one of the hardest things I had to give up. I mean, I ate it almost daily. I discovered that raw cashew butter was just as good if not even BETTER than peanut butter, so I got it in my head to make some cashew butter and jelly sandwiches. Now, for the bread, I would have used some agave or maple syrup to sweeten it up just a tad... it's pretty bland. It doesn't matter much since the cashew butter and jelly will be adding flavor to the whole deal... but, if I were to want to eat this bread on it's own the agave would be a good idea.

The jelly I made, was just mashed up strawberries and agave... though it's significantly runny, so I have to find a way to thicken it up a bit. I'll be experimenting with that over the next few weeks, I'm sure... but strawberries and agave is SO tasty, anyway.

I sampled some bread with a bit of cashew butter and jelly at lunch time... and even though the jelly was spilling out just a tad, it was still tasty as hell!

In the past couple days, I think I've eaten more than I usually eat in almost a week. Haha. I want to try so many things, and sampling it is the best part! It's a good thing I keep up with my exercise ;)


This weekend, I'll be trying the lovely Carmella's tomato dressing recipe... I intend on pouring it over some zucchini pasta (I know! It's all I ever eat!) I can't wait to try this stuff!! It looks delicious in the picture, has simple and low-fat ingredients...how can you go wrong??? Anything tomato is good by my standards!!

Again, I wish I had pictures to share, like all of you have such gorgeous images of your food!

And since the monthly cravings are starting, I'm sure I'll be experimenting with some cacao... I want to try some raw chocolate and cashew butter cups! wish me luck :)