Raw Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Inspired by www.rawdorable.blogspot.com, here is a yummy cupcake and a good way to use all that pumpkin in the fall!
We started by making a
Green Maple Frosting:
2 Avocados
3/4 C Agave
1/4 C Pure Maple Syrup, Grade B
1/3 C Coconut Oil
dash of Sea Salt
Blend until smooth. Set in the freezer until you are ready to top the cupcakes, it will get thicker as it sets in the freezer.
For the Raw Pumpkin Cupcake
 Pumpkin Date Puree
1 C Raw Pumpkin,cut off the skin and the gooey insides, and cut into chunks
Soak 1/2 C Medjool Dates, pitted, in 1 C warm water, I mushed them around until they were soft to cut down soaking time
1 T Pure Vanilla
Put all in a high powered blender and blend until it is smooth without any chunks. It looks like orange pudding.
Pour into a bowl and set aside.
"Cake"
3 C Almonds
1 C Walnuts
1 C Dried, shredded Coconut
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice (or more if you like)
4 Medjool Dates, pitted
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
Add  all to the blender and pulse or set on low until it is ground together but not sticky. It may be too much for the blender and you can do half at a time. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Stir in 1/2 C Pumpkin Date Puree until it is evenly distributed. Roll into balls and press into regular or mini cupcake holders.
Top with Frosting and sprinkle with Shredded Coconut and Cinnamon. Chill in the freezer until ready to eat.

Forks Over Knives, Science behind the Word of Wisdom

  We just watched the new 'Forks Over Knives' movie last night. It was very well done and just incredible. It is Dr. T. Collin Campbell from The China Study and others who have proved, with science, time and time again how having a plant-based diet can reverse and diminish heart-disease, diabetes, cancers, arthritis, high blood pressure, depression, and a vast number of other degenerative diseases and health problems.
 I watched in awe, as the illustrations of arteries being built with plaque and the blockage that comes with eating meat, eggs, and dairy products were displayed, my stomach just churned inside to know that most people eat that on a regular, day to day basis. I did!
  That's why a started a blog, people watch movies like this, or want to start changing little things at a time, but don't know How or Where to start. They don't know What to eat. Eating healthy can be fun, but I know you have to first have the right ingredients on hand and learn a few skills, (I knew nothing) like how to make a few main dishes and desserts, so when those future cravings come, as they do for all, you will have a healthier option at your fingertips.

  When the movie had finished I have to admit I was a little sick at first, but then almost immediately I was filled with gratitude that I was placed in a trial of health a few years ago and was willing to search for more that "medical advice." As my husband I talked we realized that this movie was really just science proving, once again, that God is real and gives us commandments such as in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89 to eat ^"bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground" And when we follow these commandments we are promised in verse 18 we "^ashall receive ^bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;19 And shall ^afind ^bwisdom and great ^ctreasures of ^dknowledge, even hidden treasures;20 And shall ^arun and not be ^bweary, and shall walk and not faint."

 Our Heavenly Father gave us the food we need to thrive in a healthy body and I am so grateful for this knowledge and the opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Raw Broccoli and Sunflower Seed Cheeze Sauce

I wanted something raw and warm and creamy and had a huge bag of broccoli...so this is what I came up with today. Surprisingly warm and yummy.

1-3 C Broccoli florets, broken into small pieces

Sunflower Seed Cheeze
1 C Sunflower seeds (best if soaked a couple hours, but works without soaking)
1 C Warm Water
1/4 C Nutritional Yeast (not technically raw, but I use it and it adds a great cheesy flavor)
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt
Blend cheeze ingredients until warm and creamy.About a minute. The longer you blend, the warmer it will get, just don't let it get too hot.
Pour over broccoli and mix together for a warm and creamy broccoli dish. Sprinkle with a little more Cayenne.

Raw Almond Raisin Cookies

These should really be called "My Baby's Favorite Cookie" because he does love these! My other children can actually chew almonds and raisins, and that is their "quick snack" whenever we go somewhere. My 1 year old who doesn't have all his teeth in yet is always envious, so I thought if I blended them together it would be his perfect little snack...now the other kids are the one's envious of him!

1 C Almonds
1 C Raisins
1-2 T water, as needed
Dash or two of cinnamon (opt.)
Blend until it starts to clump together, but not until it gets oily. Scoop out spoonfuls at a time and roll into balls and flatten with your hands. Best kept in the fridge, or you can dehydrate them for a few hours and keep them in an airtight container in the cupboard or pantry.

Cinnamon Apples

I don't know why I never thought of this. We put cinnamon on applesauce, so why not on apple slices? It's just a different texture. Cinnamon is a warming spice like cayenne and is great as the weather turns colder.
Here is a simple healthy kids snack,  and great for adults too. Sweet and Cinnamon yum.

Sliced apples
Sprinkle Cinnamon generously
Enjoy.

Big Mixed Veggie Salad

Here is a great and delicious salad.
2lb of Romaine, chopped
1/4 C Shredded Carrots
1/4 C Shredded Purple Cabbage
(Sometimes you can buy the first 3 in a package already together)
Add:
1/4 C Chopped Cauliflower
1/4 C Chopped Broccoli
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 Package of baby tomatoes (adds a yummy sweetness)
1 Cucumber, Sliced
1 T Raw Sunflower Seeds to top it
Serve with Veggie Dip/Dressing

This is a huge salad that would feed about 10-15 people, depending on serving size. Great for potlucks!

Strawberry-Apple Lemonade

We recently had a birthday party for my daughter. It was the first time we had all "raw" birthday dessert. It turned out great. The drink we served was a lemonade we made up.
4 C Water
5 fresh Strawberries
1/2 Gala Apple, cored
1/4 C Agave
1/4 C Lemon juice (abt 2-3 Lemons, juiced)
Put all in blender and blend until well mixed. Test it and add more agave or lemon if needed.
I think I quadrupled the recipe for the party and also let lemon slices and fresh strawberries float in the drink.
*We used the leftover as a base for smoothies.

Thoughts on fruit

I have been thinking a lot about fruit lately and decided it is pretty much perfect.:) Well, obviously it was the first food that Adam and Eve were given to eat, people have lived on the land for years, and people have eaten it ever since. The last few weeks with the fall harvest, and the fruit in much abundance we have enjoyed the fruit emmencely. Most days we have eaten almost all fruit, with some greens, veggies, and little nuts and seeds. I noticed something as I have been eating that way.
1- I can eat until I am full, and never feel bloated or stuffed.
2-I have lots and lots of happy energy
3-It is so simple to just eat fruit, and the kids never complain about things being "complicated" on their plates.
4-It tastes so sweet and juicy I never have a craving for a heavier dessert (and I am a raw dessert fan!)
5-I feel so much gratitude for the perfect food, Fruit!
Now, I do still feel like it is good to eat a variety of fruits and veggies, and I still feel so new to how many there are out there, but I just wanted to say how much we love it!

Peach, Pineapple, Spinach Salad

With the abundance of fall peaches a few weeks ago, we were eating peaches like crazy! We had them in granola, smoothies, plain-most of the time, and on salad. This was a nice simple fruity salad, that did not need dressing because the sweetness of the fruit.

1 C Spinnach
1 Peach Cut up
1/2 C Fresh Pineapple cut up
Top Spinnach with fruit.

Raw Cinnamon Rolls

 After experimenting with a lot of raw flax breads this year,(no yeast, eggs, dairy) I finally decided to try to make up my own raw cinnamon rolls. Every year at General Conference, it has been one of our family traditions to have cinnamon rolls. But we wanted Healthy Cinnamon Rolls this year! Last April I made an attempt, with an "ok" turn out. This October though, I did it. My good friend had just given me a nice new dehydrator and I was eager to use use it. So I thought about what made a good cinnamon roll as I remembered. It needed to be warm, a little gooey, sweet, and cinnamon flavored in the middle, with a nice creamy frosting and a little crunchy as well. SO, here is my version of Raw Cinnamon Rolls.
 For the dough:
3 C Ground golden Flax Seeds
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 C Raw Honey
Blend the flax seeds into meal, Set aside in bowl and add Cinnamon, salt, and honey.
In the blender add:
Meat of 1 Young Thai Coconut (abt. 1 C)
1 Gala apple and one yellow apple, cored (any two would work)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
Blend until smooth and stir into flax mixture, set aside.
For the filling
In the blender process:
1 C Almonds
1/2 C walnuts
6-8 pitted, Medjool dates
1/2 C Raisins
1 T Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
3-4 T Agave (opt)
Process until finely and evenly chopped, but not so it clumps together.
Take the dough and scoop it onto a long piece of wax or parchment paper, probably 18-24 inches. Put another piece of the paper on top of the dough and roll it out in between the paper until about a 1/4 inch wide all around.
 Slowly peel off top paper. Spoon about 1 T melted Coconut Oil onto dough.
 Spread filling mixture evenly on the dough with a spoon, sprinkling on a little more cinnamon and sea salt if desired.Then carefully start to roll up. I rolled mine about an inch at a time, taking off the bottom wax paper with each roll until I had one long rolled up cinnamon roll. It was a little sticky.
 Then starting at one end, carefully take a sharp saw-like knife and saw back and forth into 1-2 inch rolls. Place laying down on dehydrator.
 Dehydrate for 3-4 hours or until desired texture is achieved.
Top with Raw Whip Cream.
Makes about 24 rolls.