Trying to live the raw food life in Bend, Oregon

Time to detox..

2011-12-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Starting to remove certain foods from my diet to prepare for some detoxing in January. The hardest two to give up are breads and cheese...I've been experimenting with different gluten free/dairy free recipes. Most have been good with a few that have been not so good. I had my first green smoothie today..Haven't had one of these in a while, since the fruit sugars were getting to be too much for me(ie.making me gain weight)..So not something I can have everyday any more. Making some raw crackers and Raw Key Lime Pie..I love Raw Desserts because they aren't too sweet and are actually fairly healthy for you. I'm making some stuff today in the kitchen so if anything turns out good I will post the recipe tomorrow or later today. Something with Kale probably maybe some kale chips..

Life has been hectic,stressful, and unkind lately. I am remaining optimistic as it does no good to be negative, plus we all have it so much better than many others in this world. So just remember to be kind the world has enough a holes! You never know how one nice thing can make someones day!

The best quote I've heard today.. "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
- Gilda Radner

Fun times and good beer in Portland

2010-03-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well I made it one week straight eating only raw food. I felt really good and it felt like a really nice cleanse. I'm still eating 2 raw meals a day(most days), and a cooked meal for dinner. My pants are getting looser, but I'm not sure if I've lost any weight since I don't have a scale. I've been doing lots of walks almost everyday for an hour and fifteen minutes. I made some raw brownies here's the recipe I used. I cut the frosting recipe in half though.
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=59196

I really like these they taste like a chocolate lara bar with frosting on it.

Just got back from Portland and tried this place called Vita Cafe in the Alberta District. I had a salad with their lemon tahini dressing and cup of tomato basil soup(not raw). They had a lot of vegan, vegetarian and a few meat options. I really wanted to try Blossoming Lotus but I didn't get a chance maybe next time. A few places I did go to was Portland Saturday Market. It was opening day and they had a little fruit stand with fresh fruit all sliced up and this was really good. We hung out at a really cool little brewpub called Tugboat Brewery which is a small pub with a nice atmosphere we didn't eat there, but we drank a few beers. We also hit up Deschutes Brewery in the Pearl and got to see our friend Brandi, that used to work in the Deschutes Brewery here in Bend. She treated us to a beer. Yes I'm aware that beer is not raw, but I love beer so I'm not giving it up just yet. Just for your information most wine is considered raw, although not all wines are vegan. So if you are going to serve a vegan some wine please make sure to check out some vegan wines.

Almond ginger nori rolls

2010-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Day Four

Breakfast:

Green Smoothie- Mango, blueberries, raspberries, chard, microgreen sprouts, lime, merlin's magic and water.

Lunch:

Almond Ginger Nori Rolls(Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo)I'm guessing the measurements since I don't own this book. Deschutes Public Libraray has it though. Here's what I did.

Almond Ginger Pate
1 Cup sprouted, dehydrated almonds
1-1/2 inch piece of peeled ginger, rough chopped
1 large clove of garlic, rough chopped
1 meyer lemon, remove seeds
1/4-1/2 tsp. himalayan salt( I used closer to the 1/2 tsp.)
3 Tbl. water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until it's about medium fine chunks. Set aside

Chop the following vegetables
1 cup purple cabbage, chopped in thin strips
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cucumber, deseeded and julienned
1 carrot, julienned
1 baby yellow or red bell pepper, julienned
4 lettuce leaves(I used butter lettuce)

2 sheets of untoasted nori rolls(Nature's and Whole foods carries these)

Once your veggies are chopped and your pate is made get out a sushi mat and lay your untoasted nori scruffy side up. Place the lettuce leaves on the nori. Make sure you leave an inch on the side closest to you and 2 inches on the side furthest from you. After the lettuce, put the cabbage, cucumber, carrot, cilantro bell pepper in little rows, next to each other (look at the picture to get an idea of what I'm talking about). Place 1/2 the pate mixture on top of the veggies, wet the end furthest from you with some water and roll tightly away from you and towards the wet end. Push down to seal. Repeat for a second roll. Cut in half with serrated sharp knife. Serves 2

If anyone makes it let me know what you think. It's pretty filling and yummy. Going out for my walk now..

Take Care,

Jen

I've failed, so I'm just going to pick my self up and start all over again!

2010-01-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well the 11 week raw food rehab didn't go quite as planned. In fact what the hell was I thinking trying to do a cleanse around my birthday and the holidays. El stupido! Not only did I fail at it, I fell hard. I started eating meat again the week of Thanksgiving until this last Sunday. I was almost 2 years vegetarian.(I ate fish once a week so I guess I was a pescetarian) I just started craving meat like crazy. I was having dreams about meat..very weird. So I experimented with it and I have to say, that while it tasted pretty good, it did not help me feel any better. I just had to find out if that was the missing component, it wasn't..

Where am I now in all this.. I started the raw food diet again on Monday. This time I mean business. I just want to feel good again. I've been feeling like shit for too long and I'm over it. I just got an allergy test in the mail that tests you for gluten, milk, soy and egg allergies. I want to lose the weight that all the stress and drinking has put on me and I'm finally to the point that I'm willing to do what it takes.

So on to what I ate

Monday:
Breakfast:
Green Smoothie(raspberry, mango, cherries, microgreen sprouts, spinach, cilantro, lime and merlin's magic.
Lunch: Raw Almond Hummus recipe is from here: http://www.drbenkim.com/almond-hummus-recipe.htm ( I cut the recipe in half, remove the parsley from the recipe and place it on top of the hummus, I also add in some cumin to the recipe and extra garlic. I also top with zaatar seasoning, cayenne and a little cold pressed olive oil) I love this recipe! I ate the hummus with cucumbers and my mexi flax crackers which I will post in the future after I measure everything out..
Dinner: Large salad with romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomato, red bell pepper, with some guacamole I made(2 avocados, 1/4 cup sweet onion(chopped), 1/4 of a tomato, 1/2 of a lime, a thin strip of jalapeno(chopped fine), pepper to taste, a little cilantro(chopped fine) and himalayan salt to taste. I also made some cilantro lime dressing in my vitamix blender.
Cilantro Lime Dressing
3 limes
3 Tbl. Olive Oil
1/4 cup cilantro
2 heaping Tbl. raw honey
1/4 tsp. himalayan salt
Blend in the blender until well blended.
Dessert: frozen bananas blended with almond milk to make a banana milk shake.

I will try and update what I'm eating and my weight loss more regularly.

Take Care,

Jen

Raw Food Rehab 11 weeks of raw food

2009-10-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Just started another raw food cleanse it's supposed to last 11 weeks, it's called the raw food rehab. I know the last time I lasted a whole whopping 5 days of eating 100% raw. Mainly because once I know I can't have something I become obsessed with what I can't have.

Most people would be surprised to know that I eat rather healthy. I don't eat junk food, occasionally I will eat french fries from the Deschutes Brewery. For the most part I eat healthy. I drink a green smoothie for breakfast everyday, I normally eat a burrito(meatless) or veggie sandwich for lunch and then for dinner I'll have some roasted brussel sprouts or something vegetarian for dinner. I eat fish once a week. Lots of brown rice, broccoli..etc.. You get the idea..

What I've been doing that has brought me to this place is two things stress(from almost losing my house to foreclosure) and copious amounts of wine..

This is how things are going to go down now. I'm putting it out there.

1.) Wake up and make my green smoothie or green juice.

2.) Exercise at least 5 times a week for 1 hour. (I've been running and walking the river trail)

3.) Eat lots of raw food, and stick to this 11 week raw food rehab. (Which is at least 80% raw foods and 20% cooked foods)

4.)Continue my Holosync meditation cd.

In the words of my hero Yoda, " Do or Do Not, there is no Try!" (Ironic how my blog is called Trying to live the raw food life. Could there be a correlation to my many failed attempts)

Food Log for today October 16, 2009

Breakfast Green Smoothie consisting of blueberries, mango, cherries, papaya, lime, rainbow chard leaves, spinach, micro-green sprouts, water, chia seed gel, camu camu berry powder, merlin's magic, cilantro, and parsley. (All organic)

Lunch Raw Hummus made of raw soaked and sprouted almonds, raw tahini, lemon, garlic, himalayan salt, cumin, water, olive oil. With raw flax crackers which consisted of sprouted flax, pumpkin seeds, red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, carrot, sundried tomatoes, himalayan salt and cumin. A small salad consisting of romaine lettuce, spinach, red bell pepper, cucumber, carrot with my raspberry vinaigrette that is posted on this blog somewhere.

Dinner Will be Raw Tacos consisting of walnut taco meat, served with some hemp cheese dip, lots of veggies in a collard leaf.

Dessert if I feel like it, which I usually don't will be a little bit of some raw chocolate dipped into a banana.

August is almost over

2009-08-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

The summer is almost over and the good news is my house is pending right now. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to sell my house in this horrible market. This has been an extremely stressful summer. Almost having my house foreclose, my best friends husband killed himself, and I was there while my friend told her 10 year old daughter that her dad was dead. This is probably one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. He killed himself on July 5, 2009, so sad. July was a horrible month! R.I.P. Brad Pruitt a memorial account has been set up at Bank of the Cascades for his daughter Lucy Pruitt the account is the Brad Pruitt memorial fund. If you knew him or his partner of 15 years Beth Seiler please give what you can. Beth is now a single mother in these tough financial times...

On a raw food note. I have barely eaten any raw food lately, just fruit and salads. I've been drinking way too much wine to drown my troubles and now I need to get serious and do a cleanse. I'm thinking next week I will start another raw food cleanse. Lots of green smoothies, fruits and vegetables and I will more than likely get a colonic. I really want to be hypnotized to eat more raw food and not always cave in to eating burritos and macaroni and cheese. If anyone out there can recommend a good hypnotherapist let me know. I was thinking Jane Meyers sounded good. Recipes to come shortly, I promise. I've got some new recipes in the works.

Take Care,

Jen

Raw Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-06-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

My house is for sale right now and I have been really busy and not eating as raw as I should. I am still eating 1-2 raw meals every day, but I've been really stressed out and feeling kind of sad and slightly depressed. I'm really trying to snap at out of it as I know I have it so much better than most others. I am trying really hard to stay positive about my house selling! My financial picture is not where I want it to be. So when I am blue I try to channel it into something creative. So I've been experimenting with different ice creams and I'm pretty stoked on this strawberry one. Definitely better for you then dairy ice cream and better than nasty tasting soy ice cream..

Raw Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

5 Cups organic frozen strawberries

4 Tbl. raw agave syrup

2 Tbl. raw unrefined coconut oil, melted

1/2 Cup raw cashews

2 Cups raw almond milk ( I will post the recipe below)

1/2 a vanilla bean, seeds from the inside scraped

a few pinches of himalayan salt

4 dates, pitted

1/4 Cup fresh organic strawberries, chopped fine

Place the first 8 ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into and Ice Cream maker and let it run for 10 minutes, then throw in the remaining strawberries and let it run for another 5 to 10 minutes until it resembles ice cream.

I have a cheap ice cream maker the brand is Rival. I got it for a few bucks at goodwill. If you don't have an ice cream maker you can freeze the mixture and then run it through the food processor or blender again.

Here is my almond milk recipe that I that I taught in my raw food 101 class. It is so much better than any preservative ridden store bought version and you can control the sweetness:

Almond Milk

1 Cup almonds, soaked in water, overnight

3 Cups filtered water

1 Tbl. coconut oil

2-4 dates, pitted

1/2 tsp. gmo free lecithin

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. himalayan salt

Rinse and drain the soaked almonds and place into blender with 3 cups of water. Blend for a few seconds until well blended. Pour mixture into a nut milk bag that is set into a bowl or large measuring cup. Squeeze out the milk(reserve the pulp, for another use). Rinse out blender and pour the nut milk back into the blender. Add additional ingredients and blend until well blended. Serve chilled. Makes 3 cups lasts 3 days in fridge.

Trying again Tuesday!

2009-03-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

I was going to start my raw food cleanse yesterday, but I'm not much of a Monday person. Maybe it's the time change thing, but I was really tired yesterday. So today I had green smoothie that had mango, pineapple, strawberry, beet greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, chia seed gel, coconut oil, merlin's magic and water to blend it up. Then I had some raw granola that I made. Here's the recipe for those interested. Note you need a dehydrator.

Raw Muesli

1 cup almonds, soaked for 12 hours
1 cup pecans, soaked 4 hours
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4 hours
1 cup walnuts, soaked 4 hours
1 cup buckwheat groats, soaked for 2 hours, (rinse many times to remove the natural slime that occurs with buckwheat)

zest of 1 orange
1 Tbl. orange juice, fresh, not pasteurized
1/4 tsp. himalayan salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, has to be raw, and not refined

dried fruits of choice:
I used black currant and cherries,

In food processor place all the nuts (don't add the buckwheat at this time), and the zest of the orange, orange juice, himalayan salt, cinnamon, coconut oil. Pulse until it resembles muesli or granola. Place into a large bowl and add your rinsed buckwheat to the mix. Place on dehydrator sheet and dry for one hour at 145 degrees, then turn down to 104 degrees and dry for approximately 6 hours. Once completely dry add in the dried fruit. Serve in a bowl with almond milk or nut milk of choice with some fresh fruit for a healthy cereal.

On a cool note, I got a phone call yesterday from my friend Beth Seiler that some other friends of ours, that ended up moving to Corvallis; want me to come and give a raw food cooking demonstration for a bunch of docotors. So I am thrilled that I get the opportunity to do that.

Take Care,

Jen Reed

Monday, Monday!

2009-03-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

I stayed up too late last night drinking $2.99 wine from the Grocery Outlet, watching a movie. Now I'm feeling the pain. I tried to make up for my sins by making some fresh juice. Here's what I put into it: beet, orange, celery, cucumber, ginger, chard, parsley, cilantro, carrot, and apples. Believe it our not, it was just what I needed. I'm going to meet my good friend Belinda Kachlein for lunch it will be fun to catch up. I am going to start running again, it's been a few months but I'm missing it. I've just been getting dvd's from the library. I like the pilate's dvd.

My friend Faith Butsch called me this morning and her dog Moe, that she's had for 13 years was put down. She's pretty broken up about it. I feel her pain losing a dog is seriously painful. I can't imagine life without my Tui girl. Well that's it for now. I'll post tomorrow, when I plunge into making some more raw food.

Take Care,

Jen

Friday!

2009-02-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

I love Friday's! This morning I had my green smoothie I made it with frozen mango, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, collard greens, coconut oil, water and Merlin's herbal magic.

I found the site it's www.merlinsherbalmagic.com . The ingredients are maca, marshmallow root, slippery elm, triphala, ashwaganda, astralgus root, burdock root, dong quai, fo-ti root, kelp powder, licorice root, milk thistle seed, pau d'arco, sarsaparilla, saw palmetto berries, shizandra berries, suam, wild yam root, anise seed, cinnamon, ginger, bilberry leaf, catsclaw, cayenne, dandelion root, gingko leaf, gota kola, irish moss, olive leaf, passion flower herb, vanilla orchid bean. Every part of the body is covered with this stuff it's all wild crafted and organic. I put about a tablespoon in my smoothie everyday. It is a superfood, baby. A 170 gram bag is about $26 and lasts me about 2 months, way worth the money. So check out the website if you have a minute.

Going out to lunch with my good friend Beth Seiler of Trader Joe's. I can't wait to hang out with her we have such a great time together laughing about silly stuff. Our friends from Portland Alex and Coleen are coming in this weekend and they are going to stay at Mc Menamin's downtown, that should be fun. We just got a huge dump of snow up at Mt Bachelor so the guys are up at the mountain, shredding some powder. I wanted to go today, but I will have to save it for Sunday I think, hopefully there will be more powder. I'm spoiled, it's pow pow or nothing for me, since I don't have a pass.

Everyday I am just trying to add in more raw food, instead of giving stuff up I've chosen to add more good stuff. Last night I made my family some pork, with boxed mashed potatoes, which I don't even normally buy as I know better, but I just grabbed what they had at the store. I don't eat meat so I didn't eat any of the pork, but I took like 3 bites of the mashed potatoes and my throat was starting to swell up on the inside. When that happens I know that there has to be MSG somewhere in the food. Well I grabbed the box, and put alternative names for MSG in the google search engine. I discovered that one of the ingredients in the potatoes was in fact MSG in one of it's many disguises. Well one thing led to another, as so often does when using the google search engine. I learned a lot about how the food manufacturerer's have learned how to hide the MSG so that they can get away with putting it into our food supply. That in turn led me to the "cheeseburger act" which I guess in 2005 our good buddy (facetious, of course) GW Loser, passed a bill saying that big food corporations cannot be sued. It's called the personal responsibility act or something to that effect. I am all for personal responsibility but I think that these corporations are poisoning us with there freak foods, and they should be held up to more ethical standards and held accountable. This kind of stuff really makes me mad at our government's lack of ethics! Well I guess that's enough ranting for today.

If you leave with one thing from all this, please remember that you need to be your own advocate for health, don't count on the fact that your government has your best interest at heart, because they simply don't.

Take Care,

Jen

Raw food class in Sister's is full with a waiting list!

2009-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hello,

My class in Sisters is full with a waiting list. I can't believe it. Thank you Kim Luckini licensed massage therapist, (who I hear, gives an amazing massage),for all your help in organizing this class for me. I am doing my kids vegetarian class not this weekend but the following weekend. I was just looking at this site called www.rawfoodtalk.com they have this before and after section that is just so inspiring, if you get a chance check it out.

So far today I have had raw granola which was made out of sprouted dehydrated buckwheat, sprouted dehydrated sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, raw honey, dried blueberries, with some almond milk I made. Followed by my green smoothie made from pineapple, mango, strawberry, spinach, coconut oil, and some merlin's magic.(google it)

My husbands' friend Joe Curren and his lovely wife Teasha were in town, they went up to the mountain to go snowboarding. He is a surfer and amazing photographer, here's the link to his website: www.joecurrenphotography.com I made some wild salmon tacos, man were they ever good. We drank wine watched some cheesy television. How could I give up wild salmon? I'm definetely not there yet!

I have to make food today. I think I will make the raw alfredo dish, with zucchini pasta.

Take Care,

Jen

Cha Cha Cha Changes!

2009-02-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a while since I've written in my blog. I've been so busy with where my life has taken me. A lot of personal family stuff going on in the last few months, which I won't go into as I don't want to share such personal stuff with a bunch of strangers. I will reveal some stuff though. We are going to have to sell our house. Which is sad and exciting at the same time. My youngest son has lived his whole life in this house and that makes it hard, thinking of all the sweet memories of him crawling, climbing, etc. The good thing is I am rarely attached to material things, so I can separate myself from feeling a sense of loss. I know that something wonderful will come my way, it always does. This is where I feel that I am very lucky. So many people identify self worth with material things. The thing I will miss the most is the location, we are right downtown, and I love that! Being able to walk places and just the energy of downtown.

My rawfood business has changed to adapt to the economy. I still make food for a couple of people. I decided to start teaching raw food classes and vegetarian cooking classes. My first two classes did very well. It was so fun, to show people how they can add more raw foods into their repertoire. That has opened up some great doors for me. I am doing a big raw food class in Sisters, OR, which is about 20 minutes away. The class will be in April. I am back to working the ranch as well. A girls got to do what a girls got to do. The cool thing is it's outside and it's serene and I feel that I learn a lot from all the animals. They really are amazing creatures. I haven't been eating as raw as I should. I always have my green drink and try to make sure I get enough raw food in my day. I know I need to eat more, but sometimes it just doesn't sound as good as a burrito from Super B.

Last night I went to this silent auction for the new skateboarding park they are going to build. All these different artists designed skateboarding decks, and people bid on them. We didn't win the won we wanted but it was a fun night none the less. Well I will try to be a little better about writing, as it's very therapeutic. I've also been doing the Holosync meditations, which have been changing my life. I am saving up to buy it, I've been borrowing a friends.

I created this recipe with the leftover pulp after making Brazil nut milk, which is one of my favorite milks.

Cacao Bites

1/2 cup brazil nut milk pulp (This was from making brazil nut milk with 1 cup of brazil nuts)
1/2 cup walnuts
7 small dates, pitted
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 Tbl. coconut oil
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbl. agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut flakes, fine shred
a few dashes of cinnamon

Place all ingredients into a food processor until well combined. Roll into balls and roll into some coconut. Keep in the fridge and eat within a few days. Makes about a dozen balls.

Take Care,

Jen

The summer is almost gone..

2008-08-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful people,

Summer is almost gone. I love hanging out with my kids over the summer it's so nice to bond again with them. I have still been making food for a couple of people but, my business is fizzling out. I know it's not personal but it still makes me a little sad. I was finally doing what I want on my own terms. So when school starts I will be back to working on the ranch a couple of days a week and making food a couple of days a week. Today I made this really great dressing. I hope you like it..

Strawberry dressing

1 cup strawberries, remove green tops

1 Tbl. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp-1 Tbl. agave

1 Tbl. olive oil

Mix in the blender. It is so good people.

I also made the chocolate dessert from raw food real world..Yumaroo

It's been awhile..

2008-07-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

When ever I see that I think of that song It's been awhile..I can drive people crazy with turning everything into a song. I have been a naughty girl. I haven't been eating a whole lot of raw lately. Let's just say I feel like a bloaty beast. Tomorrow I am back on the raw wagon. I have been craving a lot of crap lately. Crap like grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, etc. I am not sure why I am craving so much dairy. It really makes me feel gross and very uncomfortable. So why do I do it to myself? I am going to start cleansing. I will continue with my green drinks and I am going to try to go back to 3 raw meals a day. I have been doing 2 off and on, so it's time to step it up. Exercise wise I have been running a couple of times a week and I am doing like 300 total of various styles of crunches, to get my gut into shape. I would like to shed 3o pounds. I know I need to lay off the wine, that is just adding too many calories to the mix.

I went to Barnes and Nobles to look for the 80/10/10 book but, they don't have it and sounds like they can't order it. Job wise things haven't been going well 1 lady decided she was tired of eating raw. The other lady cut back from 5 dinners and lunches a week to 2 dinners and lunches a week. The other person is still ordering the same amount but, I am not going to be able to survive off this. So unfortunately, I will have to get a regular job. The job market here sucks! They pay $8 an hour, that's what I made when I was 20 year old. Sickening isn't it. I have management experience, cooking experience, animal experience, tour guide experience. So something great needs to come my way, and soon. So if anyone in the Bend cyberspace has a great job that pays more than $8 an hour keep me posted. Or if someone needs me to help them in New Zealand speak up.

Raw Recipe

Jen's Raw Taco's

Taco Meat

1 cup walnuts

1 cup pumpkin seeds

2 1/2 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. onion powder

3 tsp. garlic powder

3 tsp. tomato powder( if you can't find, place a couple sundried tomatoes into a coffee grinder)

4 tsp. chile powder

1 1/2 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. water

Take the walnuts and pumpkin seed and pulse in a food processor until it resembles ground meat. Place into a large bowl and stir in the other ingredients, you may have to add additional teaspoons of water to make it a little wet. Set aside

Guacamole

2 avocados

1/8-1/4 cup of sweet onion

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 a lime squeezed

1/4 tsp himalayan salt

couple turns of fresh pepper

Mash ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Salsa

2 heirloom tomatoes, chopped (reserve 1/4 cup of the chopped tomato)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 clove of garlic

1/4-1/2 tsp himalayan salt

a couple dashes of tapatio hot sauce(not raw, but it's just a couple of splashes)

1/2 a jalapeno, diced fine

Place everything but 1/4 of tomato, onion and jalapeno into blender or food processor. Blend together then pour into a bowl and add the extra tomato, onion and jalapeno

Additional things you'll need: lettuce for wrappers, shredded cabbage, and a side of LOVE.

Take your lettuce leaves (I used butter lettuce but romaine or any other kind you have should be fine) sprinkle the leaf with the taco meat top it off with the guacamole, salsa, and fresh cabbage and enjoy your tacos.

Hope you like them..

Take Care, Jen

School's out today!

2008-06-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

I've been crazy busy...I am helping to coordinate a fundraiser. A family that used to be in my oldest son's class, was involved in an explosion. This event sounds unbelievable, but it's true. This event really made me take stock and just appreciate and be humbled by the fact that things can be changed in a moments noticed..

check out this website.. www.caringbridge.org/visit/jrlitehiser

This guy sustained 80% of his body burned, 70% of his burns were 2nd and 3rd degree burns..He has a wonderful wife and two lovely children..It just made me think, hard and long about how our life can change in an instant.

This Saturday, June 14th is a garage sale with 50% of the benefits to go towards the J.R. Litehiser fund.

I organized the bake sale portion with 100% of the profits to go to the fund. I am anticipating a huge turnout..

I spent hours e-mailing people encouraging them to come and support this event,,

Please help me to help this family contact me at jenreed1023@gmail.com or donate to any U.S. Bank under the account of J.R Litehiser.

Thanks,

Jen Reed

P.S. recipes to come soon..I promise..

Going to Michael Franti on Friday the 23 of May!

2008-05-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

This week has been good. I get to go to Michael Franti and Spearhead tomorrow night at the amphitheater here. I am so excited about that. I contacted his people to see if they wanted any raw food.

Well this week I created a couple of desserts one was an oat groat crust with raw chocolate on top. Here is the recipe;

Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

1 Cup almond meal

1 Cup raw oat groats, soaked for 12 hours and rinsed a few times

2 Tbl. almond butter

2 Tbl. cashew butter

1 Tbl. tahini

2 Tbl. agave

2 Tbl. coconut oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Raw chocolate sauce either the one from raw food real world or whichever one you choose.

Mix everything but the raw chocolate in a food processor until blended well. Spread 3/4 of the mixture in a 8 x 8 glass pyrex dish and dehydrate for 5 hours at 105 degrees. Put the 1/4 of oat mixture aside. After the Oat mix comes out of the dehydrator spread the raw chocolate sauce on top and sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top. Place in the fridge until set up and then eat.

I have had a busy week..

2008-05-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been really busy lately. I have tried some new recipes out lately. One in particular that is really good is raw vegan crab cakes by Cherie Soria. I will find it and put a link to it. Oh my god you would think you were eating a crab cake, unless someone told you otherwise. I also made some raw tartar sauce out of cashews and wasabi powder and some capers which are not raw, but really added to the taste of the tartar sauce. I also made the white chocolate strawberry tart by Vanessa Sherwood and topped it off with fresh strawberries and bananas and raw chocolate sauce. It tasted like a banana split. I also made a raw carrot cake out of the juicing pulp I had leftover, and made a cashew lemon coconut frosting, it turned out good. I picked up another client..Yeah! I will post some photos and recipes one day this week..Take Care, Jen

Kale Salad with Sour Cherries

2008-04-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

I recently created this recipe, because I had a bunch of kale I didn't know what to do with. This is a great way to get your dark leafy greens. Many people who say the hate kale like this recipe.

Kale Salad With Sour Cherries

1 Bunch Lacinto (Dinosaur) Kale, or any kale will do, remove the hard middle stem and chop into small strips.

1 Cup Dried Sour Cherries

Cilantro Pesto

1 Cup Cilantro, stems included

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic, green part removed, then press it through a garlic press

1/2 tsp. Himalayan Salt

1 Tbl. Lemon Juice

Place cilantro, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon juice into food processor, blend until slightly chunky. Place into a large bowl with chopped kale, now massage the shit out of the kale with the pesto on it, for about 5 minutes or less. Then add in the dried sour cherries and stir it all together. Makes enough for 4 people. Lasts for about 5 days in the fridge.

I just got back from Portland, Oregon..

2008-04-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with my friends..What a great trip. Lots of shopping at thrift stores, Buffalo Exchange, Nordstrom Rack, and many other cool shops. Stayed up way to late and ate too much food that was not raw, and boy can you notice the difference. My stomach stayed bloated the whole time, my fault though. I had this really good meal at Typhoon it was drunken noodles which were these really wide rice noodles, with this wicked good spicy sauce and a whole bunch of vegetables and little pieces of tofu in it. Oh my gosh it was so good. Today I will be back to normal, making my green smoothie and eating raw and healthy again. Todays menu for my clients is beet ravioli with cashew ricotta(from raw food, real world), with a sundried tomato sauce on the top, and pad thai(today when I make this, I will measure it out, and repost with the recipe). It is such a great quick and easy meal.

Take Care,

Jen

I still can't find my camera..

2008-04-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am so bummed. I have visualized myself finding it. I know I still will but it's frustrating. I just created corn fritters with mango salsa, pad thai, falafel, and this great kale salad that I could have photographed. I need to measure out some of the stuff I made so that I can post the recipes on here I will try to do that next week. I go to Portland, Oregon this week with my friend Faith of Leaf and Petal, and a couple of other ladies. This is going to be so fun. A girls weekend. I will get to see my old boss Lynette (aka Nettie Von Glutenstein), that I just love to bits. Also I will get to visit some other friends that live there like my sweet friend Brandi that just moved up their she used to work at Deschutes Brewery here and is transferring to the Brewery in the Pearl District, also I will get to see Colleen and Alex. I am so excited. I will blog more tomorrow when I have more time.

Take Care,

Jen

I have had a great week.

2008-04-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well Monday is my busy raw food preparation day. I have one client that orders 3 raw lunches with soups and salads and 2 entrees for pick up on Mondays. Now I have another lady that does the same thing. This is the first time I have prepared so much raw food in one day. My other busy day is Wednesdays.

But on Monday I was rushing to be done by 4:00pm , usually I am not done until 5:00. On Monday, Bill Clinton was here in Bend, Oregon and I really wanted to hear him speak. I couldn't leave until my new client came to pick up her food. So I am rushing and hurrying I get to Bend High School where he is speaking it is about 5:15 p.m., the line down the street must have a thousand or more people in it. I get in line, and it seems like the line is moving pretty quickly. Well with about 75 people ahead to go, someone comes out and says, "that they can't take anyone else". Well I already waited a half an hour so, I head near the door, just to see if they will let me in. A lady from the Clinton team came out and said, "that if we all wanted to move over to this one area, Bill Clinton would be out in a little bit to say, "hello to us"." So a group of us just stood their waiting. We were all laughing and joking. It was freezing cold and I had left the house in such a hurry, that I was wearing capri pants with just a light sweater and it was for sure at least 4o degrees. So we waited and waited and by 8:30 p.m., Bill Clinton came outside, now I was about an arms length distance and I got a handshake. Woop Woop! You hear that, a freaking handshake, he almost grazed my boob when he went to shake another persons hand. I almost got a boob graze by Bill Clinton, but I was stoked on the handshake. The really cool thing is when I got there that night I said to myself "I am getting a handshake", power of intention people, it really works. Even though I was chilled to the bone, not even the hot tub warmed me up, it was worth it. And to my fellow outside people that I was waiting with, what a bunch of lovely people. We were laughing and snuggling up just to get warm. It warmed my heart to see so many Democrats in Bend. Because this is really a Republican town, and sometimes you feel as if you are a tiny minority. I have got to say though, people in Bend are just so nice. That is why I love living here. Good People. Go Hillary!

So yesterday I prepared Pad Thai, Falafel and Taco's with Pineapple Salsa. Everything turned out so good. I wish I could find my camera. I have searched high and low for it. Where could it be? I am going to use the power of intention to find that camera, by the time this day is done, I will find that camera, you'll see.. The Pad Thai I made with Limes, Almond Butter, Ginger, Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, Yacon Syrup, Nama Shoyu, Olive Oil, Cilantro and a little seaweed. I made the noodles from zucchini and carrot. It turned out really lovely when I make it again I will measure everything out and post the recipe on here. So check back, because these 3 recipes were really good. Well I am off to take a run. It's shaping up to be a nice day.

Take Care,

Jen

This really doesn't have much to do with raw food.

2008-03-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up. Today I am feeling a little like ranting about something. So if you don't want to hear it please read another blog.

So last night I was having a hard time sleeping. I was watching Lou Dobbs on CNN. They were talking about Hillary and Obama. Now both of these candidates I like. Each for different reasons. I originally wanted Dennis Kucinich. The reason I liked him was because he really voted the way I would have. So when he dropped out I was a little sad. Then it left me to form a decision on whether I would vote for Obama or Clinton. On CNN Casey from Pennsylvania, said he thought Hillary should step down. At first when I heard this I was annoyed. Why should she step down? Why on earth can't we have 2 candidates all the way until the end. The sad thing about our voting system is it is so based on old concepts. I understand that the Democratic party is thinking united we stand divided we fall.

Thoughts on Clinton- I think that she is always perceived wrong. She is a highly intelligent woman. She has flaws just like everyone else. But for some reason people just go after her with such venom. Why? I really wish someone could tell me why. If she cries she is weak and if she doesn't cry she is heartless. What the F&*k? Why are women held to such ridiculous standards. I never wanted to choose a candidate based on their sex or race. But a huge part of me feels like as a woman, we are always looked at differently in this society. I don't think we should be elevated above males or anything like that. I just believe we should be treated as true equals. I know I am living in a blue state, but Bend is the most republican stronghold I have ever lived in. There are a lot of misogynistic rednecks that are here. It seems that the comments they make are always directed at her looks. ex:(she is fat, ugly and is a dyke). Why do men (not all do) label women as fat, ugly and dyke, when you are a strong woman? I find that really insulting as a woman. I think a lot of women feel as if they need to be heard. To me the term feminist means female that is strong, compassionate, and is treated as an equal. So on one hand I would like to see a woman be president for a change. Women generally don't rush in to war. They tend to think things through from many perspectives.

Thoughts on Obama- Obama seems like a great speaker. He is very articulate. I do believe he means what he says, when he speaks of change. But my only concern with him is his experience. We saw what an unexperienced candidate can bring us with GW. Not that he is anything like GW. I just have a hard time with the fact that I rarely hear what he is going to do. Like concrete plans. I just seem to hear about change. I think it would make me feel better to hear about how things are going to change. Solutions. I don't care what his faith is. I personally think the Bush regime is responsible for creating that fear of him being a muslim. Only to get all the repressed, religious drones to be afraid of him. Sadly I do think many americans are racist. They won't always admit it but they are. When I first moved here to Bend. People used to stare at me the whole time I was eating, because my son is part hawaiian. People would come up and say things like, "What is that?" like my child was a creature. When I first moved here there was only one black family in this town. It isn't like that so much anymore. But this is the mentality of many people here. They are fearful of race. Lucky for me I grew up in a liberal town with many colors of the rainbow represented. I also lived for years in Hawaii, another melting pot. I am disgusted by the average american. It seems as if they are either fearful of Obama because they believe him to be unamerican. Or they are fearful of Hillary because they don't want a women telling them what to do.

Thoughts on Mc Cain- This is just Bush Jr. as far as I am concerned. I think he is mentally unstable. I get so annoyed by christians who will just pick someone because of the abortion thing. But then they will blindly go along with a war that kills innocent women and children. I find this very hypocritical. I also find it interesting that christians act like they vote by character, but Mc Cain cheated on his wife. Where is the character in that? I think it is sickening that he was a POW and would still vote for waterboarding. WTF? That doesn't make any sense. He will keep us in Iraq, which has been a total joke. I think it is funny that the average american will vote for a person that will actually financially drain them. Americans aren't the brightest people sometimes. How is it that we continually make the same mistakes and seem to never evolve as a species? I think religion should not be used to brain wash people into voting for some of these corrupt people. My brother in law is a pastor and he said that they just voted for Bush because of the abortion thing. They can't even fathom that their leader would lie and kill for oil. They have been brainwashed from their church. Sadly you can't ever convince someone like that to investigate the facts. They just heard GW is a christian, so that's all they need to know. That is messed up. Look at all the republicans that get caught having affairs with women and men. I googled republican philanderers and you wouldn't believe how many of these so called righteous religious types have been busted for perving out.

I will support Hillary first, but I will support Obama over Mc Cain. I really just needed to express my feelings on this subject, as it is really disturbing to me. I mean no offense to anyone that reads this...

As far as raw food goes. I made the best wrap yesterday. I took a collard leaf and filled it with chipotle mayo (I will try to estimate the measurement)

1 Cup Cashews

1-1/2 Limes, juiced

1 tsp. Chipotle Powder

1/2 tsp. Himalayan Salt

1/4-1/2 Cup Filtered Water

couple of squirts of Agave.

Mix in a Food Processor or Blender until well blended

Then I smeared it on the collard leaf, put some avocado, red bell pepper, grated carrot and cucumber. Oh my goodness this was so good. If I can find my camera I will photograph it.

Top Chef had a raw recipe on last night.

2008-03-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love the show Top Chef it's on Bravo, Wednesdays at 10:00pm. Well last night one of the contestants prepared a raw taco/burrito using a jicama, as the tortilla. It was filled with tomatoes and avocados, but the cool thing was he won the challenge. Just another confirmation that raw food can taste good if you know how to put things together. If you want to see the recipe click on this: http://recipes.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_4/episode_3_2/vegetarian_tacos_with_jicama_

tortilla.php

Trader Joe's opens tomorrow at 9:00am. Bend is beside itself that we finally have a Trader Joe's. The closest one prior to this opening was in Eugene and there are also a couple in Portland. I guess it is their 300 hundredth store opening. My friend Beth got a job there. They are expecting straight up chaos. I want to go check it out, but I have human claustrophobia. I get agitated when I can't get down the aisle and carts are coming in both directions. I wonder what the name of that phobia is, possibly shoppingcarthumanphobia.

I have been doing pretty good eating raw. I had a little relapse by eating Annie's Macaroni and Cheese. The weird thing is almost immediately after eating it, my stomach got all bloaty and gassy. Which sucks, but it's good to show me how food affects/effects (can't remember which is right)me. I have always had a hard time digesting pasta. I usually by rice pasta which doesn't seem to bother me.

I am reading this book called "Skinny Bitch", Oh my Goodness the way these ladies write is hilarious. I don't think I have ever read a book where the writer just says it like it is, like these two ladies do.

Take Care,

Jen

Things are going well..

2008-03-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have another couple of people that are interested in me preparing raw food for them. I am trying to figure out how I can add all these people and still have a life. I guess I need to structure this business the way that will work for me. Normally, I try to make everyone else's life easier and then feel exhausted by it. So I will take people Monday through Thursday and have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. I ordered some bulk supplies from www.rawguru.com. Yesterday a 10lb bag of raw chocolate came. 10lbs of raw cacao powder, now that's a lotta choclolate. I need to connect with a grower and get my veggies bulk.

Went for a run by the river yesterday what a beautiful day. I love running in the spring and fall, because the temperature is perfect for exercising. I was all raw yesterday and will be all raw today. I really need to discipline myself better. We know what we should do, but we don't always do it.

I am reading this book by Joe Vitale called Zero Limits. I am trying to put this into practice the message of this book is LOVE. It was funny because last night on Frontline they had this documentary called "Bush's War" and he is someone that I really don't like. But I put the practices of Zero Limits on Ole GW and I don't know if it helped, but I thought it was hilarious. My friend Beth and I were talking about that, just the other day at lunch. She is doing the Eckhart Tolle class through the Oprah show, and she said the same thing. "You have got to love everybody, no exceptions" and I said, "even GW?", and she said, "Even GW". We were laughing so hard.. Why is it hard to love some people? In the book Zero Limits he says, "the reason it is so hard to love people we don't like is, because we see the same qualities in ourselves." This was a hard blow as I can't imagine how I could be anything like GW. Oh well sending him LOVE regardless. I said I would post the recipe for my salad so here it is.

Spinach and Pear Salad (serves 2)

Baby Spinach, as much as you like on each plate

1 Bartlett Pear, sliced thin

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

Cashew ricotta saved from making rawvioli ( 1 cup cashews, 1 lemon, juiced, 1 tsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp. himalayan salt, 1/4 tsp dill, 1/4 tsp herbes de provence, a couple of grinds of fresh pepper)

Herbalize me don't criticize me dressing:

1/2 Cup Fresh, Italian Parsley

1/2 Cup Fresh, Basil

1/2 Cup Fresh, Cilantro

1 Meyer Lemon, Juiced

1 Lime, Juiced

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Agave, a couple of squirts

1/4 tsp. Herbes De Provence

1/2 tsp. Himalayan Salt

A couple grinds of Pepper

Blend dressing ingredients in a Vita Mix, until well blended.

To serve:

Take the Spinach, Pine Nuts, Pears and Cashew Ricotta and place on a plate. Drizzle with dressing and eat. This tastes like a pear and goat cheese salad. If you make it tell me what you think.

Take Care,

Jen

Wow, what to do next?

2008-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well within the last 2 days I have had 4 more people interested in me preparing raw food for them. It is all happening so fast. I don't know what I should do next. I need to start looking for a commercial kitchen. I really want to do some of the summer festivals and munch and music. I think what I will do is 2 times a month do a tasting party and start building up my clientele that way. That way it is relaxed and fun and informal. Yesterday I ate all raw. I just created this salad that is to live for. I will post the recipe at the end of the blog. Or else I will repost it later today.

My friend Beth is on her way over and I need to take a shower. I just got back from a run. I took my sweet doggie Tui and pooped her out she is crashed out on the floor right now. I have so much energy when I eat raw. It really is a natural high. Well I am going to have to post later, I really need to jump in the shower.

Take Care,

Jen

2008-03-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today was busy with raw food preparations. I had to prepare 9 entrees, 2 salads and 4 sandwiches. I made raw alfredo with zucchini noodles and mushrooms that had been sauteed at 105 degrees in the dehydrator. I also prepared fajitas (mushrooms, zucchini, onion, red bell pepper) smothered in chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice, nama shoyu, and olive oil. Then you place some cashew cheese on a piece of romaine lettuce and I filled it with cabbage and topped it off with some chipotle cashew sauce. It actually tasted pretty good. My brother came over today to help me do some prep work. You could tell he was scared to try some of the food that I made since he eats some really shitty food..(sorry bro but the truth hurts). He actually liked the Alfredo, and he said he couldn't believe it was made with nuts.

I ate two raw meals today, but after fixing food all day I have to admit I caved and ate a bean and cheese burrito. I've told you before..I love bean and cheese burritos and organic sulfite free wines. Just two weaknesses not too bad is it? They are having a raw potluck in Bend this Friday night. I want to go. It would be fun to meet some local raw fooders. Not that I should be calling myself a raw fooder quite yet. Although when you figure with all the raw food I do eat, it's still healthier than the average american person.

Take Care,

Jen

Crazy busy..

2008-03-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Another crazy week of food preparation. I really need to come up with some way to make my life a little less chaotic. I have 2 more people that want me to prepare food. I really need the universe to bring me a person that has some knowledge about starting a business. I need to know what to do next, as far as expansion. I am probably going to have to take this business out of my home and put it into a commercial kitchen. It feels as if everything is moving in warp speed. I just ordered a bunch of ingredients over the internet from www.rawguru.com. I think that is where the price break will come in. I don't think people realize how expensive organic ingredients cost. I am really disappointed in the switch of Wild Oats to Whole Foods. It seems as though Whole Foods just doesn't carry as much as Wild Oats did. They don't carry the raw cacao nibs. They also skimped out on the bulk spices. I usually don't shop there because I am not to interested in supporting big corporations. I usually give my business to Nature's and Devore's since they are both local small businesses. They keep the money flowing in Bend. Okay enough griping..

We have just gotten some more snow on the mountains recently. It has been chilly again. I am going on a run later. Taking my Tui girl for a nice run. She usually gets so tired on the way back that she slows down to a fast walk. I really haven't been as faithful to the raw diet as I should be. I will try today. I have some zucchini noodles that I will top with raw tomato sauce. I still have some of my curry and mock rice recipe left. I really want to attempt to make raw tortilla soup. Next time I will have to post my recipe on here. Well I am off to make the most of my day.

Spring Cleaning

2008-03-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Went for a run today what a nice day for it. Took my dog Tui and tired her right out. Tried the new restaurant Cafe Yumm. It was pretty good. I wasn't to raw today. Just had my green drink. Sunday my old boss Lynette was in town. She invited me over to her friends house and asked if I would bring some of my raw food creations. So I whipped up some cashew ricotta and made some beet ravioli's with fresh tomato sauce. I also made some raw bread and made a veggie sandwich. I also brought my mock tuna roll, and some raw chocolate goodies. They loved them. The lady asked if I would make 5 days worth of raw food can you believe my good fortune. So she wanted it for the following day 3 days worth of food. Monday I was busting my ass I made 2 soups. Thai Carrot and Cream of Zucchini, 4 veggie sandwiches, Tostada with walnut taco meat and raw lasagna. I hope she likes everything.

Today, Tuesday March 11th I was in a spring cleaning mood. I scrubbed and vacuumed my kitchen. Like a mad banshee.. I need to do that with every room in my house. It is so therapeutic to clean. I like listening to music and just getting really detail oriented. My kids have the next 5 days off. We will have to do something fun. I have been up and down the raw food wagon some days and weeks I do well and some weeks I don't. I am not sure why. I really want to go to Portland, Oregon soon..I get so inspired and excited by going there. I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately..That is what is so great about spring cleaning..out with the old and in with the new. The clock change is always hard for me. I don't like it. I like when I lived in Hawaii they don't change the clocks. It's so much easier on the body. Well my little blog diary that's enough pointless blather for a day.

Living the Raw life in Bend, Oregon

2008-03-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Jen Reed. I live in Bend, Oregon and this is my raw food experiment.

Started my day with my green smoothie. Here is todays recipe:

Green Smoothie

1 bag frozen cherries

4 leaves kale, spine removed

1 small handful dandelion greens

1 small handful cilantro

1 Tbl. coconut butter

1 cup water

Blend until completely blended

I am making some of Ronnie and Minh's Spring Rolls and Thai Carrot Soup for the family I prepare food for. I just got offered to do some catering for a birthday party out in Sisters. Sweet..

The power of intention is so strong. I am manifesting my wishes and desires..Thank you universe..You are so giving.

Here is my recipe for:

Thai Carrot Soup

10 large carrots, tops cut off

1 meyer lemon, remove rind, but leave pith in place

1-2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

1/2 tsp. himalayan salt

1 tsp. thai spice mixture (make sure you check ingredients, as some brands have shrimp in them, I think the frontier brand was shrimp free)

1 tsp. white miso (optional, but good)

1 Tbl. coconut butter, Artisana brand

1/2 an avocado

3 Tbl. Olive Oil (Bariani Brand)

garnish with cilantro finely chopped

Juice the first 3 ingredients in your juicer. Pour juiced ingredients into the blender, then add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve room temperature or warmed slightly in dehydrator. Garnish with chopped cilantro