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Six Tip-off’s for a Vegetarian on Thanksgiving!

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving without eating turkey?!

It’s simple. Come to realize…. there is so much more.

1. It’s not about the food … it’s about family. My daughter would always say… “Mom it’s not about the food it’s about fellowship”. Now does that mean I will eat turkey? No! But I will focus on having fun, laughing, and enjoying my family.

2. Bring a surprise dessert! I don’t know of anyone who does not love desserts! So why not whip up a good healthy raw vegan one like my “Raw Chocolate pudding” topped with shaved coconut or try my ” Pink Coconut Covered Cranberry Truffles”! Yummy!

3. Bring the Greens. No I’m not cooking turkey this year, (although I did that last year at our home for my son). Rather I will be taking a big green mouth-watering salad, a large colorful veggie tray and two dishes of sweet potatoes to our parent’s home. I‘ll add cranberries and walnuts to the salad for a festive look and the sweet potatoes… well I will make one dish WITH the traditional marshmallows and one without. That will put a smile on everyone’s face!

4. Leave the “Look” at home. You know the “look”. The disgusting one. The one that speaks a hundred words”. The one that judges and says… “Ewww… you are going to eat that!” But rather focus on the individual as a person instead of what they eat. Don’t leave a distaste in their mouth just because you don’t eat meat!

5. Give the gift of grace. What your family members or friends eat is actually none of your business! You are responsible for you and you only. Period. Come to think of it – that is freeing. That is grace.

6. Be thankful. The most important reminder for this day is to relax and enjoy. To make a mental list of things we are thankful for. For me… I’m thankful for God’s provision in my life, my health, my home and most of all my family.

From our family to yours,
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Kelly

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Categories Desserts, Recipes

Raw Fig- tastic Tart!

30 Aug

Raw figs. Hmmmm never had em, until….. I began creating my very own “Raw” dessert book using the ingredients out of “Song of Solomon” and plump fresh Figs just happen to be one of those ingredients!

Please enjoy one of my many discoveries that will be in my new up and coming ”Raw” dessert book! For this particular tart I smoothed on a layer of “Cacao caramel sauce” on top of the crust before I poured in the filling and piling on the fresh sliced figs!

FIG- tastic TART
1. Crust
1 1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brazil nuts
8- 10 medjool dates, de-seeded and soaked in water
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup cacao powder

1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup cacao nibs

2. Filling
3 cups raw cashews, soaked 1 hr.
3/4 cups lemon juice
3/4 cup coconut nectar*
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 vanilla bean, scraped*

3. Cacao Caramel Sauce
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/8 to 1/4 cup of maple syrup, grade B
4-6 medjool dates, de-seeded and soaked in water *
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

4. Topping
Fresh sliced figs

1. Crust
Blend the first five ingredients in a food processor until it holds together. Do not “over” blend or it will turn into a nut butter! Then add the raisins and cacao nibs, pulsing just enough to mix them in without totally disappearing!

Oil a spring form tart pan with coconut oil and press in pie crust
Set in freezer until ready to fill

2. Filling
Blend ingredients in a high-powered blender until creamy
Pour into chilled pie crust

* agave nectar or other sweetener may be used in place of the coconut nectar
*1 tsp of vanilla extract may be used in place of the vanilla bean

3. Cacao Caramel Sauce
Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until creamy
Adjust amount of dates to desired thickness of sauce and spread an even layer over the chilled crust

4. Topping
Slice fresh figs and gently pressed them into the filling in a layered fashion or you may use other fresh fruits of your choice!

*The Cacao Caramel Sauce is optional to this tart and all ingredients may be adjusted to your taste buds. Either way my friend Charlotte says, this dessert is ”FIG -tastic”!

Enjoy
Kelly

PS. I almost forgot! Right before slicing the “Fig-tastic Tart” I squeezed on agave nectar over the tart to give it a glistening look!

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Desserts, Recipes

4 Things to Avoid While Fasting

2 Aug

Now I know these four things might sound really silly to some, but if you have ever been on a long fast you will say “YES” and “AMEN” to what I am about to say!

Learning from experience, here are four things I try to avoid while on a fast ….

1. Crowds, Crowds and more crowds. I find it very disturbing being in the midst of a lot of people during a long fast or any type of fast for that matter - unless they too are fasting! The conversations, noises, questions, and intensity of inter acting can all be overwhelming – consuming all your energy. In order to stay focused, at peace and single-minded, it is important to seclude yourself to a quiet place (if at all possible!).
It is in this posture where I can hear my name being “whispered”!

2. Cookbooks and lots of them! Now I know you probably are saying “C’mon Kelly… for real”? Yes for real. Cookbooks and lots of them. While living in Malaysia, a few of my girlfriends and I went on a weekend fast together. We didn’t pack food but we did take lots of cookbooks with us. Wasn’t such a great idea as all it did was make our mouths water, tummy’s rumble and create a huge temptation for us to want to break fast!! Finally we did have to say enough is enough and put the cookbooks down so we could focus on prayer and the whole purpose of why we came together to begin with! But just in case you are wondering… here are a few of my favorite raw recipe books and a yummy bRAWnie recipe too!

3. Ignoring my emotions! We spend enough time burying, hiding, feeding and totally ignoring our true emotions. For me I just shut off my emotions and stay busy with life. I have discovered that fasting is a perfect time to allow the Holy Spirit to probe deep into my heart – revealing the real me. Just as my body experiences a physical healing during a cleanse so do my emotions – they have a voice but will we listen?

4. Breaking fast with PIZZA! I know I know… it was silly of me and believe me I will not be tempted to do it again! It’s just that it “smelled” so good and besides all I really ate were just a few bites. But those few bites were all it took. All I have to do now is remind myself of how sick I got that night! Since that 3 day fast I have come to realize that it is much harder to discipline myself coming off a fast then it is to stay on one. Now when I come off a fast, I break it with juices, then fruits and then on into smooshed steamed veggies and I do it very S-L-O-W-L-Y.
I would love to hear what you have learned to avoid while fasting. (and no… avoiding fasting all together is not an option!)
Drop me a line and let’s learn together.
Bless you
Kelly