Delicious Healthy Acai Dandelion Radicchio Pear Banana Smoothie

Purple deliciousness is just waiting for you! Another green smoothie delight that tastes like dessert! Today I poked around the kitchen and found enough organic items to make a smoothie. I was out of kale so I added some Green Magma powder instead. Lots of natural protein and super-foods in this smoothie! You can always adjust items to your preference and to what you have on hand. If you are afraid of the dandelion and radicchio being too bitter... don't worry as you will not even taste them. Yet they are still in there with their magical super powers helping your body to be healthier!

Acai Dandelion Radicchio Pear Banana Smoothie

1 cup Coconut water

2 TB fresh ground flax powder

2-3 Tsp chia seeds

2 TB hemp seeds

1 TB sunflower seeds 

1 Tb pumpkin seeds

1 TB Green Magma powder

1 capsule of Curcumin or 1/2 Tsp of Turmeric

1 Tsp Ceylon Cinnamon

2 shakes of Allspice

1 peeled banana

1 pear

handful of dandelion greens

3- 4 leaves of small Radicchio

1 frozen Sambazon Acai smoothie packet

I threw in some blackberries and blueberries from bags that were 

almost empty in the freezer too. About 1/2 of a cup total.

Put items listed above into blender in the order shown. Blend on high till mixed. Pour and enjoy. 

Don't forget to clean your blender by putting water in the pitcher and running it on high. Then you will just have to do a quick wipe down to clean up! If you are making smoothies before leaving the house just fill the pitcher with water, and finish clean up when you come home later. Heading out on the road? Put your smoothie in a mason jar or other BPA free travel mug.

I put a mason jar of this Acai purple smoothie in the fridge for my hubby to enjoy when he came home from his gig a few hours later. He loved it!

My yummy smoothie was attacked by elephants! Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!

Easy Cabbage Potato Soup

Ohhh! We do love the smell of soup in the winter! This cabbage potato soup is a winner! So says the King! He said this soup gets even better every day too! Making this healthy soupy stew the night before serving would be a fantastic idea. Let those flavors marry overnight! So romantic! Just like the King and I.

Since I tend to make my soups from whatever is around the kitchen, I wondered what beans would go with cabbage and potato? White navy beans would not fight the flavors. Luckily we had them in the pantry. Okay, Go! Just add mirpoix and spices. Easy!

Cabbage Potato Soup

(All ingredients are organic - especially the potatoes!)

4 celery stalks chopped

3-4 carrots sliced

1 yellow onion chopped

6-8 small buttery potatoes chunked

1/2 or 1 very small head of cabbage chopped into large pieces

1 box low sodium vegetable broth

4 cups of spring or filtered water

2 bay leaves

2 Tbs Dr. Fuhrman's veggie zest or 1 Tbs ground sage

Big handful of Bouquet garni spices

1 can white navy beans

Himalayan salt, garlic salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional additions to above recipe:

1 cup of chicken broth and then omit 1 cup of water.

6 sliced white mushrooms

Place the mirpoix of celery, carrots, and onion in stockpot. Add potatoes and cabbage. Add liquids and spices. Bring to a simmer then add rinsed navy beans. Simmer 2 - 4 hours or more. I let mine sit on the back of the stove on the lowest setting when everything is done. The King comes in for late suppers. Salt and pepper to taste. As always with soups and stews, you can adjust every ingredient to your own desires.

This makes a very satisfying soup that will thicken slightly each day as the potato and cabbage break down. Want to add more body to the soup liquid? Take a cup of the cooked soup ingredients, mash it up and add back to the pot. Enjoy!

NOTE: If you do not have a jar of Bouquet Garni in your spice collection then make your own mix of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dill, marjoram, sage, and tarragon. The tarragon tastes especially nice in this soup.

Only eat organic potatoes. Those nasty fungicides go deep into the flesh. No more toxins in our food, or our loved ones. Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!

Peek Inside My Healthier Pantry To Make Improved Processed Food Choices

When we start to eat healthier whole organic plant based foods most of us realize that we are still are going to be buying processed canned and packaged foods as well. That is modern life. So what types and brands of organic products should we purchase from a store? I will include a list below, although basically it's organic non-GMO foods. I really am not interested in the rest of those traditional supermarket foods of my past that mask themselves as something wonderful. On occasion when we must walk though a regular food store we are in amazement of how much useless crap is piled up in those places. Every aisle is one hot mess. A warehouse for chemicalized products that make people sick and diseased. I know... I was one of those medical victims of fake foods lacking any nutrition. As a result a few years ago those worthless fake food stuffs were put out into the trash as soon as I learned what was really going on with the industrialized food industry. 

After filling our kitchen and refrigerator full of fresh organic produce, we then tried over time to purchase canned and packaged food items that pass our label reading test. Choosing organic with as few ingredients as possible was the first step, along with no GMOS, no long list of chemicals, low salt, no msg, no BPA, and no ingredients that cause medical concern for us. There are only a few things I cannot find that are organic as of yet... like a good naan bread. I will not split hairs over that, and hopefully one will appear soon. New organic items are always coming on the market. Of course if you like to bake you can always make a items like naan from scratch. I also try to research as much as possible the companies that create the products. There are many brands that have been bought out by the usual suspects and we try to avoid those ones. I prefer to find the companies with a true organic and sustainable mission if I can.

I already showed you inside my healthier refrigerator, as well as how to organize your super-foods, in this post here. Finally I am making the pantry post that I promised would come next. Actually I had to do this post now since we are moving, and this cute pantry is being sold. I am forced by our situation to get to it, plus I also promised a friend! 

See the boxes stacked up next to the pantry? That is my life now. Although it has been my life for the past four months too... and that is another story. Anyhow we currently rent a home with a kitchen so small there is absolutely no room for pantry food. So I wanted to share with you my nifty storage solution for this tiny house. I did an Ikea hack on my computer hutch! Perhaps this will spark an idea to rethink a storage problem you may have in your own space challenged home. Linens, towels, and sheets could have easily been stored in this piece if I needed help in that area. This Ikea computer hutch has served well as our food pantry for the past 2 1/2 years. A simple and functional solution to re-purpose this furniture. I loved how the 12 x 12 scrap booking paper you find at 'Michael's Crafts' fit perfectly into the front glass windows. I chose an arts and crafts William Morris looking paper, then added a tassel, to give it some extra style. Our next kitchen is much larger and has tons of kitchen cabinets. So onward to a new kitchen adventure!

Enough about the outside of my pantry... I guess you really want to look inside my pantry... right? Oooops there it is! Busting with possibilities! I have listed some of the basic processed food items that you may see on the shelves of my pantry in the graphic below. I am also including a detailed list lower in this post with the company names so you can see which brands I have purchased. This is how the pantry looks when it's full after a trip to the Natural Foods Co-op and the Wegman's Organic section.

Here are a few close ups to see some product...

and the many mason jars for dried beans and wild rices...

We are always open to try new items or change something up. Certainly that does not mean we will buy that product again in the future. You have to try things to find out if you like them. For instance I bought the animal crackers for the grand kids and then found I ate way too much of them. They were not the best choice for our health anyway, so we will not get them again. I also find the rice based pasta to be binding to my system, so I rarely eat those noodles. You have to be aware of what your body is sensitive and allergic to as well when making choices. I have to stay away from soy because of my hypothyroidism. 

Here is how the pantry looked a few days ago. You can see the slide out for the keyboard in this photo. We have not been food shopping since we are busy packing for the move. Those lonely items have been put into open boxes as the pantry/computer hutch has been sold. Hubby stops at the nearby local national chain store and picks up a few needed items from their very spare organic aisles to get us by for now.

The list below are some of the products that we have found to be tasty, satisfying, as well as being a healthier choice in their categories. Needless to say most of the products listed are organic. We have done our best in making the better choices when it comes to boxed and canned foods from our local stores by being a label reader. Hope this peek inside my pantry provides you with some help in your quest to choose new canned and packaged processed food items from your market. Also be sure to check out my refrigerator organization post here, and how to organize your morning smoothie super-foods here. Don't forget my free shopping tips and shopping list on this page here. Plus my Food Substitutions and Foods to Avoid pages. Every little bit helps to keep you on track for a healthier life!

Vitamins: Dr. Fuhrman Food and Supplements, Host Defense Mushroom Supplements

Bottled Water: Mountain Valley glass bottles, Acqua Panna glass bottles

Coconut Water, Cocoa, and Juice: Harvest Bay coconut water, Billberry juice concentrate by Bionaturae, Tropical Traditions Cocoa powder, Rapunzel Cocoa powder

Teas: Traditional Medicinals, Tazo, Mighty Leaf, Tea Forte

Soups and gravy: Amy's Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup, Low Sodium and Pacific Natural Foods Vegetable Broth

Spices: Simply Organic Cumin Seed Ground Certified Organic, Frontier Organic Spices

Sweetener: Big Tree Farms Coconut Palm Sugar, Stevia drops

Salad dressing, sauces, vinegar, oils: Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Organic Raw, DeNigris Organic Balsamic Glaze, Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce, Gold Label Organic Virgin Coconut Oil , Bionaturae Organic Olive Oil ,Wegmans Organic and Dr. Fuhrman's dressings.

Beans: Dried bulk beans stored in mason jars, and canned Eden Foods brand.

Wild Rice, Sprouted beans, and Quinoa: dried from bulk then stored in mason jars, or Alter Eco brand, and TruRoots brand products.

Cereals: Arrow Head Mills Gluten Free Cereals, Natures Path Cereals, Erewhon Cereals, Bobs Red Mill

Tomato products: Bionaturae Tomato Sauce Products and Eden Foods Organic Crushed Tomatoes, Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomatoes

Crackers: Brown Rice Snaps, Black Sesame with Organic Brown Rice, Dr. Krackers Seedlander Crisp Breads , Mary's Gone Crackers, Le Pain des Fleurs, Mediteranean brand lentil crackers

Pastas: Eden Kamut Quinoa Pasta, Eden Buckwheat Soba Noodles, Eden Kamut/Buckwheat Soba Noodles, Explore Asia Organic Black Bean Spaghetti, Tolerant Bean Pastas, Tinkyada Brown Rice Pastas

Artichokes, Hearts Of Palm, Olives, Mashed potatoes: Edward & Sons Mashed Potatoes, Edward & Sons Vegetables, Mediterranean Olives

Salmon and Sardines: Wild Planet brand
Seaweed: Maine Coast Seaweed, Sea Snax

Flours:  Bobs Red Mill  I keep mine in the freezer.

Snacks: Heaven Mountain Gogi Berries, Garden of Eatin Chip Products, Late July Snacks Sea Salt multigrain tortilla chip , Justins Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Alter Eco Chocolate, KIND Nuts & Spices Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt (Choose only Kind bars that state they are between 4-6 grams of sugar on the front), GoRaw Cookies and snack bars, 
Just Great Stuff Organic Powdered Peanut Butter, Bionaturae Fruit Spreads, Justin's Peanut butter Squeeze packs, From the bulk department: unsweetened banana chips, dried hummus, and organic raisins.


Happy shopping and eating! Be happy, be healthy, be peace.

Hubby's Green Juice Blast Keeps Us Healthier

A big glass of Green juice is what we use to keep colds away especially over the winter months. My husband teaches everyday which places him in close contact with all manner of new germs or sickness. Since we have been drinking green juice regularly during the past couple of years, gone are the days of constant sickness! Whenever we feel a bug or germ is trying to get at us we make sure to prepare a big green juice! If we are on the road we get a 'green monster' at the local co-op or juice bar! So keep yourself and loved ones healthy by remembering to juice those fresh organic greens! Here is the recipe for Ben's usual organic green juice which you can of course adjust to what greens you have in your house. I am so grateful that he happily takes a big part in keeping us healthy by chopping the organic veggies and making this juice while I prepare and chop the dinner. Thanks honey! You are the best!!!

Ben's Green Juice Blast

1/2 - 1 Fennel bulb

Large handful of fresh baby spinach

Handful of fresh pea sprouts

1-3 Leaves of Swiss Chard

3 Stalks of celery

1 English Cucumber

1 Lemon

1-2 Green apples

Inch of peeled ginger

Optional 1-2 Carrot sticks (which will make the color a bit muddy)

All of the above ingredients are organic except our cucumber which was peeled to remove the toxins. After preparing your vegetables, fruits, and greens, by washing, peeling, or chopping, just place in your juicer. See my juicing guide here if you are unfamiliar with the routine. I love the fennel as that always adds a boost of flavor to the drink! Delicious! Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace.

Roasted Cabbage Steaks! Slab-O-Matic Side Dish Simplicity For You!

Are you too busy or what???? How about a stupid easy side dish? That's what I'm talkin' about baby! Not one for slaving in the kitchen. I just love it when the kitchen smells like I am hard at work! Yes, I like my healthy food quick, easy, and tasty too. You deserve some Zen out time during these hustle bustle holidays!

Be sure to purchase an organic green cabbage while you are out shopping. To get started remove the outer leaves, and rinse the cabbage clean. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your whole cabbage into thick steaks, approximately one inch, and arrange on baking sheet. 

Drizzle olive oil on the steaks and turn each over to coat both sides of those hunky cabbage slabs. 

Splash apple cider vinegar across those zesty cabbage slabs. Then liberally shake on cracked pepper and garlic salt. You could rub them down with real garlic if you prefer, then add pink Himalayan salt. Now place your slab-o-matic baking sheet on the middle rack in your pre-heated oven.

Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the slices over and roast for 30 minutes more. Go relax. The slabs are done when they have some golden brown edges. These are so delicious and melt in your mouth good!  The vinegar adds such a nice flavor to the finished dish. That makes sense as cabbage and vinegar are long-time pals.

Before serving shake on some Parmesan cheese, or vegan nutritional yeast across the cabbage steak.

Perhaps tonight you could serve your slabs with a veggie burger that you may have stored in your freezer a month ago. Just place your frozen burger on the baking sheet to reheat. So clever! Remember when you do not have time to be fussing in the kitchen serve up this super simple side dish made with cancer fighting cabbage. It just does not get any easier than slice, drizzle, and shake! So go put on your snazzy retro apron and serve the meal as if you have been in the kitchen all day. Slabtastic!

Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!

Holiday Spice Berry Green Smoothie

Royal purple is one of my favorite colors, so at first I almost called this smoothie the 'Purple People Eater.' Then I thought the youngins' would not get the reference, and they would assume the name had something to do with the unsettling modern craze for zombie everything. With a smoothie name like that, it would have been a better post for Halloween. Instead since I have always been a purple person, I named this spicy berry smoothie for those of us who love all shades of purple. Although sometimes sports teams ruin it for me, since the color purple should not have giant numbers and names pasted all over it. No. Imagine the royal color on gorgeous Renaissance brocades, silks, and velvety fabrics... or upon purple mountains majesty.... in sparkling giant geodes of amethyst... waving in huge fields of french lavender... or in a tall delicious spicy berry smoothie. Yes the Queen is positively passionate about Royal Purple people!

I also love how purple and rust go together. That gorgeous color combo even works with antioxidant rich healthy smoothie foods... such as blackberries, blueberries, and the earthy colors of these spices! Did you know that some of the healthiest of spices are already in your holiday kitchen? True. No sense in letting that allspice and cloves sit on the pantry shelf most of the year when they could be fighting inflammation in your body dear purple people! That is why I wanted to highlight adding these tasty scented spices to your smoothies at any time of the year. If you got it... use it baby!




Check out how in the video above and the links provided how consuming spices like turmeric, cloves, allspice, and ginger, can affect your health. (Although you must keep in mind to never add more than a pinch of nutmeg to your foods. It can be toxic when over used.) It's so simple to get more antioxidant goodness in your everyday foods by adding in even a small amount of familiar spices! Got to love that!

Let's get to today's smoothie! As always you can use what organic produce you have on hand. Just make sure your smoothie contains some potent greens. When using organic fruit there is never any need to ever add any sweeteners. It will be naturally sweet enough!

A Spicy 'Purple People' Smoothie

6 oz. Coconut Water

2 tsp Hemp seeds

2 tsp Chia

2 Tbs Ground Flax Seed

2 tsp Sesame seeds

1/8 tsp Allspice

1/4 tsp Ginger

1/8 tsp Cloves

1/2 tsp Ceylon Cinnamon only

1/4 tsp Turmeric

Small handful Pea Sprouts

1 Cucumber

Handful Lettuce Greens or Romaine

1/2 cup Blackberries (organic frozen okay)

1/2 cup Blueberries (wild organic frozen okay)

1 Banana

1 Kiwi

1 Pear

Optional

Dr. Fuhrman Vitamin D3 drops

Dr. Fuhrman DHA/EPA drops

2 tsp Green Magma powder
1 Tb Gogi berries

As always most ingredients should be organic. Place these healthy ingredients into your VitaMix or high speed blender. Blend per your machine's instructions. Be sure to let everything blend a minute or two longer than your usual smoothie making time to help break down some of those blackberry seeds. This also makes your smoothie a bit creamier anyway especially if you have a VitaMix. If you prefer to use grated ginger or turmeric root that is good too! If you have the supplement drops add them into your glass after you pour your smoothie, and then top off with a bit more smoothie. Mmmm a liquid purple salad for breakfast! Smells good. Looks beautiful! Tastes great! Get your spoons out and dig in, my playful purple people!

Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace.

Pesto Quinoa Sweet Potato Golden Beet Black Bean Veggie Bowl Of Comfort Food

That's a mouthful to say! It's got so much going on! This tasty colorful comfort food bowl full of vitamins and protein is very satisfying. Maybe I should add in some avocados and I would have all my favorite foods in one bowl! Mmmmmm. You can make this bountiful bowl with the root vegetables that you may have roasted on the previous day, like I did. Yes this bowl could be using up items that you may already have open in the fridge like those beans from your soup, salsa, or tacos. The leftover mushroom gravy quinoa with peppers and onions from the night before. Pesto you already made or have purchased in a container. Regardless of how you get the ingredients together it will be a bowl full of yum! Of course if you are using up leftovers that makes it super easy. Many other produce items can be substituted for what you have on hand. Get creative! If you have to start from scratch here is the rundown. This would make a great lunch meal for work too!

Pesto Quinoa Sweet Potato Golden Beet Black Bean 

Veggie Bowl

Sweet potatoes

Golden Beets 

Onions

Green peppers

Radicchio

Mushrooms

Kale, spinach, or chard

Black beans

Quinoa

Mushroom gravy

Pesto 

Hemp seeds

optional: avocados!

Re warm your cut up and roasted sweet potatoes, beets, onions -  see recipe here.

Cook quinoa in pot for 10 minutes. 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water covered. Bring to a boil then simmer like rice. Fluff when your quinoa has ringlets. 

Saute in water some chopped onion, chopped peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped radicchio, plus a large handful of kale, spinach, or chard. Then add a box of organic mushroom gravy and lightly stir. Add in the cooked quinoa and 1/2 cup of black beans. Lightly stir again.

Place you quinoa veggie and gravy mixture in bowl. Scatter your root vegetables over the top, sprinkle hemp seeds, and add a big scoop of pesto!

Curl up with this bowl and enjoy! Be happy, be healthy, be peace!

The Thug Kitchen And The WTF Cookbooks: Real Food For Real People Like You!

I am back from my Troll Cave! Yes, I am back at the ole' chopping block! Not on it I hope! Now that I have returned I want to start my blog posting with a few fun cookbooks that we should have in our crazy plant powered arsenal! Let's have a bit-o-fun! First up is the Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck! Total madness. But we are not done yet folks! As an added bonus you can buy yourself and your friends What the F*@# Should I Make for Dinner? WTF do you think of that? It's what you always wanted, right? These imaginative authors know how to get your attention, that's for sure. Just so you know... My sweet little self does not use that impure profanity in life... except when I stub my toe... and when the computer goes whack-a-mole.... Okay okay... you got me... I f*cking hate facebook that f*ing useless spy machine makes me so damn ... Alright now... calm down there is really good food to be eaten. Ahhhh, I just need an avocado intervention, thank you very much.

Yes, we can laugh and giggle when we read those off color words in relation to a recipe. It's unexpected fun. Hilarity will ensue, and gosh-gee-willikers everyone, we cannot get too serious about ourselves in the kitchen. After all we are just doing what comes naturally, not rocket science experiments. I know some of you say 'WTF!' when that uncooperative wayward piece of veggie material spins off the butcher block and rolls onto the floor under the refrigerator. Don't get all fancy pants on me. We are talkin' what is real. Real cookbooks, for real food people, eating real food. You are real? Oh you're not? I see, you're just the google spy-der catching my words for permanent storage into the massive database they are building in Utah with all the citizens' personal data. Well in any case these two unconventional cookbooks and their websites are really worth your time to discover and enjoy dear hungry spy-der. So did you hear the one about the drink that is a big-ass hug? Looks comfy. I think you can dig it. Take these cookbooks back to your punk-ass lair. You will learn to brunch like an effing' boss! Not sure what the hell to do with a eggplant? Thug Kitchen breaks it down for you my dear. Read that sh*t. They will let you know when it's peach season bitches. Now stop that spying on me m-effer' or I will eat you for protein!

Whoa sweet baby watermelons! That was fun! I am surely adding these highly entertaining cookbooks to my holiday list. Hell yeah! These fine upstanding cookbooks would make great holiday gifts for all the plant eaters, and non-plant eaters in your life! Feed me Seymour! This could be the sneaky way to get the unknowing 'junk foodies' into the "Good Stuff!" You know... and get them off of the chemicalized cr*p they eat everyday. We know this sh*t ain't hard! Anyone can chop vegetables... even me with my dull knife. These cookbooks are the damn truth, plus the food looks so delicious I want it in my belly now! C'mon get these swell cookbooks for your gifts, share the real food love with a smile, and then eat some m-f*ing greens people. Your immunity to colds will go up, and you just might lose that fog that the overlords want your mind lost in everyday. I have more energy now than when I was buried in the industrialized toxic fake food dump a few years ago... and my wellness factor has skyrocketed. Gotta love that!

Below is the official trailer for the Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck. I wish I made this video cuz it is so stinking creative! Just regular faces you would see on a F*ing TV commercial getting real about food habits. Everything is true and you know it! A must watch! Although do it without the kids in the room since there is explicit language.




Now go to the 'Thug Kitchen's badass recipe page. More than amusing, it's a world of food inspiration! And who doesn't like their comedy with a side of kick-ass-graphics? Just go there and do some real learning about real life and plants. Sign up. You will thank me. 

Onto your wacky infomercial Bonus material: It's the WTF website, more juicy words and tough lovin' food fun from Zach Golden. Follow the word prompts to the recipes. It is quite an unusual inventive little game. This site is for both meat eaters and veggie people. Although I recommend you flesh eaters only do that once a week, since there is a whole lot of badness going down with that sh*t. Don't even get me started in that direction. Oh my! I have got a fever! It is taking me over!

The f*cking energy in this post is exploding! We need to rock! Do yourself a f*cking favor and watch this kick ass music video about the numbing and dumbing down of America. Do you really want to OD on celebrity crap-ola, fake news, and info on useless meaningless lies. Hell yes the damn fake food-like stuff is one of their weapons of mass destruction. Sugar kills, and creates massive disease. Fake sugar products rot the brain. Turn off the f*cking TV, stop playing those idiotic games on F*cking facebook, and learn some real shit that can help us all. The corporate food paradigm is bullshit and killing people everyday. Get these handy dandy cookbooks, and make some real food from real plants. Fight the f*cking system and live! F*ck sports drinks and defy stupidity. Drink a damn organic green smoothie everyday! Get some organic food and grow it in your yard! Eat your kale just like grandma, and rock your face off to the video below with out running out of breath.

 

Honestly my sweet things I plan on owning these two recipe books for use in my kitchen. I also own up to my wheatgrass cravings m-effers... Cause I am that kinda gal. If I did not have grand-fraggles who would take their scissors and crayons to them... I would leave these cookbooks on the coffee table for all those people who need to get off that mindless industrialized take-out food crack. Word from the momma to my son. If you need some science to back up the fact that your convenience food is killing you just listen to this video sh*t below. A four minute video on how the right foods help people live longer. Throw that fake toxic food crap "To the ground!"




A note to my bloggy followers: Since I am back to posting on this blog after my short disappearance while creating our classical wedding music website (which you can go check out right now here... I mean it! I worked hard making that sh*t! Chopping the broccoli is easier!) I wanted to let you know that I am now working at putting together our first 'Queens Table' success story! Really exciting, lots of before and after photos! Look for that upcoming and inspiring post soon! Now I am learning some new tricks from you! 

So my dear friends this was another f*ing side of the Queen you don't get to hear from too often. Well neither do I! I kinda enjoyed myself! Ha! I think I got it out of my system for awhile. Some people get offended by the language in the cookbook not seeing it is all done in fun. Just like in our society a lot of people concentrate on the meaningless details of meaningless activities and do not see the big overall picture. The real point of this 'Thug Kitchen Cookbook' is to get people to eat real food that actually gives their bodies nutrient dense goodness, and have a good laugh. Anyway get on with 'your bad self' and check these cookbooks out! Buy them for those friends and family with a sense of humor, and a need for good whole food recipes. Save your sweet ass family from boxed food hell! Maybe they just might make you some great real food one day! We can hope. Or I'm afraid it's just the damn zombie apocalypse for real.

Be happy, Be healthy, Be peace.

Jicama Celery Cucumber Green Juice: A Light And Sweet Nutritious Libation

Treat yourself to a simple green juice with the added sweetness and body of jicama. This light Springtime green juice is a breath of fresh air, full of beneficial nutrients for your mind and body. Use your favorite glassware, and make everyday a special occasion to celebrate the healthier you! I love these seeded glass goblets... they make me feel like a Queen... if you know what I mean! So get out your beloved glassware, and rock your green juice today!

Purchase organic produce as much as possible, and remove the skin of items like cucumbers if they are not organic. Always peel the jicama regardless if it is organic or not, as the thick tough skin has low level toxins and must be discarded. It is actually the leaves, stems, and seed pods that are most toxic though, and the creamy flesh of the root is fine. Jicama is a wonderful addition to your produce basket especially if you are diabetic or sugar intolerant as it is very low glycemic for such a sweet tasting root.

Eaten raw or cooked, jicama is quite versatile and gives you the crisp snap and texture you may desire in many dishes. We often use the super crunchy water chestnut or apple like flavor of peeled and chopped jicama in salads. When jicama is added to your juice of choice it adds a wonderful mild earthy sweetness. You can read more about jicama in my post here.

Good organic whole food is a wonder and a blessing! Have you noticed that it just tastes better too? Without the dangers of pesticide and fungicide toxins, your veggies and fruits can provide you with clean healing goodness. Modern supermarket produce is generally grown on the poorest mineral depleted soils as well. If you buy from a local organic farmer who uses better soil practice you get even more nutrients. More reasons to buy organic and get those goodies inside of you!

Jicama Celery Cucumber Green Juice

1/3 - 1/2 jicama (depending on the size)

1 English cucumber peeled if not organic

4 stalks celery

1/2 lemon with some pith and peel left intact

1 - 2 organic only apples

1 inch peeled ginger root

 Chop and prepare veggies and fruit. Add to juicer. Pour into your glass and enjoy.

Have a bright inspiring day! Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!

Best Raw Superfoods And Snacks That Come In A Package! Recommendations From John Kohler At Natural Foods Expo West

Better healthy packaged snack foods???? Is this even possible? In the video below John Kohler showcases some of the least processed of the organic raw packaged foods that he spotted at the 'Natural Foods Expo West 2014.' Can you believe some of these food products could actually be good for you too!?! Many of you new to changing your eating lifestyle will appreciate that awesome news. 

We certainly promote eating whole foods over processed, and as always John also recommends eating whole organic live fruits and vegetables as the 'best' thing you can do for your health. When that is not possible, or you need a snack option on the road, he recommends that you look for packaged foods from the 'better' category. These products are especially useful for those people transitioning to a healthy whole foods lifestyle and currently used to purchasing packaged foods at the food market. In this video which I really recommend you watch, John chooses those food packages marked to be raw, organic, or freeze dried with the least amount of additives and processing. 




Concerned about cost? Most of these items are mainly snack foods, and not eaten that often. Price may not be that much of an issue compared to convenience. One of the main factors in having access to packaged shelf stable processed organic foods is to use them when we are busy, and do not enough time to prepare something fresh. For instance when we need to pack items for lunch, work, and in the car. It's good to have healthier options to grab than a waxy sugar bomb candy bar, a bag of chemicalized fake cheezy curls, or a bottle of toxic soda. Those items are not that cheap especially when you consider you are paying for no nutritional value whatsoever. That would be money for nothing as they sang in the original MTV days.

Some of the food items John shares are actually quite interesting and very useful. Imagine a fresh looking freeze-dried perfectly green avocado... all that is missing is the water! Crazy right? If you had one of those bags of avocados all you would have to do is just add water and instantly you can serve a bowl of guacamole! Craaaaazzzzyyyy! Now add a bit of water to fresh freeze-dried mango or blueberries and then add that fruit to your salad dressing. Mmmmm... that sounds crazy good to me. John Kohler also suggests we get the easy "Product Of Nature Micro-Greens Kits" for growing nutrient dense super-food baby greens in your home. Great idea for adding the freshest greens possible to your salads and smoothies! 

Since John Kohler from 'OKRaw', and 'Growing Your Greens' of 'You Tube' fame runs a juicer sales company called "discountjuicers.com,' he also does a short bit with a new juicer company too. A very busy and helpful guy, John is full of useful information! Check his links too!

I have done the investigative work finding these various food companies. I am providing links to the websites of the products that John speaks about at the Expo below. A few of these items are very new to the marketplace, and may be difficult to find in a store. 

Yes, eat your greens, veggies, and fruits, most of the time! When you do have a snack food, be sure to make that a "better" healthier choice too! After all we do not live on a tropical paradise with all our fruits and veggies within arm's reach. Realistically our pantry and kitchens will have convenience foods as well as fresh produce. Let's choose the packaged goods without chemicals, fats, sugars, salts, and without the high heat that has cooked any nutrients right out of the food. Keep processed and packaged foods simple and as real as possible. If you happen to see some of these healthier "better" snack options in your local natural food store don't be afraid to give them a try.

WEBSITES:
R.A.W. Real and Wonderful Snacks
Tender Grown Kale Chips
Home Grown Organic Freeze Dried Blueberries
Veggie Evolution Kale Chips (Old website here)
Nud Fud Raw Snacks
Pickled Planet
Cultures For Health Kefirs
Freeze Dried Avocado and Superfoods etc. SioSi and Yumma
Go Raw Foods
Product Of Nature Micro Greens Kits
Living Intentions Gone Nuts
Nature's All Foods Freeze Dried