Monday 30 March 2009

Life in the Valley of Longevity, Vilcabamba...

WELL, Mr M and I are LOVING life here in Vilcabamba, Ecuador :) We’ve been settling in for the last couple of days now, getting to know our land and new neighbours a little better...see below for more of the fun action in video format... ;)
Some things I am noticing here:

*My hair and skin INSTANTLY feel and appear healthier to me, just from being here in this cleaner environment with clean water and air, compared to the air pollution and chlorinated, chemical-water-cocktail in the UK... ;)
*I’m eating more fruit daily than I have done in MONTHS and feeling just dandy with it ;) It feels natural, easy, appropriate and fine to me, to eat fruit here – it is all local, ripe, packed with seeds, chemical–free and much of it is even wild...LOVE it :) The pineapple is just OUTRAGEOUSLY gorgeous – sweet, ripe, super–juicy, lush...
*I feel like I consistently breathe deeper here, as my lungs are so happy to admit this cleeeeeeaaaaaaaaan air deep into my structure...YUMMY :)

If you haven’t seen the first three of our videos from here, here are the links for them:


on March the 29th I had:

1 quart water
a cherimoya and a little papaya
2 cups water
2 tbsp bee pollen with hemp seed
fruit salad – peach, passion fruit, pineapple
2 cups water
2 tbsp green powder
big bowl of YUMMY salad – lettuce, tomatoes, sugar peas, cilantro, green onions, with an amazing avo/cucumber/lemon/tahini/garlic dressing, with flax crackers
a snackaroooooooon :)
2 cups water


on March the 30th I had:

1 quart water
big bowl of GORGEOUS fresh fruit salad
cup of herbal tea
1 tbsp Greener Grasses powder
3 cups energy soup with flax crackers, followed by a handful of Celestial Cina-Pecan Nuts
3 cups water
2 cups cucumber/pineapple/lime juice
2 cups cucumber/parsley/apple/ginger juice
handful of olives, nibble of guacamole and yummy mug of red tea
2 cups water




LOVING the manifestation of the ACTUAL quartz crystals on our new beach ;) LOL...the Universe is SO kind :)
Mmmmmmm, I am SO looking forward to using my hands much less for tapping on a keyboard and instead tapping into Pachamamma’s energies, as we start to plant up trees and shrubs on our land this week, all being well...my heart just SWELLS with excitement and my whole being BEAMS at this prospect... :)
Mr M is uploading videos daily of our adventures here, so keep up with the latest movements HERE if you wanna see more of what's unfolding...

All love,
Miss Stokes. xxx

Saturday 28 March 2009

Visions of Vilcabamba :)

PHEWWWWWWW... WELL, what an AMAZING first day we have had here in Vilcabamba, Ecuador...I am feeling just blown away by the wonder of being here...cleeeeeaaaaaan, fresh air, outstandingly abundant flora, exotic birdlife, stunning mountains, AMAZING mineral-rich soil and food, blue skies, exotic flowers and scents...wow, wow, WOW :)
I'd like to share the day in some pictures...as I post this, Mr. M is also editing a little video from today to post to TheRawFoodWorld.tv, so you can check that out over there as well, to see us in action as we met our gorgeous land today for the first time :)))) WOW :))))

The view from the dining room of the hotel :)


The morning llama, outside our room ;)

on March the 26th I had:

1 quart water
2 cups rejuvelac
20 chlorella ‘nuts’
½ a papaya
a nori roll stuffed with avocado, red bell pepper, cucumber, mixed sprouts
3 cups water
an apple, a few brazil nuts
2 cups water
2 nori rolls stuffed with avocado, red bell pepper, cucumber, mixed sprouts
2 cups water

Mr. M checkin' out the trees...

on March the 27th I had:

1 quart water
bowl of YUMMY apple mush made by the Monarch – apples, cinnamon, tahini, goji berries, blueberries
30 chlorella ‘nuts’
a selection of pieces of gorgeous local fruits in Quito, including passion fruit, wild blackberry/mulberries, some unidentified type of sapote, wild peach, nectarine, dragon fruit
3 cups water
a dried raw food traveller’s meal – kale chips, crackers, Rawnola cereal
3 cups water

WOW ;O

on March the 28th I had:

1 quart water
plate of pineapple, papaya, passionfruit, peach
1.5 tbsp Greener Grasses powder
2 cups water
1.5 cups freshly made soya milk ;O
nibbles of things in the garden in Vilcabamba – parsley, mint, spinach, AMAZZZZZIIINNG raspberries, guavas etc
2 cups INTENSE green juice: alfalfa, celery, parsley, carrot
bowl of salad with flax crackers and almond butter, followed by a coconut snackaroon :)
3 cups water


Down by the Riverside...


Mr. M in contemplation on a piece of our plot...


YUMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY :))))
Miss Stokes. (with cheeks that ache from smiling so much ;) xxx

Thursday 26 March 2009

Raw in Ecuador :)))

This is my first post from Ecuador :) I am sooooooooooooooo excited to be back with my beloved Mr. M again and to begin the next phase of our lives together :)
We arrived here to Quito late last night and today we go down to visit our land in Vilcabamba, in the southern part of the country. We are feeling EXTREMELY blessed and blissed :) We intend to continue posting daily shows over at TheRawFoodWorld.tv, so check in over there too if you’d love to see what we’re up to...
I have never been to this continent before and am feeling a wonderful sense of adventure and expansion :) In the last few months in the UK, I have been gently massaging the parts of my brain that used to understand Spanish – I guess we’ll be finding out in the next few days how much has been resurrected from the tombs of my memory banks ;) At the moment things seem to come out of my brain more in Icelandic, which is not sooooooo useful here... ;)

on March the 22nd I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, endive, fennel, ginger, apple
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups hemp milk with a little bowl of YUMMY raw pudding, containing sunflower seeds, soaked dried apricots, persimmons, cinnamon and chia :)
2 cups water


on March the 23rd I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, fennel, endive, zucchini, ginger, apple
½ pineapple
2 cups energy soup with tahini and okra on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups hemp milk with a bowl of DELICIOUS chia pudding – chia, hemp milk, carob, chunks of apple – YUMMMMMMMMM :)
2 cups water

Speaking of The Raw Food World TV Show, did you catch some our recent episodes? Much fun methinks ;)
If you’d love to see what we’ve been up to, here are a couple of recent links below to see...

*An interview with the divine Shazzie at her new home in a lovely community in the south of England (check out the uber–cool nose pose ;)

*An update on the doggies we rescued from Mexico earlier this year – :O – I was BLOWN AWAY personally to see the difference in them...and soooooooooooo grateful :) See HERE.

*Mr. M and I re-united again here in Ecuador, after THREE MONTHS apart :)))) See HERE.


on March the 24th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, fennel, endive, zucchini, ginger, apple
2 cups energy soup with tahini and okra on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 apples
2 cups hemp milk with a bowl of DELICIOUS chia pudding – chia, hemp milk, carob, chunks of apple – YUMMMMMMMMM :)
2 cups water


on March the 25th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeen juice: celery, cucumber, parsley, fennel, endive, zucchini, ginger, apple
2 cups energy soup with tahini and okra on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups hemp milk with a bowl of DELICIOUS chia pudding – chia, hemp milk, carob, chunks of apple – YUMMMMMMMMM :)
tablespoon of bee pollen
½ a papaya
mug of ‘love’ tea :)
1 cup water

EEeeeeeeek, apologies to those of you who have been trying to purchase tickets to our upcoming events in Seattle and having issues with the online store checkout... Apparently the system was showing up ‘sold out’ signs and error messages – apologies. The events are still on and there are still tickets available ;)
You can see the details and purchase tickets for the full–on plush gala fundraising evening on April 10th HERE.
You can access more info and tickets for our talks the next day at Bastyr University HERE.
Again, I am sooooooo excited to be speaking at a university, potentially accessing many fresh, open, vibrant younger minds – if anyone in the Seattle area would love to help spread the word about these events, please contact monika@rawwashington.org and she’ll happily hook you up ;)

We also now have talk dates set up for April and May in many other places in Oregon/California/Nevada – you can see all the events on Mr. M’s highly organised page HERE (wow, you’d think he was the one with all the Virgo in his chart... ;)
More talks to come, all over N. America, all being well...if you’d love to help us set up an event in YOUR area, please drop us a line at angela@rawreform.com and we will see how we can flow together...

THANK YOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU :)
With love, gratitude and ENORMOUS excitement from Ecuador :)
Miss Angela Stokes. xxx

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Sweetness without Sugar–Spikes: Low–Glycemic Raw Foods

In recent years, a number of lovely low–glycemic raw food sweeteners have appeared on the market, which can be wonderful additions to any healthy eating plan. However, many people feel unsure how to use these delectable ingredients. In this article, you can find out the ‘skinny’ on delicious foods such as lucuma, mesquite, yacon, carob and stevia PLUS how to use them in raw food recipes :)

Lucuma
Lúcuma (Pouteria obovata) is a Peruvian sub–tropical fruit that is usually found in raw food stores as a powder, made from the dried fruits. This yellow–gold, rich powder is actually my FAVOURITE of the lower–glycemic sweet raw powders, as it has a unique, delicious taste – something similar to shortbread or caramel.
Lucuma used to be called ‘The Gold of the Incas’ and is said to be the most popular flavour for ice cream in Peru where it natively grows ;) Lucuma is related to mamey, green sapote and canistel (egg fruit) and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, beta–carotene, B vitamins and iron.


Yacon
Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a root vegetable, also native to Peru, in the Andes. Yacon can be found in many forms in raw food stores – syrup, powder, dried slices. It is often called the ‘apple of the earth’ and is related to the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke. The syrup is very thick, dark and sweet while the dried slices taste a bit like dried pineapple slices and make great snack food, or trail mix additions.
Yacon is actually said to be ‘no glycemic’ as the sugars it contains (inulin/fructooligosacaride (FOS)) cannot be absorbed by the human body, which makes this a low–calorie product popular with diabetics and those with other sugar–related issues such as candida. Yacon is reputed to be a pre–biotic and a pro–biotic, meaning it supports the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. It is also rich in fiber, potassium and antioxidants.


Mesquite
Mesquite powder is made by grinding the seed pods of the mesquite tree (Prosopis spp. – also known as algorroba) – a leguminous plant found in arid/desert areas worldwide. This golden powder has a distinctive, sweet, almost nutty taste.
Mesquite powder is high in protein, lysine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and dietary fiber. Mesquite is another sweetener recommended for diabetics or those interested in balancing blood sugars.


Carob Powder
Carob powder is also made by grinding seed pods – this time, the pods from the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). Carob is another leguminous tree, native to the Mediterranean – it also grows well in California and Florida.
Carob has long been appreciated as a non–stimulating alternative to chocolate. The silky–fine carob powder from Italy that we sell is the richest, most chocolaty carob powder I’ve ever tried. Look out too for dried whole carob bean pods.
Carob is not particularly sweet by itself, however, combined with any of the other sweeteners mentioned here, you can create delicious chocolate replacements. Carob is said to be rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B Vitamins, Vitamin A, protein and fibre and is also traditionally used to relieve diarrhea in infants.


Stevia
The herb stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is part of the sunflower family, native to South and Central America. It is very popular with diabetics as it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and is almost calorie–free.
Stevia can be obtained in different forms, from the whole leaves, to crushed leaves, powders, liquid extracts and so on. It is intensely sweet and only a very small amount is required in recipes (it’s easy to accidentally use too much stevia and alter the taste of meals, so add it in small amounts to begin with ;)
Stevia is said to contain calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc, though it is usually used in such tiny amounts that the nutritional benefits might be minimal... It’s used more as an easy way to add a lot of sweetness without adding more calories/bulk to a dish.


Other Sweet Treats

Goji Powder/Goji Berries
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) have become very popular in recent years as a healthy sweet ‘superfood’. They are part of the nightshade family. Dried whole goji berries are very widely available, along with goji berry powder. I LOVE the goji berry powder and feel it is best eaten straight from the packet ;) It can be used in smoothies, puddings, cakes and so on too though. Gojis are said to be rich in protein/amino acids, B Vitamins, beta carotene and minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and zinc.


Pomegranate

Pomegranate fruits (Punica granatum) are native to the Middle East and are now grown all over the world. Pomegranates are a medium–glycemic, delicious fresh fruit and it is also possible to get dried, concentrated pomegranate powder and dried whole pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate powder is bright pink and tastes a bit like sherbet ;) It’s nice used in smoothies, cakes and puddings. The dried whole pomegranate seeds can be used like any other dried fruit, though they are much more ‘tart’ in flavour than something like dates/apricots. Pomegranates are said to be rich in B vitamins, Vitamin C, iron and potassium.


Hemp Protein 50%
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a plant with many uses, from food to clothing, fuel, paper, cosmetics and more. Hemp powder 50% is a powdered hemp product made by Nutiva that contains less fibre and more protein – 50% protein. It is sweeter than most hemp powders because there is less fibre. While this powder is not super–sweet by itself, it is certainly a unique, nutrient–packed ingredient for sweet raw dishes. Hemp is rich in essential fats, protein, vitamin E and iron.


Coconut
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an awe–inspiring plant with myriad uses. As a food it is available in many raw forms such as coconut flour, oil, butter, chips, shreds or simply fresh coconut water/meat. Coconut is naturally a little sweet.
Coconut water is a rich source of electrolytes and in general coconut offers healthy fats, iron, zinc phosphorus and some B vitamins, among other things.
I love using coconut butter, flour or fresh coco water/meat in sweet meals, plus adding coconut chips to soups for a tasty, chewy garnish ;) My absolute favourite use of coconuts though is drinking the sweet, fresh coco water – YummmMmMmmmm...


Nuts & Seeds
Some nuts/seeds and their butters have a natural sweetness to them, which can make them ideal choices in recipes like cakes, cookies, grawnolas etc. I find almonds naturally a little sweet for example, along with macadamias, hemp seeds, pine nut butter and hazelnut butter.


Bee Pollen

While different bee pollens can differ vastly in their taste, colour and texture, they are usually naturally at least a little sweet. The best bee pollen I’ve ever tasted was from a little bee–keeper in New Orleans somewhere and the pollen actually tasted like chocolate ;O I don’t know what those bees had been picking up but it was a gorgeous concoction.
Bee pollen is a nutrition treasure–trove – proteins, amino acids, folic acid, B vitamins, trace minerals, vitamins E and K and much more...
I like to just eat bee pollen by itself usually. We have a gorgeous sweet pollen in our store that I eat regularly. One of my favourite ways to eat pollen is to simply mix together pollen with shelled hemp seeds as a nutrient–packed ‘trail mix’ or snack.
(Warning: some people can get allergic reactions to bee products/pollen – always try a small amount at first.)


Honourable Mentions:

Cinnamon
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a spice made from the cinnamon tree. Cinnamon is naturally a little sweet, plus warming and pungent.
Cinnamon ‘quills’ are made by stripping bark from cinnamon trees and drying it. The dried bark is then commonly made into a powder.
Cinnamon is said to have a high level of antioxidants, manganese, iron, calcium and there are also reports that it can be useful in treating diabetes/blood sugar imbalances.


Vanilla
Vanilla (Vanilla spp.) is an exotic, pungent spice derived from the seed pods of orchids. Vanilla is available in different forms like whole vanilla pods, vanilla powder, liquid forms and so on. We have an incredible vanilla powder for sale, along with whole beans.
While vanilla is not particularly sweet by itself, it makes a lovely addition to many sweet raw dishes. Vanilla is well–known as an aphrodisiac and is also said to be a great aromatherapy scent to help handle food cravings.


Maca
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable native to the Peruvian Andes. Maca is not particularly sweet by itself, yet is quite often used in sweet raw dishes as a ‘superfood’ addition. Maca is most commonly found in powdered form and is usually a creamy colour, though red and black maca powders are also available (green and purple roots also grow ;)
Maca is renowned as an energy–enhancer, aphrodisiac, adaptogen, hormone balancer and nutrient powerhouse. It is rich in minerals like selenium, calcium, magnesium, iron, plus protein, fatty acids and amino acids.


CamuCamu Powder
Camu berries grow on small, wild trees (Myrciaria dubia) from the Amazon rainforest of Peru/S. America. Camu powder, made from the dried berries, can be purchased from raw food suppliers. It is usually pink in colour, a little sweet and very ‘zingy’, a bit like sherbet ;) It is reputed to contain the highest amount of Vitamin C of any food, along with flavenoids, calcium, iron and amino acids.
Camu by itself is a bit more ‘zingy’ than sweet – it can be used to add ‘zing’ to sweet dishes though ;) I usually just take it by itself as a powerful, bioavailable vitamin C supplement.


Fresh Low Glycemic Foods:

If you’d prefer to have some fresh low glycemic sweet treats, here’s a list of yummy possibilities:

*berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries etc.)
*limes/lemons
*fresh cherries
*grapefruit
*non–sweet ‘fruits’ like bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra
*fresh corn
*rhubarb
*edible flowers and blossoms, such as mallow, borage, fuchsia, hibiscus, jasmine and squash blossoms.



Recipes
You can create untold sweet wonders using different combinations of the above ingredients ;) For a little inspiration to get you started, here are eight recipes that use a variety of the foods mentioned above:

*Almond Dreambars
Watch HERE to see how to make these dreeeaaaammmmy smooth treats ;)
Ingredients: almond butter (or any nut/seed butter), coconut oil, lucuma, goji berries


*Hemp Milk
Click HERE to watch my demo of how to make a sweet, yummy hemp milk drink.
Ingredients: hemp seed (butter), cinnamon, cardamom, sweetener such as lucuma/yacon/stevia/dried fruit. Optional: maca, whole goji berries to float in milk ;)


*Yumballs
Visit HERE to learn how to create some delicious goji berry ‘yumballs’ for sweet treats from the fridge ;)
Ingredients: goji berries, nut/seed butter, yacon/lucuma powder. Optional: hemp protein 50%, stevia, cinnamon, maca


*Yumpots
One of my favourite, quick ways to make smthg sweet, raw and delectable is to simply mix up a few of the ingredients mentioned above, by hand, in a little bowl. I call these ‘yumpots’ and the variations are endless – here’s an example, to serve one:

1 tbsp hempseed butter
1 tbsp carob powder
1 tbsp yacon powder
big pinch cinnamon powder
water to thin to desired consistency
optional: 1 tbsp goji berries to stir in for chewability

Simply put all the ingredients into a little bowl, mix together by hand and ENJOY :)


*Truffles
Sweet raw truffles can easily be made up in batches and kept in the fridge or freezer for instant sweet satisfaction as and when desired ;) Again, the possibilities are endless, here is a basic example recipe to start with:

3–5 tbsp (to taste) of powdered sweetener of your choice – e.g. lucuma, yacon, mesquite powders (NOT stevia in these quantities ;)
3 tbsp almond butter OR 1 cup soaked nuts of your choice, e.g. walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans
½ cup carob powder
Liquid to combine – e.g. water, nut/seed milk, fresh coconut water – to desired consistency

Combine everything in a food blender/processor until all bound together in a big sticky lump. Divide out into small balls and chill in fridge or freezer. Can be rolled in powder (e.g. hemp protein 50%) or shredded coconut, decorated with gojis and so on – use your creativity ;) Add different things like coconut oil/butter, vanilla, cinnamon, bee pollen, a couple of drops of orange/peppermint oil, maca, camucamu powder etc for different tastes and effects.


*Satisfying Smoothies
Again, the possibilities for sweet, low–glycemic, satisfying smoothies are endless. Here’s an example recipe to get you started (for one person):

2 cups nut/seed milk (see hemp milk recipe above to see how to make nut/seed milk if unsure) OR the water and meat from a young coconut
2 tbsp lucuma powder
½ tsp maca powder
pinch of stevia
big pinch of cinnamon powder

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender and enjoy :) As elsewhere, try different ingredients/combos to your taste – e.g. add goji or pomegranate powder, hemp protein 50% powder, sprinkle with bee pollen or go chocolate–y with a heaping tablespoon of raw carob powder ;)


*Chia ‘Rice Pudding’
Chia seeds are a wonderfully energising, light, filling food to use in puddings, cookies and cakes. Here’s a simple chia mock ‘rice pudding’ idea (serves one):

4-5 tbsp dry chia seeds
2 cups nut/seed milk of choice (e.g. almond, hemp milk)
2 tbsp lucuma or mesquite powder
pinch of stevia
big pinch of cinnamon powder
optional: cardamom to taste

In a blender, mix together all the ingredients except the chia seeds. Pour the mixture out into a bowl, stir in the chia seeds and let them soak up the liquid for at least 10 minutes before eating. You might also like to stir in some goji berries or coconut chips, top with some goji powder, add some maca powder or sprinkle with carob powder before serving...Enjoy :)


*Green Goddess Ice Cake
This gorgeous recipe is from Icelandic Raw Goddess Solla, voted one of the top raw food chefs in the world, in the 2008 Best of Raw Awards :)
You can use this as a complete recipe for a cake, or you can also just make the base to use as candy balls or just make the filling, as a pudding – this is a versatile recipe... Solla recommends making the cakes in small muffin molds...

Cake Crust (this can also be made into little ‘candy’ balls)
3/4 cup soaked almonds
1/4 cup raw coconut flakes
1 cup goji berries
1 Tbsp organic lime zest
hint of vanilla or cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Himalayan crystal salt

Process all the ingredients together in a food processor. If the mixture seems very dry, add 1-2 Tbsp of water, then press the crust into a cake pan or muffin molds.

Cake Filling (this can also be served on its own as a pudding – perhaps using avocado instead of coconut meat)
1 cup young coconut meat (OR pine nuts and/or macadamias - soaked for 2-4hrs)
3 Tbsp lucuma
1 Tbsp mesquite
1/2 cup yacon syrup
1/3 cup lime juice
2-3 Tbsp lime zest

Blend all the ingredients for the filling in a high speed blender or a food processor until smooth and creamy, then pour the filling over the crust. Place the cake(s) into the freezer for at least 1-2 hrs. ENJOY :)

Solla is the chef for our 30–Day Raw Food Weight Loss Programme ‘The RevitaLive Plan’, which offers a full 4–week, low–glycemic raw food menu planner, with all the recipes included. You can see more about RevitaLive and access Solla’s recipes HERE. We also offer ongoing monthly meal planners from Solla, in our ‘Inner Circle’ raw food community, see HERE.

If you’d love more inspiration for making low–glycemic sweet raw treats, I recommend checking out Kate Magic’s unique superfood recipe book, ‘Raw Magic’, which includes many of the above ingredients in the recipes.
Evie’s Kitchen’ by Shazzie is another great resource for recipes with these alternative sweeteners.
I also always recommend checking out online raw recipe resources like goneraw.com for further ideas.


I trust this has given you some extra inspiration for your own raw food experiments.
Most of the dried foods mentioned above can be found at the RawReform Store.
Enjoy :)

Sources:
TheRawFoodWorld.com
Wikipedia.com
RawReform Recipes Book

Sunday 22 March 2009

Raw Food Gardening - Grow Your Own :)

WELL, after the Equinox on Friday, it truly feels like Spring is here now :) LOVING IT :) It also happens to be Mother’s Day here in the UK today:

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mummas :)

In honour of all this, I feel it’s prime time to get out in the garden, give gratitude to Mumma Earth and get planting some food for the coming months – which is precisely what you can see me and my mum doing in today’s episode of ‘The Raw Food World TV ShowHERE.


on March the 20th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
2 cups greeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, parsley, ginger, lemon
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini
mug of spicy teaaaaaa
3 cups water
½ a delicious pineapple
3 cups hemp milk with cardamom/cinnamon
1 cup water

While we’re on the subject of gardening, I was absolutely DELIGHTED to receive news from a couple of readers this week that it seems Michelle Obama is indeed starting to grow food on the White House lawns :) :) :) How wonderful :)
Remember in this post HERE a few weeks back, I mentioned the 'Eat The View!' campaign from Roger Doiron, to encourage the Obamas to grow food at the White House? Well, it looks like it’s all falling into place, according to these newspaper reports:


Local schoolchildren have been helping Michelle plant over 55 varieties of veggies and fruits, all raised organically :)

Check out some of these quotes from the articles:

“There’s nothing really cooler,” Mrs. Obama said, “than coming to the White House and harvesting some of the vegetables and being in the kitchen...and actually experiencing the joys of your work.”

“You can begin in your own cupboard,” she said, “by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables.”

“Mrs. Obama led a cheer with the children, shouting, "Let's hear it for vegetables!" and "Let's hear it for fruits!"”

:O
It really seems there is a raw-friendly lightworker in the White House :) Thank you, Michelle... May your garden flourish and spread inspiration far and wide :)


on March the 21st I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
½ a pineapple
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini
3 cups water
3 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, endive, parsley, ginger, apple
½ an apple with 3 cups of hemp milk w/cinnamon/cardamom
2 cups water

...and it seems the inspiration and joy of growing food is indeed spreading rapidly at the moment – check out another article sent in recently by one reader – Lynn:


You can read the whole article HERE. It’s an insightful and interesting look at the current movement to work with the land, in the wibbly economic climate :)
There are some very cool little stats in this article, such as:

* "The National Gardening Association estimates that a well-maintained vegetable garden yields a $500 average return per year. A study by Burpee Seeds claims that $50 spent on gardening supplies can multiply into $1,250 worth of produce annually."
* "Community gardens nationwide are also seeing a surge of interest. The waiting list at the 312-plot Long Beach Community Garden has nearly quadrupled -- and no one is leaving, said Lonnie Brundage, who runs the garden's membership list."
* "Seed companies say this renaissance has rescued their vegetable business after years of drooping sales. Orders for vegetable seeds have skyrocketed, while orders for ornamental flowers are flat or down... Harris Seed's Web site now gets 40,000 hits a day."

WOW :) I am SOOOOOOOOOO thrilled to see all these amaazzzzzing shifts...we truly are SO blessed :)

Well, I hope this has given you some inspiration to get out there and get planting, if you haven’t got anything in the soil yet this year ;)
ENJOY :)
All love,
Miss Stokes. xxx

Thursday 19 March 2009

Raw Food Fundraising and Fun in Seattle - Join Us :)

WELL...life has felt like a bubbling torrent of excitement and unfolding possibilities since getting my US visa on Tuesday ;) My cheeks ached from my perma-grin, my mind swoooons at where to focus my attention next, from moment-to-moment - garden planning, wedding details, plane tickets, travel plans and so on (time for my inner Virgo to shine, please ;)... and my heart swells from reading all the beautiful messages of congratulations and excitement pouring in - THANK YOOOUUUUU, everyone :))))
After 10 weeks of 'quiet' winter-time in England, spring is here and it feels like life is expanding in all directions at once :))))
We are SOOOOOOOO excited to see what unfolds from here :)))))
Some things are in fact already falling into place. Read on below for more info... ;)

on March the 18th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeeeen juice: cucumber, celery, endive, fennel, zucchini, ginger, apple
3 cups hemp milk with cinnamon/cardamom
2 apples
mug of reishi/ginger tea with purple corn flapjacks
2 cups greeeeeen juice
a lovely shared meal at Manna including love burger, sandwich, pesto and coconut treat with ice cream :)
a few broccoli florets with pesto
3 cups various teas

Mr Monarch and I are delighted to announce that our first talks back in the USA will be in Seattle on April the 10th and 11th. :)

On the evening of April the 10th, we will be the keynote speakers for the Raw Network of Washington's 3rd Annual Gala Event. This special, 'black-tie', fundraising event runs from 6pm and features a delicious four-course gourmet raw meal, live music, a silent auction, live auction, and raffle, all with masses of raw food goodies on offer. The event is at the Columbia Tower Club's beautiful dining rooms, with panoramic, breathtaking views of the downtown Seattle skyline, Lake Washington, and Puget Sound.
This is a fantastic opportunity to get your shiniest dressing-up clothes on and get out to meet some other raw lightbeings, while helping to raise funds for the Raw Network of Washington's raw food education/support centre. NICE :) You can book tickets for the gala HERE (note - ticket numbers are limited for this event, so get in there quick if you wanna come play... ;)

The next day, on April the 11th, the Monarch and I shall be excitedly taking to the stage again for our first full-length sharings of the season...this time at Bastyr University.
Mr. M speaks first, from 11am, then after lunch I shall clear my throat and take to the platform around 2pm...we hope to see you at these events if you're able/willing/excited to come out and play :) Tickets for the talks on the 11th can be summoned from HERE.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-HAH - we are back in action ;)
...and if you are in the Seattle area and would LOVE to help promote these events with posters in the area, please contact the lovely Monika on monika (at) rawwashington.org and she can co-ordinate with you about that - personally, I would especially be excited to see lots of university students at the lectures on the 11th, as we're speaking in an auditorium at Bastyr University - an ideal opportunity to spread the raw message to many young, vibrant, open minds, methinks :)

You can see ALL our upcoming events on Mr. M's site HERE and if you would love to help organise an event for us to speak at, in your area, just go HERE to drop us a line about that...
THANKS :)

on March the 19th I had:

1 quart water
mug of ‘wild power’ tea
3 cups greeeen juice: cucumber, celery, endive, fennel, zucchini, ginger, apple
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
mug of 'wild power' tea
2 cups greeeen juice: cucumber, celery, endive, fennel, zucchini, ginger, apple
an apple with 3 cups of cinnamon/cardamom hemp milk
mug of rooibos tea
1 cup water

Alright, last chance ladies and gents in the UK/Europe - I have 3 bags of our lovely chia seeds here that I can post out before I leave here, to anyone who would love to receive them ;)
They are £10 per bag (454g/1lb), plus p&p. I also have most of the books mentioned in THIS POST HERE too...if you'd love any of these yummy items, email me on angela (at) rawreform.com, stating your preferences and postal address of choice and I shall don my postal hat for the last round of the season... ;)

With love, levity and a sidekick to the left,
Miss Stokes. xxx

Tuesday 17 March 2009

I GOT MY VISA :)))))

(((((((((((: I GOT MY FIANCEE VISA :))))))))))))

AAAHHAHAHHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :)))

After 1.5 years of waiting, I was given my fiancee visa for the US today, at the American Embassy in London :)
I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooOoOoOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooo EXCITED :))))))))) and grateful :)))))))

on March the 16th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups greeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, fennel, endive, parsley, landcress, ginger, apple
3 cups hemp milk with cinnamon/cardamom
2 tbsp bee pollen
40 chlorella nuts
½ a gorgeous pineapple
mug of rooibos tea
3 cups hemp milk with cardamom/cinnamon
3 cups green juice: celery/cucumber/apple/fennel/ginger
2 cups water

You can check out Mr. M’s uber–excitement at the visa news on The Raw Food World TV show, HERE.
on March the 17th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
3 cups green juice: celery/cucumber/apple/fennel/ginger
chunk of pineapple
20 chlorella ‘nuts’
1 tbsp bee pollen
1 cup water
2 cups green juice
1lb durian flesh :)
3 coconut macaroons and a little goji loveheart :)
3 cups water
little bunch of grapes
1 cup water

OoOoOoooo, I have had SUCH an amazing day today and I feel soooo grateful and relieved...FIANCEE VISA, durian, sunshine, springtime, synchronicities abounding, flow, love and even an amazing hemp/bamboo/organic cotton clothing sale at the Braintree shop in Camden...lol ;)
I am feeling outlandishly blessed and blissed. I finally feel like I can exhale, after ALL this time of waiting ;)
THANK YOU UNIVERSE :))) ...and thank you SO much to everyone who has been sending us love, light and support during this time – it is all SO appreciated :)

With ecstatic love, smiles, bliss and bubbles of joy :)
Miss Stokes. xxx

Sunday 15 March 2009

Spring Twitter-ing ;)

Mmmmmmm, it has been such a beautiful sunny spring day here in the Brighton area today... Oh to be in England now that spring is here ;)
The contrast between when I arrived back here at the start of January and now seems enormous...and such a gift to witness...flowers are popping up all over the place now, especially the gorgeous daffodils...and birds seem to be flocking back (or at least they’re more vocal now ;). Today was so warm that more than a few people were out walking in t–shirts...I just LOVE spring...one of the things that most had my heart singing when I first read about Vilcabamba in Ecuador was that it’s pretty much like spring all year round...WOW :) It’s easy to grow things all year, it’s warm, sunny and people tend not to use either heating OR air conditioning in houses – the temperature and conditions are just consistently agreeable – NICE :)
Yesterday on The Raw Food World TV show I interviewed Mr. Monarch about his thoughts/intentions for our land in Ecuador – it was fun ;) You can see that here if you didn’t tune in yet:



on March the 14th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, landcress, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, fennel, ginger
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups green juice mixed with rejuvelac
3 cups hemp milk with cardamom/cinnamon, an apple
mug of spicy tea

Tune in this week for my interview with the ‘Outrageously Healthy’ crew down in Australia :) You can find out all the details and sign up for free HERE - enjoy :)


on March the 15th I had:

1 quart water
mug of reishi tea
lashings of seed milks – hemp w/cardamom/cinnamon, chia w/ lemon/ginger/purple corn, with some YUMMY cookies from Kate Magic ;)
2 cups energy soup with tahini and okra
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
mug of spicy tea
2 cups water

Do you tweet on Twitter.com? Apparently Twitter–dom is expanding at a galactic pace... If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it’s a website where you can write mini–updates of what you’re up to/interested in/loving etc and post up for everyone to enjoy. Post length is max. 140 characters – it’s kind of like writing a text message/SMS to the world... (...whereas blogging feels a bit more like writing an email to the world, to me...;)
You can ‘follow’ other people who you’re interested in and all their little updates will pop up on your page...a sweet little way of staying up to date with peoples’ meanderings, if you'd care to...
You can see MY Twitter page and follow me HERE (click ‘follow’ under my picture to get my updates).
Here are some other yumsters to follow if you like:

*Mr. Matthew Monarch
*Kevin Gianni
*Steve Pavlina
*Dhrumil
*Shazzie
*Kate Magic
*Brian Johnson
*David Wolfe
*Sarma MeIngailis
*Anthony Raw Model
*Philip McCluskey
*Kris Carr
*Bunny Berry
*Revvell
*Heidi Ohlander
*Justin Ohlander
*Dr. Mercola
*Anthony Robbins

TweetTweet ;)
Miss Stokes. xxx

Saturday 14 March 2009

B12, Intestinal Flora and Rejuvelac...

Quite a few people have been asking me about B12 recently, so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the matter here...

What about vitamin B12?
B12 deficiency tends to be a big health concern among veg
an raw fooders. This vitamin is essential for red blood cell formation, energy and nerve function. It seems to be found in western food sources primarily in meat and dairy produce, so vegans often have low levels of it. (Though many studies also seem to show widespread B12 issues, regardless of whether people eat animal products or not...)
B12 Deficiency can lead to exhaustion, dizziness and blackouts. Other symptoms of B12
deficiency include anxiety, pale skin, blurred vision, poor memory, constipation and in severe cases, anaemia and nerve damage. It’s a controversial issue and some suggest there are in fact no reliable vegan sources of B12.
As for me, I feel like I do now get som
e B12 from the foods I eat - (algaes, seaweeds etc) PLUS I rarely wash my fruit and veg - I like having some soil/micro-organisms in there to help my system produce B12 and thrive ;) I also take good care of my colon, through both consuming probiotics and doing colon cleansing, which means my internal flora produce B12 for me too. To be certain I’m getting all that I need, I also take a B12 supplement regularly, which I feel is like my ‘back up’ in case the foods and internal flora really aren’t working.
A
couple of years into my raw journey, I actually experienced a serious B12 deficiency. At that time, my food intake was quite unbalanced, I was doing no colon cleansing and taking no B12 supplement. I was pale, dizzy and low in energy and ended up having blood tests to determine the cause, after a fainting spell. After discovering I had a low B12 count, I started taking supplements and my health improved rapidly...

I hope that gives some answers for any enquiring minds out there...also read on below for an easy, cheap way to help support your ‘friendly’ intestinal flora to rustle up their own B12 ;)

on March the 12th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
2 cups greeeeeen juice: celery, cucumber, landcress, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, fennel, ginger
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, landcress, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, fennel, ginger
3 cups hemp milk with cardamom/cinnamon/vanillaaaaaaaa :)
2 cups green juice
2 cups water

I was recently sent a link to a great article by the lovely Lenette Nakauchi in Chicago, on ‘22 Ways to Save Money’ as a raw foodist.
I love the number 22 and I loved this cool article too, packed with useful suggestions – check it out HERE for sweet little tips on buying in bulk, foraging, sprouting...aaaaaaand making your own fermented yummies – more on that below... ;)


on March the 13th I had:

1 quart water
mug of pau d’arco tea
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, landcress, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, fennel, ginger
2 cups energy soup with okra and tahini on the side
mug of spicy tea
3 cups water
2 cups green juice: celery, cucumber, landcress, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, endive, fennel, ginger
an apple, sea spaghetti salad with Ms. Magic, followed by spicy tea and yummmmmmy ‘cool happy cakes’ ;)
2 cups water


You asked, we delivered ;) There have been numerous requests lately too for a video showing how to make Rejuvelac...so, I got my filming/editing hat out and put the following together:


:) Hope that helps for any budding fermenters out there ;) I’ve been making rejuvelac consistently for the last few weeks now here in the UK, using it as the base for all my energy soups... It’s a great, inexpensive way to get live enzymes and probiotics into your body tooooooo...

Here’s a 7–Day Rejuvelac Timeline for your delectation:

Day 1: Leave wheatberries to soak in water overnight.
Day 2: Morning - discard soak water, leave wheat to sprout. Evening - rinse sprouts with clean water.
Day 3: Morning and evening - rinse sprouts off with clean water.
Day 4: Place sprouted wheat into a container and cover with lots of water to create the rejuvelac. Leave to ferment for the next 36-48 hours or so.
Day 5: Leave the rejuvelac fermenting.
Day 6: Decant the drink into containers, into the fridge. Add more water onto the wheat to make a second batch of rejuvelac.
Day 7: Decant the second batch of rejuvelac and offer the wheatberries to the local birdies ;)

ENJOY :)

All delight and joy to you...
Ms. Stokes. xxx