Yummy Grapefruit Salad!

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Lately Jamie and I have both been craving ruby red grapefruit like crazy! I especially like them when I take a few extra minutes to clean them (remove the skins and membrane). They are so refreshing! But I can't seem to eat a lot of fruit without it doing things to my blood sugar and hydration levels unless I eat it along with some protein and/or something high in good fats. Like....avocados! Well, I wasn't too sure at first, but I decided to try them together and I loved the combination! Then I decided to add some cilantro--Even better!

Start by peeling and sectioning your grapefruit. Then take each section and make a cut along the inside edge, cutting away just a sliver to allow you to pull back the membrane from each side of the section. Pull the membrane back carefully, and slowly continue pulling until the white thick membrane comes loose from the back as well. Once you have your cleaned grapefruit sections, simply arrange with avocado slices as pictured above.

Hot and Sour Soup~A Raw Foods Treat

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Well, before I leave off this little spew about coconuts, I will throw in another delightful raw foods idea that I threw together a week ago or so.

I love hot and sour soup, so I went online looking at some raw foods recipes to make some, but in the end, I wound up just throwing some things together like I always do. I'm not much for recipes - even when I was cooking all the time, I was always one to throw in some of this and some of that.

In this case, I took some red and green peppers, some mild, some hot, and some green cabbage and green onions, and I put them through the food processor to chop, then I added them to some young coconut water and cut some strips from the fairly firm coconut flesh for noodles, tossed in some sea salt and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar (mostly for a little color), and there it was. (The next day, I had some leftovers and added some little strips of mushrooms, and that was good too.) I was afraid it would taste too "coconut-y", but it was amazingly similar to a light chicken broth.

I ate this at room temperature, but it was still very satisfying. I was amazed at how filling it was! And even a little warming, since the high good fat content of coconuts and coconut water is always very warming to me anyway. I'm sure it will be a favorite of mine in any season.

Amazing Young Coconut Water

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For the past year and a half or so, I have been trying to drink young coconut water as often as I can get it. I have noticed amazing benefits from this refreshing drink. The first time I had it, I wasn't too sure about it's taste, but now I crave it whenever I get away from it for awhile.

Young coconut water is teeming with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and good fats. It's very hydrating. It also is a good weight loss food, because though it is high in fat, as long as it's raw, it also has proportionately high amounts of the enzymes needed to break down fats.

To open a young coconut, start by shaving the husk off the top (the pointed area) with a sharp knife. Then take a butcher knife and use the corner near the handle to make a crack in the shell. This will take a litte force, so be careful (adults only, please!)

Then use the corner of the butcher knife to pry open the shell, and pour that lovely water into a bowl first, so as to catch all of it, and then into a glass. Enjoy!

I break open a young coconut every morning that I possibly can, and I save the soft meat in a large ziploc bag in the freezer. When I get a bagful, I thaw them out, blend them up, and mix them with raw nut meals and a raw sweetener to make cakes, bars, and cookies. More on those later.

Delightful Dried Pineapple

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I've always loved dried pineapple, but never as much as the stuff I make in my own kitchen.

Many people may not know that much of the dried pineapple they find in the stores may not be raw at all. You know those amazing-looking big round pineapple rings in the bulk section of many grocery stores? Nothing but sugar-coated cooked pineapple rings of the canned food variety.

But you can make your own dried pineapple that is truly raw!

I recently got a good buy on pineapples, so I dehydrated a bunch. I like to do them like this: Thin-slice the pineapple all the way through without removing the center core and then cut away the outer skin with a kitchen scissors. After slicing, you may, if you like, sprinkle lightly with organic, unbleached sugar, but there is no need because these pineapple rings are delightful just as nature intended.

Arrange on the dehydrator trays and dehydrate for anywhere between 12 and 36 hours, depending on how dry you want them, checking often to remove the ones that are dry first.

I love the way it shrinks up in the dehydrator and comes out looking like a nice, yellow flower. You can eat the center, if you like. It's just a little more chewy. I like them best right out of the dehydrator, nice and warm, but for those you want to keep longer, just lay them out on a flat surface until cooled down and then put in plastic bags. If you are drying them for long-term storage, make sure that you have all the moisture out, or you may find a breeding ground for mold and such.

Enjoy!!!
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Raw Apple Cranberry Bars

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These were wonderful! Mmmm....Okay, I started with the pulp from my raw apple juice, threw that in the food processor with some cranberries, almond meal, a little raw sugar, and some cinnamon. (I probably would have used raw honey or agave nectar, but I was out.)

After blending, I put that in a bowl with some chopped up walnuts, mixed it all together, and spread it out in a 9 x 13 glass pan. I ran some more walnuts and raw sugar together in the food processor, and spread this on top of the mixture for a crumb topping. Then I let it set up a bit overnight in the fridge. This also gives it a chance to let the flavors mingle.

The next morning, I cut the bars into serving sizes and carefully placed the bars on the racks of my dehydrator. I let them dehydrate throughout the day and enjoyed warm apple cranberry bars that evening. The bars kept well throughout the week, and they were a great on-the-go raw snack.

Whole Raw Apple Juice

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Yum! One of the best things about fall is fresh apples! And one of the ways I love apples best is just the whole, raw apple juice--no refined, pasteurized stuff. Mmmm! The flavor is awesome!

Reported health benefits from apples include improved kidney and liver function, help with arthritis and rheumatism, improved cholesterol levels, and improvement in brain function and memory, due to increased levels of acetylcholine. And don't worry that you are missing out on the fiber--You will still get a fair amount of fiber in the juice. For even more fiber, use the pulp in my next suggested snack--raw apple cranberry bars.