April 20th, 2013 Central Florida’s Earth Day

A day of embracing the eco-friendly culture of Orlando, the veg heads, animal ethics, and green smoothies.

…Not to mention doing several anti-rain dances…

The smidgen of Orlando that makes me happy to be apart of this busy city, bringing together those who care about the Earth and its inhabitants.

I feel fortunate to have been able to be apart of this fest and volunteer; it’s always an enjoyable time working with the other members of the Vegetarians of Central Florida.

Earth Day and Vegfest happen once a year so come check ‘em out and support the local peeps of Orlando, a good time indeed.

Raphsodic Bakery (vegan + allergy conscious bakery treats)

Awesome organizations: Food Not Bombs and Action For Animals

Flute fun

For those who are of age, local Orlando Brewing provided some tasty organic brews.

Freshly made red pepper hummus from the food demos.

These smoothies were so good, I had two of the mango carrot and “green stuff.”

Ask a vegan, yo

Fun children crafts and parade

And no Earth Day celebration is complete without a green smoothie…

because I can

be young and 21 and decide to make cookies at 10pm

because I just finished a 19 credit semester with straight A’s

because I just graduated college

because I’ll find out rather shortly where I’ll be starting my dietetic degree this fall (fingers crossed UF)

because tahini, chocolate, almond butter, and coconut make a fabulous polygamous relationship

because these are tasty, as is life

enjoy

Almond butter coconut cookies with tahini drizzle (gluten-free + vgn)

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

dash himalayan salt

1 tsp baking powder (gf/sodium free if possible)

stevia (to taste) or sweetener of choice

Wet:

1/ 3 cup almond butter

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp non-dairy milk

1 medium mashed ripe banana

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Oven at 350 F (preheat at your preference, I wait to save electricity)

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl

-I can’t tell you how much stevia to use because each brand has varied powers. Start in small increments and taste the batter as you progress. Vegan batter FTW so no need to worry about bacteria and what not.

2. Combine wet ingredients together and then incorporate into the dry ingredients

-mix in chocolate chips now or wait and garnish the cookies with them once on cookie sheet

3. Place onto cookie sheet (I used parchment paper so no greasing required). They won’t change shape so mold to your likings. I made thumbprint cookies so I could place the chocolate chips or extra tahini/coconut in the middle.

-You can add tahini now or later OR now and later. Garnish with more coconut flakes if you desire.

4. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are slightly brown

5. Drizzzzle more tahini over top of the cookies once out of oven. You may even do a tahini/cinnamon/honey or maple syrup sauce combination and drizzle that over the cookies, yum.

6. Mangiaaaa*

Store in air-tight container in fridge

Ramblings:

I received a cold from my dearest roommate Danielle (love her generosity) and these cookies are purrfect for not feeling like a beached whale (sad) after eating. I am partial to avoiding sugar, particularly when I am under the weather, and these cookies have no sugar added except the natural sugars from the banana (and random chocolate chips, ok whatever). I used stevia to provide the sweetness without the blood sugar spike. You could definitely use raw honey or maple syrup or coconut palm sugar or whatever sweetener you desire really.

But these are definitely a healthier treat to celebrate life with

and if it weren’t for this cold I probably would’ve devoured these thangs in a matter of minutes…one benefit to having a cold.

Also, midnight oil has been delighting my palate ever so wonderfully lately. Another benefit of being in Gainesville for my dietetic degree. Check it out yo! That is, if you have a good taste in brews…

Moreover, I have developed a weird crush on this gal…

Grimes.

Not quite sure why, but I think it’s because everything about her is so imperfect, it’s perfect.

I’ve never been about the standard image of beauty and she really embodies what most people try to avoid, which is damn awesome.

* Fun fact: Mangia is also a game for the Atari 2600 where you control a boy, who’s crazy mother keeps feeding him pasta, by feeding the pasta to a cat and dog without the mother seeing of course. If the mother sees the denial of pasta then she will require 3x as much pasta to be eaten!! Eating too much causes the boy to explode.

The end.

’tis been a while, life has happened.

But I made these little cookies on a whim, and I haven’t realized how much I missed The Road Not Processed.

It’s my nutrition child. You other bloggers understand, I’m sure…

As always I wanted to devour the entire batch, but a las I controlled my neanderthal ways and finished taking photographs. These create an oh so slightly delicate crisp outside, yet moist inside..A very light cookie to please the senses.

Think almond butter, coconut cinnamon-y raisin soft and crumbly cookie in yo mouth.

Hell yeah.

If you don’t eat the whole batch, I would consider these a fairly healthier cookie. Fat is good my friends, do not be afraid.

Makes 1 dozen balls

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch himalayan or sea salt

1/4-1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Wet:

1/4 cup almond butter (any nut butter shall do)

2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or maple syrup or raw honey)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp non-dairy milk* (I used unsweetened vanilla almond)

*Probably will need to use less or omit if choosing a liquid sweetener such as syrup or honey.

Directions:

Oven: 350 degrees

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium-large sized bowl

2. Mix wet ingredients separately and then combine with dry ingredients. You’re going to want a sticky, thick batter

3. Roll into balls or whatever shapes tickle your fancy and place on parchment paper (or your own tin foil/degreaser combo)

4. Place cookie sheet into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Bottoms will be golden brown, tops may start to crack.

You’ll probably want to feast asap, but they may be a tad crumbly when hot. Once they cool you’re good to go.

5. Enjoy with friends or strangers or a glass of almond milk

Storage: store in air-tight container in fridge.

When celery is mentioned, some may think of the tossed-to-the-side-and-ignored stalks that accompany traditional buffalo wings, or perhaps ’tis a great diet food, but really celery should be celebrated and appreciated as it contains a plethora of nutrients.

Truth, celery is very low in calories so it makes a great alternative to other not-so-healthy snack choices, but you shouldn’t be too caught up in the hype of “negative calorie” trends -__-. The significance of calorie deficiency from ingesting celery in one’s overall diet is extremely mild, which is why you should be aware of the other benefits that celery has to offer.

Celery is a good source of Vitamin A, K, Folate, and Potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals.

Most importantly, celery contains antioxidants, which help prevent free-radical damage (cancer causing cells). Free radicals are unstable molecules that react quickly to gain stability by stealing electrons from other compounds, thus causing other free-radical formations. (Yay for chemistry). Our body can control these free radicals with the help of antioxidants, since they provide electrons to the free radicals to help stabilize them. An accumulation of free-radical damage occurs with age. Antioxidants can be derived from the whole foods we eat…Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, etc. This is why it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and acquire the adequate amounts of nutrients from such foods. Pills and supplements are not necessary!

THE HUMAN BODY IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! asx1o2ei2ucksdklajsdzxcxewrt34!!

Moving on, celery is also known to be an anti-inflammatory, support the digestive tract, and provide cardiovascular benefits. Research is still developing, so who knows what shall be found in the future!

Celery does naturally contain some sodium (but very little!), so those who are salt-sensitive should just take into account this fact. One should not necessarily need to avoid celery because of this though.

I recently received organic celery from my organic produce buying club and was not quite sure what to do with it. Ok, yeah I could do the ants on a log thing, especially with my chocolate covered raisins. But no enough Bridget, not everything has to have added chocolate to it! I’ve been eating too much of that lately anyways (oh, holiday season) so a savory break was definitely needed.

Almond butter, nutritional yeast, and hemp seeds were perfect pairings on top of this nutrient dense celery base. The flavors really meld wonderfully and create a great low carb and healthy snack.

Ingredients:

-Celery Stalks (organic preferably)

-Almond butter (or any nut butter should do) (I used no salt/sugar added)

-Nutritional Yeast

-Hemp seeds

Directions:

1. Take as many halved stalks of celery as you’d like! Yay. (I eat about 2 or 3 stalks for a good snack).

2. Layer (not too thick peeps!) almond butter inside the celery stalks

- I would recommend about 2 tbsp per serving

3. Sprinkle nutritional yeast and hemp seeds on stalks

4. Eat! Crunch, crunch..

I have been craving this daily and today I ate my last stalks of celery..Sad Panda, but I’m glad I have this recipe for future celery encounters.

And now you do as well

This elixir incorporates the nutrition of both a smoothie and a juice. You receive the fiber from the smoothie to maintain satiety, as well as assimilate the beautiful health benefits extracted from the ginger and wheatgrass. I feel invigorated each time I finish one of these smoothies. This would make a great breakfast or pick-me-up throughout the day…A wonderful approach to starting your day healthy, balanced, and delicious.

If you proceed to sip this smoothie slowly, enjoying each and every taste and health attribute, you may notice how the smoothie thickens up a bit. You can thank the flaxseeds for that. I personally am partial to thicker smoothies so it’s definitely a nice surprise

Ingredients:

-For the juice:

1 oz serving of wheatgrass

1-2 inch chunk of ginger

-For the smoothie:

1 small ripe mango

1/2 lemon

1/2 cup blueberries

2-3 kale leaves

1 tbsp flaxseeds

stevia (optional)

Filtered water or non-dairy milk, to preference (approx. 1 cup suggestion)

Directions:

1. Juice wheatgrass and ginger

2. Add all ingredients for smoothie and previously juiced wheatgrass/ginger juice in a high speed blender and blend, of course.

3. Drink up my friends, and enjoy the lovely nutrients you are gracing your body with.

Thanks so much Aimee DuFresnee for showcasing my recipe on your site!!

ah, I love the luminescence of the orange…

Fruit infused water, aka spa water. Can’t get more simple and beautiful than naturally flavoring your own water. This is super easy to do, whether it be for a single serving or a gathering, all you need is some sort of container, water, and your favorite pick of nature’s produce.

I chose to do an orange cilantro fusion in a single-serve mason jar, which turned out super refreshing. I love knowing I can be hydrated by fresh nutrient water. Plus, it’s always fun to eat the fruit afterwards.

I also kept refilling the water back up after I drank some, feel free to do this and reuse the fruits as much as possible if you’d prefer.

Ingredients:

-Glass jar, pitcher, or container of some sort. Any size, your preference

-Filtered H2O

-Fruit

Directions:

1. Acquire a small/large jar or pitcher of some sort

2. Place an adequate amount of sliced fruit to water ratio in container (as much or little as you’d like, anything shall do the job)

3. Let meld in fridge for a few hours or even overnight for more intense fruit flavor

4. Hydrate and enjoy!

Some flavor suggestions:

Lemon Lavender

Strawberry Basil

Cucumber Melon

Blackberry Sage

Mango Mint

Strawberry Kiwi

Apple Cinnamon

Orange Vanilla

Raspberry Lime Mint

Lemongrass Lime

Peach Cilantro

Simple Lemon

..The list goes on!

<3

This tribute goes out to Huggies, the family dog of a grand 12.5 years.

Twas a wonderful life she lived. Oh, other than the time when my adolescent self tied her leash to a tree and tempted her to run after me to see if she was secure enough in the yard…Oh children…but regardless, Huggies was showered with love, attention, and food. I migrated away to college a few years ago, but I’m fortunate that I could live with her in her youth. Through her unsolicited kisses on the mouth to the times she would help me clean food off of the floor, Huggies was a beautiful dog whose memories shall remain with me as I grow old. Rest in peace ma dear pup, you are loved. <3

Be fortunate and appreciative of every four-legged friend in your life. Whether young or old, furry or not, every creature on this planet deserves to live a happy life. These wordless living beings have a heart of their own and deserve no less than anything that can formulate a sentence deserves.

So I recently won a giveaway comprised of all Go Raw products!!! My favorite sprouted and dehydrated granola, mmmm. I feel beyond lucky/fortunate to have won. Much thanks Go Raw peeps and of course Jaci over at Engaged and Running for providing the giveaway. Watch this vid to see my review of Go Raw products as well as my happy reaction to this box of raw, vegan joy.. <3

I have been doing some foolin’ around on youtube lately and wanted to share with you my hair washing regimen, as well as other various natural acne and skin treatments (you can find this in the video located further down). Plus, talking to you guys feels pretty neat…

You guys may have read my post awhile back about the no ‘poo method..Shampoo with the baking soda/apple cider vinegar concoction. That was nice, but in the long run my hair just wasn’t responding right to it. So I switched to only using my KissMyFace unscented olive oil soap and then tried this other shea/coconut oil lavender shampoo, but to little avail. Both smelled wonderful for sure but my hair was still not complying. It was then I decided to say F it all and wash my hair with only water. There’s a standard “introductory” six week phase where your hair will probably be oily. Now’s the time to go on a long adventure into the woods for about a month or so. Nah though, it really wasn’t that bad and you can wear a beanie or hat. Your hair shall regulate itself in time. Patience my friends.

My hair regulated itself around two months. I believe it’s due to the fact that Orlando has very hard water. My skin and hair started becoming irritable once I moved up here. Anyways though, I am glad I stuck with the water only washing method. Whenever I visit areas that have a better water system, my hair is great. Washing your hair with only water is so easy and low maintenance.

There are a few tools you may use to assist you on your water only journey. Some recommend to use a boar bristle brush to help regulate your oils and relieve your scalp of dead skin cells. I bought a more natural vegan version of it and use it every now and then, but I like how my hair looks uncombed..Kinda messy/rugged. ha. So I’ve stopped that but my oils have definitely slowed down. Your scalp’s oil production eventually shall reach equilibrium, it just needs time to regulate itself after being stripped by the synthetic products. It wasn’t that bad of an oil phase for me because I stopped using chemical products way before I did this. But I say stick with this anyways and you shall be rewarded for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I used to add products, synthetic chemicals to my hair, and so much heat for what it does naturally! What the hell. Sad panda, but glad I have been enlightened now. I recently purchased a wide-toothed comb to get the tanglies out as necessary, as well as scalp massager. Really cheap, under $2 each at your local beauty supply store. It’s important to massage the scalp to get the dead skin cells and build up away.

So while on the natural note, what goes on my skin? Solely edible and from nature.

I have tried SO MANY THINGS for my recent acne episodes, and I have here a list for you of remedies and delicious items. How do I know all of this? Well, because I first hand experienced the good and the bad from various experimentation…

Some quick tips:

+If you make your own cute little olive oil face wash, do not store it in a clear, plastic container. Light can cause rancidity, and no one wants plastic leaching into their oils.

+Use tepid water to wash your face

Back to the subject, how does one heal, nourish, fight acne, and prevent dryness of the face and skin without using store bought products? Well it’s actually easier and cheaper than you may think… Ripe bananas, avocados, virgin coconut oil, and raw honey are some of my favorites tools when it comes to nourishing my skin.

+Indian Healing Clay What fun this is. Initial feeling: I AM TYPING THIS AS THE FIRST EVER APPLICATION IS ON MY FACE. (Sorry for yelling but I am excited). First off, I mixed scant 1 tablespoon of clay with same amount Bragg’s ACV in a small ceramic bowl. It started to mildly sizzle. What the hell am I about to put on my face, I ponder to myself. Regardless, still excited to see what clay can do for me. I smear it all over my face and wait. I start to feel the tightening and cooling sensation that is supposed to happen. Slightly tingly, oooh this is fun. I left it on for 10 minutes and will start doing this once a week to see if this shall help me acne! After rinsing with warm water, I noticed a bit of redness on my face, which is normal. Should subside within 30 minutes. The clay comes off well with warm water, just gently massage your face until it’s all off. Calcium bentonite clay may be ingested as well, but be careful that your brand can be utilized in this manner. My brand (in the picture above) specifies for external use only and I would not suggest consuming it.

A video I made applying the Calcium bentonite clay. Here I also touch on the cause behind my hormonal acne. Anyone think it’s due to the raw plant-based diet switch? Please let me know if you guys have any suggestions or if you just want to share your acne experiences.

+Aloe Vera Juice 2oz=1/4 cup. My daily morning ritual, 1-2 tsp Bragg’s ACV, 1/4 aloe vera juice, and some filtered water (to reduce the impact of ACV). You may drink aloe vera on an empty stomach, it is actually recommended. You may use this internally or topically and I even heard there are benefits for the hair. Make sure no preservatives are added! Also, I am partial to the inner fillet over the whole leaf juice.

+Banana Peel Rub the inside of a very ripe banana peel on your face. Leave on for as long as you feel is necessary. I’ve left it overnight before. I like that. But sometimes I only leave it on for 30 minutes..I can start to feel when it’s time to rinse it off. Good for moisturizing and even potentially acne.

+Avocado Massage a bit of mashed avocado on your face, and leave it on for about 30 minutes-1 hour. Very nourishing for the skin. Contains vitamin E. Plus, you can eat the rest

I would only recommend using organic as I am uncertain of the synthetic/chemical additives that may potentially transfer over in your skin in conventional produce.

+Extra virgin olive oil (cold processed!!!) is very nourishing for the face and skin as well. Massage some into skin. You may leave on for as long as you like. Those who have more sensitive skin, try just massaging it in your skin and then rinsing off with tepid/warm water. Leave on for longer if your skin seems to react well. I sometimes wash my face with evoo.

+Raw honey I’ve been using raw, local palmetto honey on my face to help nourish, cleanse, and fight bacteria and acne. I’m sure any raw, unheated/unfiltered honey would work swell too. I rub just a little bit all over my face and then massage in some cold processed extra virgin organic olive oil and let it sit for about 30 minutes- 1 hour. Then rinse with lukewarm water, followed by a splash of cooler water and pat dry. I love this. It cleanses and nourishes my skin. The honey is not as sticky as you think; it comes off really easily. I also noticed that I tended to put extra honey on my lips, because you know eating honey has its benefits too .

There are definitely also several oils and other natural products that you may benefit from, these are just part of a short list.

ALSO, please understand this is what worked for me. Everyone’s beautiful skin is different and reacts differently so just be cautious, pay attention to how your skin looks and feels. Start off with short durations of time and increase as necessary. I noticed with the avocado that a longer time on my face isn’t necessary, whereas banana peels work great overnight for my skin. Also I’ve recognized that in hotter, more humid climates, my face needs to have olive oil washed off sooner rather than soak in for long periods of time. Too hot of weather and olive oil just don’t mix for my pores. I don’t use olive oil too frequently as I do not want it affecting the natural oil production of my face.

One thing that I would like to stress is you need to make friends with Patience and Positivity. Patience, time, and good vibes will be the main factors in healing your skin. An indian clay mask, with all of its healing abilities, may not work overnight like you’d prefer it to. It probably will help, but in time my friends. Perhaps a week, perhaps several weeks, perhaps who even knows. Believe that your skin shall show its true beauty in time. Oh and refraining from looking in the mirror 24/7 to see if that pimple gradually decreased really has its benefits. Understand that your skin is healing, continuously looking at it may only stress you out further… Look in the mirror to look at yourself and acknowledge that you’re a person living on this earth, amongst billions of people. You think acne matters? Pfft, there are too many things you could be doing to improve this world, and yourself. don’t let little ol’ red bumps on your face stop you from giving all of your energy into productivity and a fulfilling life. Regardless acne or no acne, you’re still yourself.

Acne is not a determinable factor to measure how good of a life one is having. Perhaps your acne is a result from too much stress and cortisol in your bloodstream. Let this teach you a lesson. It taught me to let go of the past. Let go of negative emotions in the present, and stress and anxiety for the future. It taught me to understand another when negativity is sensed, rather than become negative myself. It taught me to have control over such negative emotions in order to feed the happiness that’s within me. It taught me to stand up for what I believe in, and not let other’s perspectives and beliefs affect my thoughts and my actions. It taught me that my worries are so minuscule in comparison to the world around me. Hearing others complains and stresses really puts things in perspective. How must I sound? Petty as well. There will always be something to complain about, but there will always be something to be thankful for as well. We must take the latter and let it fill our thoughts and breaths and exude such fulfillment with the world around us.

“Be happy so long as breath is within you…” 

Little strawberry children

On a relevant note, valentine’s day is approaching. Should this holiday even exist? A day to celebrate and acknowledge the love of another…Why can’t this just be everyday? I feel as if each day of the year should be a day that one appreciates another, rather than just one day to celebrate. 24 little hours to show off that you know how to “show” what love means. It’s easy to make dinner reservations, or buy some flowers once a year..but to do those nice gestures of appreciation on a daily basis means so much more. I feel as if there shouldn’t be a holiday, one day, to signify the love for another. It should be everyday, because being in love is enough of a privilege to be on a holiday 365 days a year…

To those who have a significant other with them, be thankful for such and for those who do not, be thankful for such. Whether single or not, each fragment of life is meant to teach you something, I believe. Even if you think you can only keep happiness with another, try and be content with the present. What you’re living in now. How can you enjoy life if you’re always hoping, yearning towards the future? Or longing for the currently unattainable?  Perhaps there is something for you to learn in this period of being in solitude. Perhaps you’re missing out on that part of yourself you haven’t even uncovered yet, that part that makes you happy to be yourself with yourself, out of a relationship…

Moreover, I have created these raw chocolate covered strawberries for you to enjoy with or without a significant other, on or off the day of Valentine.

These are petite little bits of raw cacao joy that you can feel good about eating. No artificial ingredients, nor detrimental sugars. Organic virgin coconut oil, raw cacao powder, raw local honey, local organic strawberries, and perhaps organic chia seeds. I question nothing here, and that’s how it should be. You may use any substitution for the honey if you please, this recipe shall still turn out delightful. Certain sugars you may choose will void this recipe of its true rawness, but that’s ok . I dipped these in chia seeds as an experiment; my original intentions were for hemp seeds but alas my pantry is hemp depleted. Hemp seeds would be fun alternatives as well. The chia provided a bit of crunch, a quirky alternative to the traditional choc. covered strawbs.

Mr. Strawberry

+Ingredients:

~15 strawberries*

1/4 cup unrefined/virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)

2 tbsp raw, local honey (or any sweetener of your choice will do)**

1 tsp vanilla

Toppings:

chia or hemp seeds, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, dusted cacao etc.

Notes: *Depending on the size of your strawberries and how much chocolate you put on each, this number may change and is just a relative suggestion. Also, if you can try and purchase organic strawberries please do as strawberries are amongst some of the fruits that contain the highest pesticides.

**In my original raw chocolate recipes, I’ve used coconut palm sugar in place of the honey. So feel free to use dry or liquid sweetener. Maple syrup, or even a combo of brown rice syrup and honey shall work. Sweeten to your taste buds, you can’t really go wrong. Keep in mind the chocolate gets a bit sweeter once it solidifies in the fridge.

+Directions:

1. Wash and dry the strawberries, set aside. Keep green leafy tops on! Long-stemmed strawbs would be a plus.

2. Mix all ingredients for chocolate in a small bowl until all is combined. If you need to melt the coconut oil, place the current small bowl in a slightly bigger bowl filled with hot water. This will efficiently melt the coconut oil without destroying the nutrients. Coconut oil melts at degrees of 76 F and higher.

3. Put the chocolate mixture in the freezer for about 30 seconds-1 minute. Be careful to not leave it in too long or it’ll solidify. If this happens, and you need to remelt the chocolate, simply put chocolate bowl back into the slightly larger bowl containing the warm water. The purpose here is to slightly solidify and thicken the chocolate so it layers nicely on the strawberries.

4. Line some sort of baking dish or sheet with wax or parchment paper, set aside.

5. Dip strawberries in chocolate and dip in toppings (optional) and place on above lined dish/sheet.

6. Once all strawberries are done, place tray in fridge or freezer (for quicker results).

Eat soon and store in fridge.

Yes, you may even have some fun times with other fruits