Raw Recipe: Mock Pina Colada

I love Pina Coladas... and with this easy recipe, delicious raw vegan virgin Pina Coladas are a breeze!

Ingredients:
1/3 of a large pineapple, chopped
1 cup 100% coconut water
1 banana
Ice and water to fill blender or mute strong taste
Optional: one date or touch of raw agave.

Blend! I usually like to add a bunch of ice, and I find in this recipe it didn't affect the flavour at all!
Enjoy :)

Recipe: Easy Garlic Dill Dressing/Sauce

So, I was looking for a quick, easy and delicious vegan sauce. I also found out it was a good warm dressing.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Vegan Margarine (Earth Balance is what I used)
2 teaspoons of Nutritional Yeast (or more if you want it cheezier!)
1 tsp of Dill (I love my dill)
2/4 tsp of powdered Garlic
2/3 tsp of Almond Milk


Method:
I honestly just microwaved mine for some quick! Mix and enjoy! As you see above, I put it on brown rice pasta for lunch, but I did it on a cucumber slaw salad for dinner and it was sooo good.

Easy and yummy! Sometimes, that's very much needed.

Review: The Naam

When my friend from Boston came, I really wanted to take her to veg places I had never been as well, acting as a vegan tourist in my own city. There are so many great places in parts of the city I don't usually hang out in, so I thought this was an great opportunity to head out there and grab some delicious vegan grub.

It was late and cold, so what better place to get some veg food than at the Naam restaurant. I've spoken to both Leila and Glen, the owners, before, and I figured if the restaurant was even a half as fabulous as they are, then it must be fantastic.

Located in the prestigious Kitsilano area of Vancouver, BC, the Naam is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the city, with an expected number of people lined up outside every night.

I've been meaning to go here for awhile, so I was glad that when we were hanging out at Calhoun's (a 24 hours cafe one street over), that I thought of the idea to head over to the Naam for dinner. Looking at the menu online makes me drool.

After waiting in the line for less than 20 minutes, my friend and I got a great spot by the window. I
already had looked at the menu prior so I knew what I wanted to order. The waitress and hostess was super nice, and although extremely loud, the Naam has a great atmosphere.

For an appetizer, my friend and I attempted to order a vegan poutine. And although an interesting take, it wasn't the traditional poutine I was hoping for (pictured above right). Soft potato wedges with melted mozza daiya, with a side of the signature miso gravy. I wasn't the biggest fan of the gravy, but I'm always a fan of daiya.

I was in the mood for some kind of ramen, so I ordered the Asian Noodle Bowl. Packed with deep fried tofu, bean sprouts, mushrooms, red pepper, broccoli, and ramen noodles, the dish was everything I was hoping it to be. Filling, flavourful, and not at all too salty. I have this horrible habit of often ordering the worst thing on a great menu, but this was definitely not the case. A 5 out of 5 for the Noodle Bowl.
The menu stretches far beyond though, with everything from Burritos and burgers, to shakes and cakes, everything containing egg and dairy is clearing marked, and practically everything can be made vegan.

Their signature dessert is their apple pie... so I wasn't going to leave without trying it. Although stuffed, it was totally worth it to get the pie. Warm and crunchy with full almonds and a side of coconut ice-cream, this apple pie is a magnificent treasure served in an un-traditional fashion - baked in it's own mini casserole dish.


Oh. Did I mention they're open 24 hours? Yea. This succulent menu is available even at 2 in the morning.
I love the Naam, and can't wait to go there once again. A Vancouver Vegan MUST.

Recipe: Hummus Zucchini Tofu Scramble

My very first vegan dish I made was a tofu scramble... but since then I've traveled around the US, and have had my share of scrambles. I finally bought some ground veggie from Yves, and thought I'd make an improvement to my first dish. It's easy, and oh, so good.

Ingredients:
1/2 package firm tofu (you can press yours, but I just bought some already pressed)
1 package Yves Ground Veggie
1 small zucchini
3/4 tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (scoop out of the middle to grab all the red peppers)
1 tbsp Earth Balance (I used the Whipped version)
Tumeric
Nutritional Yeast
Sea Salt
Pepper
Tarragon

Method:
In a hot pan, melt the Earth Balance. When almost melted, hand crumble the firm tofu, and throw in the pan. Let it simmer for a bit and put in the ground veggie. Next, add the Tumeric. Slice the zucchini in half, then half again, and slice into chunks. Add into the tofu mix. Scoop in your red pepper hummus, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Let simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring on Medium Heat.
Plate and enjoy!
Ok so this makes a BIG tofu scramble, but it's sooooo good. So it can serve one OR two.

:D There we go!

The Vegan Holiday Contest

I really wanted to do another contest.... since my last one was too specific. It's not easy coming up with a contest idea, so I thought I'd make this one a bit more open. So here we go!

The Vegan Holiday Contest:

I love everything about the holidays, well, if we minus materialism. I love the snow, and the lights that light up downtown in the night. I love drinking warm almond milk hot chocolate by the fire. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. Setting up the Christmas tree. I love going for walks in the winter air as the sun shines down. I love having people come together. And this year, I can't wait to make a big vegan Christmas dinner (....just for me. My family will still be eating Turkey).



Tell me what your favorite part of the holidays is, and include your favorite holiday vegan recipe/ item - it can be anything from home-made vegan apple pie with coconut ice-cream, or even just soynog. Send your entry to stephaniefalcos@gmail.com.

I want to share the wonderful holiday feeling with everyone! This also will give me the chance to connect with some of you tweeters that I don't hear much from!

The Rules:

Simple enough. One entry per person. You must live in Canada, or the US.


The Prizes:

Each of the 3 winners will receive a lovely vegan gift basket, and the size will depend on the position. If you're raw, I'll make a custom basket full of raw goodies ;)


CONTEST ENDS DECEMBER 5th 2011 !!!

Have fun and I can't wait to hear all of your entries :)

Making the step from Veg, to Vegan

I know the main reason why I didn't become vegan sooner was because I didn't know how simple it really was. I was vegetarian for quite some time, but never understood why vegans took not eating animals so far. The truth is, the animal is suffering more to give you that milk, or those eggs, than it is to be slaughtered. How sad is that? Think of it this way. Would you rather be tortured for extended periods of time? Or just to be killed to get it over with? No living creature deserves that, and I can't figure out why humans think they have the superiority to decide the fate of another living, feeling, breathing being.

I think the only hard parts about being vegan are eating out, and knowing every single ingredient on a label that could possibly be animal derived. I honestly have an app for the second one, which helps me out. And for the first one, it's relatively simple to make a restaurant meal vegan once you know what to look for that is an animal bi-product.

The first things I always look for are the main ones: milk, whey, eggs, egg powder, egg whites, cheese, lard, butter, meat of any kind, and gelatin (made from pig skin/hooves). Remember, labels state whether there is soy, milk ingredients, and egg in a product, but not if it has gelatin.
The harder ones include sugar or white vinegar (refined through animal bone), Red dye (possibly from beetles), l-cysteine (animal hair or feathers), mono or di-glycerides, and additives in beer or wine such as isinglass fish, or another animal based thinners and refiners.

It becomes easier and easier once you get more acquainted with what is or isn't an animal bi-product.

Making the switch in your diet:

I've come up with a list of products that replace non-vegan ones that I've personally tried. I hate processed foods for the most part, but for some reason there are periods of time where I really love them. For the most part, I suggest whole foods, and not processed.

Non-vegan: Milk
Vegan alternative: I prefer Almond milk. It's rich in calcium and tastes great. It's a bit thicker than regular milk, but it works great in cereal and tea. Soy milk is alright, but unless it's organic I won't touch it. GMO Soybeans are VERY common, and production destroys rainforests. I've never tried rice milk, so you're on your own for that.

Non-vegan: Cheese
Vegan alternative: Daiya. I've tried quite a few vegan cheeses, but none melt and taste as delicious as daiya. I'm in a faze where I eat it almost everyday... but i don't suggest it. It puts your digestive system on a roller coaster. But for a family pizza, or just a bit melted on a sandwich, it's wonderful. However it is awful not melted so be warned.

Non-vegan: Butter
Vegan: Earth Balance. They make a great variety of organic, whipped, regular and soy free margarines that don't have the same possibly non-vegan additives. It tastes great and works just like butter.

Non-vegan: Honey/Sugar
Vegan: Organic Sugar, or raw agave. Agave is made from a type of plant, so there is no animal harmed here. It tastes great and is very sweet, so you need far less than actually sugar. I suggest raw because high temp agave might as well be high fructose corn syrup.

Non-vegan: Yogurt.
Vegan: Almond yogurt (rare, but the best choice), coconut yogurt, or soy yogurt. There are some great options out there than can be delicious. Don't think they'll taste like your favorite original though. Soy yogurt has a VERY different taste, and coconut yogurt does as well. The almond yogurt has the best flavour, but I have yet to find it in Canada.

 Non-vegan: Ice-cream
Vegan: Almond dream, soy delicious, rice dream, and coconut milk ice-creams are all great alternatives. Personally, I'm going to have to go with the almond again on this one.

Non-vegan: Meat
Vegan: Tons. Everything from patties to sausages, they now make them all. But seriously, these are so processed that they really aren't great for you. But if you crave that morning sausages and waffles, well, who am I to stop you. I recommend organic tofu or seitan instead, as it can be made into great meaty dishes without the additives. If you don't like tofu one, what on Earth is wrong with you?! and two, you just haven't tried it enough different ways. It's very versatile, and can take on tons of great textures.




There is nothing that the non-vegan diet has that the vegan one doesn't. Don't be afraid to try new things, and remember, your strongest backer is your ethics, and morals. I see food I used to love all the time, but it's not difficult at all to say "No Thanks".
I know I'm making the right decision, and making the world a better place.

Review: Comparing Vegan Pizzas

As tonight  I finally reached my count to 4 very different vegan pizzas I've tried, I decided to write a small review comparing them. I'm sure I'll have a lot to add to this review as time goes on, but I found that the unique tastes deserved some recognition.



Flore Vegan's Roasted Vegetable Pizza

It was at this Los Angeles Vegan Restaurant Cafe that I tried my first vegan pizza, and although the rest of what I ordered was pretty good, I wasn't 150 percent happy with the dish. Again, I love this place, but something was a little off about the pie. The roasted zucchini, peppers, onions, and mushrooms were great, and the soy cheese was good (although now I'm personally hooked on daiya), but I wasn't a fan of the crust, or the size for price. It was very dry, and half the size of a general 12 dollar pizza. I appreciate it's effort, but next time I'll stick to their great vegan cake for dessert.


Vancouver's Vegan Pizza House Pizza


Living in Vancouver, I am fortunate enough to have a place like this that exists. Every pizza pie you've ever wanted, vegan, and not only does it save animals, but it tastes amazing. I ordered the Cook's Special, topped with fantastic vegan sliced chiken, mushrooms, pepper, and extra daiya cheese. I ordered the small, and I honestly ate the entire thing. It isn't a small small, but it was worth going back even after I was full. This was the time I got my order delivered, with a side of their delicious vegan caesar. I also stopped in when it was opening and found myself getting a vegetarian slice, and ham and pineapple - both of which I equally enjoyed. The dough is moist with a crispy crust, and the daiya cheese is melted to perfection. Just thinking about it makes me drool.


Whole Foods' (on Cambie in Vancouver) Vegan Pizza of the Day

I had often walked past the pizza counter at Whole Foods, only to see that to my disappointment the vegan pizza was all sold out. But alas I managed to get a hold of a piece! Unlike the other vegan pizzas I've had, Whole Foods offers something unique. A thin, soft white dough, brushed with olive oil and topped without tomato sauce, but daiya mozza, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, and spinach. Not at all greasy, and quite a big piece for worth the price. I was very impressed, and although extremely different from my favorite slices at the Vegan Pizza House, I enjoyed the pizza equally. 


Tofurky's Vegan Italian Sausage Pizza

I had never bought a boxed vegan pizza before, but for eight bucks, I thought, why not? First of all, the box is a bit misleading, as it's a fair bit larger than the actually pie. Also, sugar is an added ingredient, so as it says Vegan right on the front, I was just praying that sugar wasn't refined through Bone Char. The pizza itself was not loaded with toppings, but had a fair amount. The cheese tasted like... well, cheese, and I guess if someone wanted an exact replica of the non-vegan equivalent, they could find it with Tofurky's. But for me, I honestly missed the daiya I've become so accustomed to. It's also a thin crust pizza which I rather enjoyed. All-in-all, for 8 dollars, I say it's pretty decent.


And there you have it! I'll definitely be adding to this review with different pizzas as I try more.

Review: Loving Hut Express Food Truck

  ..I can't believe I didn't find out about this sooner! My favorite American vegan chain restaurant has a food truck in Vancouver? Serving up vegan burgers and sandwichs? When the chain in the states serves up Chinese food?! Unbelievable. Right outside the Roundhouse Community Center in Yaletown, Loving Hut Express is making some delicious eats, including a Gluten-Free burger. I decided to take my mom here to try it with me, and celebrate a beautiful sunny autumn day.

I ordered the Crispy Gardein Chick'n Burger (left) , with battered zucchini sticks on the side, and my mom ordered (and I ate a bunch of) the Healthy Grill Sandwich (right). The burger was fantastic. A bit messy, but with a heaping helping of chipotle mayo on it, it was bound to be slippery! The load of ripe avocado slices didn't help either, but I hope you can tell I was far from disappointed.

I loved the sandwich as well, and I'd honestly probably order that again before the burger. The "chick'n" was moist, and the spinach gave it tons of flavour. Not too dry, and not too messy with red onion, avocado, spinach and tomato, this was a great sandwich.

I love this place, and you bet I'll be back soon. If it isn't for the food, it's to see the amazing chef outfits the cooks have on in this epic yellow vegan food truck.

Check them out at: www.lovinghutvancouver.ca

Fully Raw Thanksgiving

This year, I definitely wanted to challenge myself. I've been excited to make a raw thanksgiving for WEEKS, even though I've been eating cooked vegan food lately. I wanted to make all of my mother's Thanksgiving staples, raw-vegan style. I'm very happy with the turnout, and I was really glad I could still enjoy the holiday with the family.
Keep in mind that I'm up here in Canada, so Thanksgiving weekend is this weekend! :D

 

Clockwise from top: Sweet Tarragon Carrots, a side of celery, Mashed Cauliflower w/mushroom gravy, Walnut Veggie "Meat"loaf, and Pumpkin Cranberry stuffing.

Measurements aren't going to be very accurate in the recipes, as this was a lot of experimenting.
Honestly, this was all just for me ;)


Sweet Tarragon Carrots:
1.5 shredded organic carrots
1/3 shredded gala apple
Tarragon

Dressing: 2 tsp raw tahini, agave, a touch of water, and more tarragon
Raisins as a topper

Mashed Cauliflower:
1/4 head cauliflower, pureed
1/5 cup soaked cashews, pureed
fresh rosemary
raw agave to taste

Mushroom Gravy:
1.4 tbsp Miso
3 small mushrooms
1/2 tsp tamari
1 tomato
water for thinning

raw agave to taste
(Method: pureed all until desired consistency)

Walnut Veggie "Meat"loaf:
1/2 cup organic walnuts
2 organic celery stalks (1.5 pureed, .5 small chopped)
1 green onion
1/6 red onion (1/2 finely chopped, half pureed)
1/2 red bell pepper
tarragon
ground black pepper
(Method: pureed walnuts, and remainder of ingredients until desired consistency. I kept mine chunky, and thought it was great. Dehydrate at 105 for 6 hours, flip and continue for 6 more hours)

Pumpkin Cranberry Stuffing:
1.5 c of pumpkin (pureed)
1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
1/5 cup organic thompson raisins
tsp sunflower seeds
cinnamon
nutmeg
touch of ginger
agave to taste
(Method: spread on dehydrator and dehydrate with the meat loaf. I took mine out and put it in the fridge when I flipped the loaf, and then put it back in to warm it up about 20 minutes before meal time)


And that's it! Well, for now! I have a chocolate pumpkin mouse torte setting in the freezer for later.
Enjoy.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Raw Recipe: Chocolate Banana Crepes

My mom is always bugging me about not making her anyone of my raw creations, which although is often not true, I find it's mostly because what I make is usually a trial run. I decided to get out there and make her a grande raw vegan breakfast that I know she'd love: Chocolate Banana Crepes. I had some Thai coconut meat in the fridge just waiting, and soaking a bunch of raw organic almonds to make a butter anyway.

Ingredients (serves 1 huge, or 2 regular)

Crepe:
2 bananas, 1 med gala apple

Chocolate almond butter (serves 2 easily. I ended up eating the rest with a sliced apple)
1/2 banana
3/4 soaked raw almonds
touch of agave (for the smooth texture)
1 1/2 tsp raw org. cocoa powder

Coconut Cream (ohhh yeah):
meat from 1 young thai coconut
4 soaked raw almonds
touch of raw agave for consistency

Additional garnish:
1/2 sliced banana
dried coconut

Method:
Process crepe ingredients until smooth. Dehydrate for 10 hours overnight at 105 degrees
For the butter, process ingredients until smooth. Same for the coconut cream. I honestly made the cream first, and just used the food processor right after for the almond butter.
To assemble, on 1 quarter of the crepe, spread hefty amount of almond butter, and top with coconut cream. Place a few pieces of sliced banana in there.
Fold crepe into quarters and top with garnish.
Enjoy!

My mom went CRAZY over this. Said it was one of the best breakfasts she's had in forever... and this is from someone that isn't afraid to share her honest opinion ;)

Here was my remaining almond butter with apples. Delish as well:

Raw Recipe: Spicy Onion Bread

Here is my first attempt at raw vegan bread. I have a ways to go, but I thought I'd post this recipe anyway.

 

Ingredients (general):

1 small zucchini

1 red pepper

1/4 red onion

2 green onions

stone ground mustard

cayenne pepper

1/2 cup soaked ground flax seeds

1 tbsp raw Pumpkin Seed Butter

Method:

Blend all ingredients in the food processor.
Dehydrate at 110 for 12 hours (or until desired texture/ firmness is reached)

Enjoy with your favorite sandwich fillings! I did apple, mustard, cucumber, and onion w/spinach. I wish I had some tahini so I could've added some red pepper hummus!

(Raw) Recipe: Tomato w/Red Pepper Hummus Wraps

They worked! Words cannot describe how happy I am right now! Easy as pie too ;)

Ingredients:
For the wrap:
2 tomatoes
tsp agave
(cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick and a GREAT saltiness later on)

For the Hummus:
1 med zucchini
3/4 T raw tahini
1 red bell pepper
1 green onion
a bit of raw mustard
a bit of red onion

For the Filling:
I used lettuce, orange/red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion. I left out the avocado, but play around with what you like!

Method:
In a blender, mix the wrap ingredients. Pour on dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for one hour at 140, and remaining 8 hours at 110.
For the hummus, just throw all the ingredients in the food processor.
Slice up the filling ingredients.
Roll your wrap and there you go! Delish, and so easy. I can't wait to make a spinach one next!

Enjoy!

(Raw) Recipe: Banana Crepes w/ Cashew Peach Cream

Again, the amounts are not listed, but I'm sure you could experiment and come up with something great just from my ingredient list.

 

Ingredients:
Crepe -
1 banana and a touch of agave makes 1 crepe
Cream -
1 peach, 1/4 cup soaked cashews, 3/4 cup coconut meat, 2 soaked dates
Blueberry Sauce:
1 cups org. bluberries, touch of raw agave

Fruit of choice!

Method:
blend crepe mixture. Dehydrate at 105 for 10 hours.
Blend cream ingredients. Fill crepe, and wrap. Add in the fruits of your choice. I did more peaches, apple, and blueberries.
Blend blueberry sauce ingredients. Top crepe!
If you have extra ingredients, like I did, make a parfait on the side!

Enjoy!

(Raw) Recipe: Goji Power Bites

It seems my recipes lately are vague on amounts, but it's because I'm enjoying experimenting! These goji bites gave me a real power boost in the mornings, and before workouts.

Ingredients:
soaked almonds
soaked dates
soaked raisins
organic cocoa powder
org. cocoa nibs
a touch of maca powder
Goji berries (of course), soaked
a touch of agave to lessen in the thickening.

Method:
Blend all ingredients in the food processor as listed.
Form cookies on a dehydrator sheet. (I used a cookie dough tool to make the flowers!)
Dehydrate at 110 for 5-6 hours.

Enjoy!

(Raw) Recipe: Eggplant Summer Salad

As summer is winding down, I've been stuffing myself with fruit. So, thus the lack of remotely complicated recipes. So I came up with this! Mmmm... it was delicious. An Eggplant Summer Salad, which although has a bunch of instructions, was actually generally simple.

Ingredients:
Bottom layer: Organic Mixed Greens
First Layer: Cut Cucumbers
Second Layer: Chopped orange bell pepper, and chopped red onion, soaked in lemon juice
Sauce: Cauliflower Tomato Sauce (cauliflower mixture below, tomatoes, agave, org. rice vinegar, water
           (cauliflower dipped in mustard, tamari, miso, nooch, and tumeric)
Topping 1: Kale chips (kale, and cauliflower dip mixture)
Topping 2: Eggplant Bacon (eggplant, tamari)

Method:
In the morning, I dipped the eggplant in tamari, and laid out the slices on a dehydrator sheet. On a mesh sheet, I dipped the cauliflower and kale in the "cauliflower mixture". I dehydrated both sheets at 110 for about 10 hours.
To make the Cauliflower Tomato Sauce, I put the dehydrated cauliflower, and remaining ingredients in the food processor, along with some dill weed.
Layer the salad levels, crumb the kale, and you're set!! Enjoy!

Oh, summer.

Recipe: Raw Kale Chips v.1

I got my dehydrator!! First order of business: Kale Chips.

These are less recipes than they are just ideas:

Sea Salt and Vinegar:
2 stalks Kale
vinegar
touch of Tamari
Pinch of Sea Salt

Tamari Mustard:
2 stalks Kale
Organic Stone Ground Mustard
Tamari
touch of Agave

Soak, then dehydrate at 105 degrees for 12 hours.

I'm going to be trying more complicated flavours soon, I promise. Pizza Kale Chips here I come!

Recipe: Blue Tahini Salad

This would have to be one of my favorite salads I've ever made. I would have liked to have added a bit of nori squares in there to add something a bit salty, but I really liked how it turned out regardless.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups of mixed greens
- 1 banana
- 1/3 cup blueberries

Dressing:
- 2/3 Tbsp Raw Tahini
- 3/4 Tbsp Raw Agave
- 1 tsp purified water

Method:
- For the dressing, mix raw tahini and agave until creamy. Add water until a tad runny. It'll turn a lighter white color
- Toss salad w/ dressing, and there ya have it!

I personally love the taste of this dressing, as it reminds me of halvah (mmmm). Try adding the nori I missed out on for a bit of a salty twist!

Recipe: Raw Choco-Banana Pudding

I tried to make ice-cream... needless to say it didn't work, but it made an awesome pudding!

Ingredients (serves 3):
- 3 frozen bananas
- 1 tsp raw organic cocoa powder
- 1/3 c cashews

Method:
- Soak cashews for 2-3 hours, then strain and rinse
- (to make cashew milk, blend cashews with 1 cup of water and sift through a nut milk bag, You can save the "fiber" to make cheeses and spreads)
- Mix in bananas, cashew milk, and cocoa powder.
- Cut up an additional banana for a topping, and there you have it! You can put it in the freezer for an additional 15 minutes if you feel it melted a bit.

Yum!!

Recipe: Raw Mustard Stuffed-Mushrooms

Strangely enough, one of my all time favorite snacks is mustard with either mushrooms, or orange bell peppers. Now organic stone-ground mustard is sometimes considered raw, but I suggest making your own to be sure.
I had my left over cashew cheese from when I made my choco-banana pudding, so I thought I'd make this little stuffing mixture to make the mushrooms a little appetizer for dinner tonight.

  

Ingredients:

- 3 white mushrooms

- 1/3 cup worth of cashew cheese (extracted through nut milk bag when making nut milk)

- 3 slices of orange bell pepper

- 1/2 tsp miso

- 1 tsp tamari

- organic or raw organic mustard

Method:

(Marinate the mushrooms if you wish.. I suggest if you do, a simple olive oil- tamari marinade)

- Slice pepper into small cubes

- Mix a touch of mustard, miso, pepper cubes, and tamari 

- Stuff mushrooms with mixture

- Top with mustard and enjoy!!

Raw Update: Day...?

It hasn't been a struggle to stay being raw. Yes, I've gone off it to discover the vegan wonders of the places I've been traveling to, but I always come back to raw. It's simple. Raw food makes me feel, well, alive, and all around wonderful.

Most people ask me what day of the challenge I'm on, and the answer: I don't even know anymore. It is no longer a challenge, but a life-style. Except for the excursions here and there, I will be sticking with the raw vegan diet, until for some unknown reason, I decide no-longer to be.

There is so much I'm excited for. Raw thanksgiving, raw Christmas... a raw birthday! So many recipes to uncover, and ways of "uncooking". I'm traveling to London in April, and who knows what that will bring.

I'm keeping up with my exercising, and will soon be joining hot yoga. Just enjoying the wonders of summer, and all the delicious fruits and vegetables it's blessing me with.

I think that's all for now, but I felt like it was time for another update.



Next challenge: Perfecting raw ice-cream!!