Uh-Oh, Spaghetti-O.

Downfall.
I broke up with my boyfriend of a year and a half, and I had massive amounts of chocolate cake. I made a whole chocolate cake and I (can't believe) I ate the WHOLE thing. Food is just such a comfort for me. I've grown up in an Italian/German family, so it's all about the brats and the spaghetti (sketti). I can really relate to In The Raw's story in that way. I direct messaged her about my downfall, and she said it was a new day and a clean slate. I'm picking The Raw Detox Diet book back up, and re-reading through all the reasons why I believe in what I was doing. What I want to do and what I want to accomplish. Food does not control me. I control it. I choose what I want to eat. It's just a french fry, just a piece of cake, just ice cream slathered in fudge and caramel sauce and...



Huh? What? Oh.
Yes. Back to what I was saying.
I've got my reasons. I've got Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and killer sweller in the morning. I have heavy unexplained menses. I have acne. I have a little extra weight to lose.

Other than that, yesterday was going very well. I woke up and had a Blueberry and Banana smoothie with some flax and agave nectar. It was delicious and I felt good drinking it. I also made an adaption of In The Raw's Mermaid Pasta. It totally blew my mind as to how much minerals I got just by crunching on the tasty stuff. I used two green onions and a carrot for the veggies since that's all I had on hand. For the sauce, I used olive oil since I do not have any Sesame. I used Nama Shoyu. I didn't have any lemon or limes on hand, quite a shame. I put in a tablespoon of agave, I wanted it a little sweeter. I may even use a tablespoon and a half next time. A clove of garlic only, since it was my very first time using garlic. And lots 'o fresh cracked black pepper (a favorite in the house). I loved the outcome! I think that's my new favorite lunch. I need to order about 10 more packages. Mmm. And this is an interesting fact from Earth Mother:


"Mineral-rich foods, like dark leafy greens and sea vegetables, stave off cravings."

And I didn't feel all that hungry yesterday! Now I know why. It's a sea miracle!

I wish I had taken a picture of it.
But I of course didn't.
And tomorrow marks the day I begin taking pictures.
No matter how crappy they are or how much I hate this little piece of crap Polaroid.

It's 12:27 and I haven't had anything to eat quite yet, but I'm about to make a Blackberry/Blueberry/Banana smoothie. I wish I had a handful of spinach to throw in.

Chia Pudding & Sunflower Seeds

New tastes and an eventful day yesterday!

Breakfast 1/23/10:


Yesterday morning I tried my hand at Chia Pudding. I had a sample which was probably about 2 tablespoons while most recipes call for at least 4 tablespoons so I had to experiment a bit. I ended with a nice little bowl of pudding for breakfast though! Mashed banana, quarter cup of water, cinnamon, agave nectar, our star the Chia Seed, and raspberries on top. I was pretty intrigued seeing the seeds turn into that "puffed up" gel. I was kind of expecting a more tapioca like substance since that's how it's been described, but I was still happy with the little smooth seeds. I ate it all but two raspberries. I'm still getting used to all of those seeds! (I'm abnormal I know.)

Lunch 1/23/10:


I was going to make kelp noodles, but I didn't feel creative enough. We don't have any salad fixings at the moment (rawr). So I opted for a good ol' box of macaroni and cheese. I was stupid and didn't eat anything else after that little bowl of chia, and I get so dizzy when I do not eat enough. So I was looking for something quick and familiar. I've noticed that the more comfortable I am making something, the more likely I am to make it. Which means I need to really get into that kitchen on my higher encouragement days and experiment with living foods.
Moving on. I had a bowl of Annie's Mac 'n cheese... organic at least, right? Better than my Easy Mac. I added a can of Trader Joe's red salmon (I'm cutting back meat, but not totally deleting it from my diet for right now). I added green onion at the end since I was craving some.

Dinner 1/23/10:


I had that WHOLE box of macaroni so I skipped out on dinner. Later on I tasted my first raw sprouted sunflower seed. I had a package of Kala Food's Cacao Mole. Maybe I'll like the Sweet Curry better because I did enjoy the nuttiness of the seeds. Then I had some Yogi's Moon Cycle Hormone Balancing tea. Of course, I got hungry again (*sigh* surprise, what happens when you stay up until 2AM) and had some Naturals Salt & Vinegar potato chips. Then I swore tomorrow would be a new day ;D

Apples

I ate an apple all by myself. Now normally, my Mom cuts me up an apple. She chops it into little slices, and puts a gallon of Peanut Butter next to it (this was before I developed my allergy to nuts). I first asked her to peel the skins. Then I gradually began eating apples with the skins. My first thought was 'Hey, this isn't so bad.'

When I got home from class, I was totally craving an apple. I looked in the fridge, and low behold some Golden Delicious. I guessed which knife I needed to cut the apple; a little kitchen knife. I cut down the center and cut out what was necessary. I even sliced it into those classic slanted chunks, piled up some Pumpkin Seed butter, mixed it in with a little honey (more difficult than it seems... sticky stuff) and sat down to dig in.

But before I took a bite, I thought about how RIDICULOUS it is that I had NEVER prepared myself an apple! Why didn't my parents teach me this simple task? It's not even a task. It's like a right of passage. It's food for god sakes. I know how to flawlessly boil Ramen and have done it a million times before but I've never cut an apple? The hell. Shouldn't all children be taught this by like ten? They're allowed to make Mac n' cheese on the stove but not how to cut an apple. Parents encourage their children to eat healthy... but I think so many kids don't even have the knowledge to. I'm not even sure how to shop for produce, when in a year or two I could be buying my own groceries. It's funny to think about.

*snacks on bag of baby carrots*


Anyways. Back to apples.



Apples are one of the only fruits I enjoy. Next are bananas. I'm just now getting into berries... but it's a struggle. So many seeds. :/
I'm wondering how to get my tastebuds to appreciate them quicker.
I'm more of a veggie girl, but of course I'm used to cooked peas/lima beans/green beans/asparagus, etc. So I'm confused about how to eat these things raw, or if they can be consumed raw?

A beginner's crappy blog.

When I tell my friends or family I want to eat a diet of mainly raw fruits and vegetables, I do believe they look at me like I have lost my mind.

And that my friend, is why I'm struggling with raw foods. At home, I do pretty well (that is until dinner which I am expected to eat what my parents put in front of me). When I'm out to eat, I don't want weird glances from the group I am with as to why I'm asking for a fried chicken salad minus the fried chicken. I don't want to feel uppity or out of sorts. I'm on the shyer side to begin with. It just sounds SO much easier to agree to that cheeseburger someone offers you when you're in the car with them at the drive through. When you're traveling or with someone, you're kind of at their will. You are in their world, with their customs and eating habits. I know what way I would like to eat. But I'm not sure if it's realistic. I know what my health needs, even at seventeen (JRA). I feel like it is of importance for everyone in my life to eat better, but they do not. The thought of eating a box of Little Debbies sounds almost sickening to me lately. Then I get over it and want it. Then I get angry for wanting it. Then I get angry at the world for setting this as standard eating. Then I feel as though I may as well eat whatever the hell everyone else is, we're all going down in the end anyways. ...Wow, that was very cynical but I'm needing a place to be honest.

*Sigh* I have such doubts.

Moving on. (Of course any encouragement about the above is strongly encourage to all of my ...no followers or readers)

My Mom agreed to make me a Raw Food World order a couple weeks back. I received:
Pumpkin Seed Butter
Two packages of sprouted sunflower snack packs
Nama Shoyu
Coconut Oil
Tahini
Kelp Noodles
Hemp Chocolate Bar (one of the only nut free chocolate-y options I could find)
Flax Crackers
Agave Nectar
Sample of Chia Seeds

I am already the owner of raw honey, raw sunflower seeds from one of my parent's trips to Trader Joe's and quinoa. Also some Gluten Free baking goods since my mother has Celiac. Her diet mainly consists of meat and dairy though.

Currently, I'm massively lusting for some nutrional yeast, shredded coconut, more Chia Seeds, Goji berries, raw pumpkin seeds, raw apple cider vinegar, dates, and raw cocoa powder.

(And also big shiny appliances since our blender is from the 1980s and I just found out our food processor broke)

(Plus a billion dollars, donating some to Haiti before buying mah Raw supplies of course)

...Please forgive me for this massacre of a blog. Thank you.
Tune in next time for when I actually cut an apple for the first time ever at seventeen years old. ...Yes, I'm ashamed you even read that.

P.S
I've only ever read In The Raw as far as Raw Food Blogs go. If you're a big fancy blog owner, mind following me and taking me under your wing a bit? And lead me the way to your blog!