Exploring Raw foods and Superfoods - it can be easier than you think!

   After a few months of thrown together meals with all the renovations we did on the house, the summer found us back to slower meals, prepared while camping or lunches to be eaten while on walks. It was a nice return to a less hectic way of living. We are looking forward to the day when the house is sold and we begin our family trip!

    Here in the real world of Limbo-Land though, It has been an exciting couple of weeks. The girls started school, Autumn began kindergarten! Raevynn started grade two, and the family is ready and waiting for the house to sell so we can begin our world travels!

    I started a "21 Day Raw Food Reset" cleanse on Sept. 1st. It has been absolutely fabulous. The recipes are easy to follow, the shopping list is detailed and the FOOD is both plentiful and delicious! well worth the money I spent on the set of e-books and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their health through their food. Even if you can't imagine committing to a cleanse (Do it! what have you got to lose?) incorporating even one aspect of the plan into your daily routine is a great way to start. (such as the morning juice)

the fridge after a trip to the farmer's market! LOVE  harvest time! 

The recipes are So good, in fact , that the rest of the family has decided to follow suit. Mykel started this week and Tijana started today, Amanda plans to start just before her next day off.  We are looking at this as a good way to 'reboot' our taste buds and eating habits and gain some good understanding of raw foods and recipes. Once we are all done the cleanse we want to explore a Raw Food diet for a month or two, testing out and trying all the incredible recipes we have found. I found excellent recipes all over but a couple of my favourits are Markus Rothkranz (who also has some great inspirational videos on Youtube) and Young and Raw - I can't wait to test out some of these gems!

    We have also been studying and exploring 'superfoods' and herb/minerals and how incorporating them into your daily diet can prevent and correct illnesses and disease. VERY interesting stuff! and extremely exciting! I found some great videos to use as start off point for research and exploration by David Wolfe here on his website, Longevitywarehouse.com .

    We have committed to a year of food experimentation and study focusing on raw food, herbs, medicinal mushrooms and minerals, to developing a menu plan and way of living that is sustainable and healthy for the whole family, little ones included. How completely exciting is that!?!

It is easy to join us on this food adventure, start small but with a commitment to the change. Some of the things in this list were year long commitments for our family and took a great deal of concerted effort to accomplish but we can't ever imagine going back to our 'old ways' now.

Here are some things you can do, even if you pick just one and stick too it, I swear you will notice a change!
1. Eliminate things like food additives (MSG, carageenan, preservatives, artificial flavouring), processed foods or fast food.
2. Switch to buying local, responsibly grown foods, buy organic when you can.
3. Add a green, hearty salad to you supper meal that fills half your plate (you would not believe the vast amount of fabulous salad recipes there are out there).
4. Start eating at least 2 fruits per day.
5. Try one thing each week ( find a recipe that intrigues you) that you have never tried, or that you would never have imagined eating if you weren't embarking on a food adventure.
6. Drink a green smoothie for breakfast
7. Drink some superfood based teas as a part of your regular routine.
8. Educate yourself, read books, watch videos, talk to other people who have made dietary changes about recipes and the commitment to change.
9. ENJOY your food and the new taste sensations you are introducing yourself to!
10. Don't try to do too much all at once, slow and steady will get you there! Be committed to the small changes and before you know it, you will have made a BIG lifestyle change.

GMO articles and information

Links to GMO articles and information:

Autumn helping make pancakes with organic, non-gmo ingredients

There is very little real food left in this world it seems, it is worth it to educate yourself about GMO's and learn how to find the food amongst all the food-like products that clutter the grocery store shelves! here are a couple of links to websites that can help!

1. The Non-GMO Project

 Non-GMO project in Canada!

Product Verification - North America’s Only Independent Verification of Non-GMO Products

The retailers who started the Non-GMO Project were motivated by a simple idea: they believed that consumers in North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products, now and in the future. That conviction continues to be the guiding force behind the Non-GMO Project, which offers North America’s only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance.

This website is full of great information and resources....

• GMO facts
• Lists of  Non-GMO verified products and restaurants
• resources and information 
• how to take action now

http://www.nongmoproject.org

2. Top Seven Genetically Modified Crops

http://www.honeycolony.com/article/top-seven-genetically-modified-crops/

Jan 22 2013

By The Hive
Most of the government-approved, made in the U.S.A. food we eat is poisoned. That may sound like a pitch for a sci-fi novel, but unless a growing body of research is all wrong, a tainted food supply is the reality here in America. Take genetically modified foods, for example, which are linked to a long list of health problems, from food allergies and cell damage in humans, to tumors, liver problems, sterility and high infant mortality rates in rats.

read the list here: http://www.honeycolony.com/article/top-seven-genetically-modified-crops/

3. GMO Inside.org

http://gmoinside.org/

Because we have the right to know what’s in our food!

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Large agribusiness and chemical companies oppose our right to know when foods have GMOs. These are the same companies that put GMOs out on the market without adequate testing – turning us all into lab rats in a giant science experiment.
GMO Inside is a campaign dedicated to helping all Americans know which foods have GMOs inside, and the non-GMO verified and organic certified alternatives to genetically engineered foods. We believe that everyone has a right to know what’s in their food and to choose foods that are proven safe for themselves, their families, and the environment.
GMO Inside gives people information and tools, and provides a place for a growing community of people from all walks of life, to share information and actions around genetically engineered foods. Join the campaign at www.gmoinside.org, and take part in the GMO Inside community on Facebook and Twitter.
If you are represent an organization or a business that supports a healthy food system that is non-GMO and good for people and the planet, please join the GMO Inside coalition. We welcome you to post your news and information on our Facebook page, would love to get all of your events and programs on our calendar and interview you for our featured partner section of our website!

Oven Roasted Herbed Vegetables and Roast Cabbage

We had a great vegetarian dinner tonight! Made with fresh vegetables from the farmers market and our favourite organic stores, the house smelled incredible while this was cooking. My whole crew really enjoyed this one.

dish one-  Oven Roasted Herbed Vegetables.  cut in to cubes - potato, carrot, parsnip, onion, red pepper. Toss with favourite mixed herbs, 2 TBSP nutritional yeast and olive oil, put into a casserole dish and sprinkle with sea salt and a goo amount of parmesan cheese bake uncovered for 1 hr at 425 F (or until potatoes are soft) If you wish this to be a Vegan dish omit the parmesan or replace it with a vegan substitute.

dish two - Oven Roasted Cabbage: cut cabbage into wedges, remove core, drizzle with olive oil or spray with an olive oil spray. sprinkle with caraway seed and sea salt. roast at 425 F uncovered for a 1/2 hour, then put the cover on and roast for another 20 min - 1/2 hour. (cook time will vary depending on the size of your cabbage wedges)

serve with your favourite salad !

delicious!

recipe: Gluten free, Vegan Coconut Snowballs

 

No bake, Gluten free, Vegan Coconut Snowballs

We are going to test out this recipe for our solstice celebration! They look delicious. 
(edited to add - they were AWESOME)

Support local stores!

I think I am done shopping for solstice and christmas food! OMG  now to bake bread, make goodies and holiday appies for the celebrations. 

Yesterday I went to Earth's General Store - I just have to take some time to say - they are SO worth shopping at and giving support to as a local business. I have never felt more cared for and appreciated as a shopper. They take the time to let you know where their product comes from if that kind of thing is important to you .

For example, my priorities as a shopper are local - first if possible, no GMO potential ingredients - which often means organic but not always, quality and affordability.  I wanted non-gmo oatmeal for my christmas baking, and because I need a large amount I wasn't sure I could afford the locally available organic oatmeal (which btw is great!) so I dropped a note on to their facebook page. They answered me nearly immediately and said they have the local organic oatmeal, as well as a Canadian sourced bulk organic oatmeal.  I went to the store and the store owner remembered me from the facebook post, even my name! Then he explained to me the differences in the two suppliers. I ended up buying the bulk Canadian sourced oatmeal due to the lower cost and the quanity I needed. If I had need of a lower quantity I would have gone with the local producer, and will in the future buy from them to support their business.

The staff at Earth's General Store were helpful and friendly, and take the time to help you out if you need advice on unfamiliar products or if you are trying a new brand for the first time. Their produce was beautiful and their pricing is very reasonable. I also enjoy that the aisles are not filled with all kinds of 'junk' that I would not be interested in anyway like you find in most grocery stores (you know, the rows and rows of stuff you breeze past on your way to find the actual FOOD)

Imagine my surprise when I got home later that day, and there on my FB post on their page, was a thank you note to me, for coming in that day. Little things like that make me feel like my choice to spend my grocery dollars there were appreciated and noted. It gave me a little warm fuzzy :)

It's so rare in today's world of supermarkets and food being 'big business' to find that kind of care and attention in a food store. They are definetly worth sharing and supporting!

It is worth noting that Earth's General Store has been around in Edmonton as a forward thinking, earth conscious consumer choice for decades - long before it was 'cool' - I am in deep appreciation for them and the valuable resource they are to our city.




Earth's General Store Website.
(p.s.  here is the link to their facebook page)

Raw Food links

tomatoes from our garden! yum!

Here is a collection of links to Raw Food or Vegan websites I have enjoyed reading articles on:

Annette Larkins Website


30 Bananas a Day
 
Megan Elizabeth Website

Raw Food Explained

Super Healthy Children

Vibrant Health and Wealth Bookstore

Markus Rothkranz Website

List of vegetables to buy organic: dirty dozen/clean thirteen