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Rejuvenating Rejuvelac

August 6th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Alkaline Your Body, All About Raw Food, Enzymes!, Rejuvelac 3 comments

Rejuvelac for Rejuvenation

Rejuvelac is my favorite drink! It is comforting at times I long for a tingling feeling on my tongue, an old reminder to bubbles in water or soft drinks. It has a subtle tartness and the character of a soft -but healthy-  lemonade. I always have several bottles in my refrigerator because rejuvelac is packed with life: enzymes!

There is so much to tell about this life lengthening drink. These are only a few of the wonderful benefits.

  • Fermented food is filled with enzymes. Rejuvelac is THE enzyme drink!
  • Enzymes are life lengthening!
  • The pro-biotics help the process of fermentation in foods so yes, you can make your own nut cheese and yogurt easily
  • Rejuvelac is a pre-digested food. This means that proteins are broken down into amino acids and carbohydrates into simple sugars. All nutrients are assimilated very soon after drinking without loss of energy.
  • Drinking rejuvelac helps digestion and is a very effective cure for stomach and colon problems.
  • Use Rejuvelac instead of water in your smoothies and drink some glasses in between meals to cleanse your colon, flush your system and to gain energy.
  • Rejuvelac is a natural pro-biotic: the enzymes help the friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus bifidus to grow.
  • Your colon becomes cleaner by drinking rejuvelac every day: it prevents sludge to collect on the colon walls.
  • The cleaner your colon, the less chance diseases will arise and the healthier you will be.
  • Rejuvelac is a rich source of B vitamins, vitamine E and K.
  • And last but not least: it is very easy and cheap to make!

The only thing rejuvelac needs is time and darkness. So if you like this drink, be sure you start sprouting wheat berries in time. This takes about two days, depending if it’s warm or cold. Same when you ferment the berries: warmth is an important factor; in a hot summer it might be possible you have to halve time and check in every now and then. With a little bit of practice you won’t fall without this healing drink.

There are several ways to make rejuvelac and I always used Dr. Ann Wigmore’s using the berries whole. But a few weeks ago I tried out a basic recipe of “Raw Soul” in New York. They usual blend the berries before the whole fermentation process starts. I was curious what would happen if you combine the two of them, blending after the second time you drain the berries and it worked just as well.

But to start with I will give you the fastest way so you have some results soon and with a higher amount: by blending the berries. This recipe is based on 1 C of sprouted wheat berries. You can double or triple if you want larger amounts easily.

You can experiment with what fruits you put in the rejuvalac. This combination I use to make is a very nice one and will make you think of lemonade.

TOOLS

All you need is:

  • A glass jar or a nut milk bag for the sprouting
  • A big glass container that you can close for the fermentation
  • A blender or hand mixer

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 C of wheat berries
  • Pure water

After two days of sprouting

SPROUTING

  • Soak one cup of wheat berries overnight, covered with pure water
  • Next morning: drain and rinse
  • Turn the jar upside down on one side so all the water can drip out and the berries get fresh air
  • Rinse the berries 2 or 3 times a day for about two days
  • When a little ‘tail’ appears, they are ready!

1 Cup of Sprouted Wheat Berries

FERMENTING

You will see that after soaking the amount of berries almost doubled. This means you have almost 2 Cups and you can make more than you thought: make a pure jar and a variation with mint and lime or the fruits of your choice for a drink in the evening when you are craving wine or soft drinks.

Blend for five seconds

  • Place 1 C of wheat berries in the blender and add 1 C of water
  • Blend for five seconds

Before adding water, pure Rejuvelac

  • Pour this blend into your big glass jar
  • If you want the rejuvelac pure and simple, only add one gallon of pure water. That’s it!
  • If you want another taste, put layers of lemon, ginger, mint or whatever you like in there on top of the blend.
  • Then add a gallon of pure water
  • Close the jar and put it away in a cool dark place or in a cupboard for three days. Lovely!
  • If it is hot, check in every day and have a taste; if it is tart it is ready. If not, let it sit another day.
  • After three days, pour off the rejuvelac through a sieve into bottles; they keep well for two weeks in a refrigerator
  • You can add mint, lime and ice before drinking and experiment with you own preferences!

Staple of Rejuvelac and My Smoothie For Today

Not Milk

July 29th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Nutmilk, Proteins, Ravishing Raw Recipes 2 comments

White as Milk. The spider too...

I was a milk addict before I became raw. Every day I made a quart of  delicious creamy yogurt, I had milk with Ezekiel as breakfast, was a huge fan of French cheeses. Leaving out milk of my diet seemed an impossible task. But not after feeling the difference in about one week. I was less tired and my muscles stopped hurting in no time.

Milk of raw seeds or nuts is so easy to make! Delicious. Fast. Nutritious. You won’t miss the ‘real’ thing and will feel better. You can use any nut or seed and the proportion is always the same. If you use brown nuts, soak overnight to release the enzyme inhibitors. You also will have to strain them to get rid of the brown peels and have a white color. Almonds are the best choice because they are alkaline. But if you are looking for a fast solution in the chaos of getting ready in time in the morning, cashew nuts or hemp seeds are the way to go. Blend and go!

HEMP SEED MILK

Hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious food sources on earth. They contain the highest quality of Omega 3 and 6. Hemp is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein. Those little seeds have all eight essential amino acids and essential fatty acids needed to sustain health. One glass of hemp seed milk provides you most of the proteins you need in one day and charges you with lots of vitamin E and iron. Also children love this milk and have many benefits from drinking this fresh made non diary product.

TOOLS YOU NEED

A blender or a hand mixer

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for Hemp Seed Milk

  • 1 C hemp seeds or cashew nuts
  • 3 or 4 C water, depending on how thin or thick you like the milk
  • 1 date or 1 TBS honey  to sweeten a little bit

All in blender

Place all the hemp seeds, water and the date into the blender. Blend until smooth, usually a matter of seconds with a high speed blender. With another blender it might take fifteen to thirty seconds…That’s it! It takes longer to write this down. No straining because the seeds are so soft that the texture is smooth as… milk.


One Day On Raw!

July 18th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Alkaline Your Body, All About Raw Food, Ravishing Raw Recipes 2 comments

Last night I was wondering how I can convince more people of the power of rawfood. There is only one way. DO IT! Let me make it easy for you, if you are still hesitating because of practical questions. What can I eat in the morning? How do I start this? What am I gonna have next? Well, today you won’t have to think, just take action. How does a raw day looks like? Let me give you an example of how easy and delicious your FIRST RAW DAY can be.

YOUR ONE DAY RAW TRIAL!

  • Start your day with a GREEN SMOOTHIE. Try out the recipe I gave in the post SMOOTH HEALTH and enjoy being green! In my next post I will teach you how to make nut milk and a very simple muesli in a few minutes that will convince you this is so much better than ‘the real thing’ you buy in the supermarkets. Drink lots of water, herbal teas or fresh juices in between and you will be fine, fine, fine!

    Your daily health in a bottle.

  • It is summer so what is easier and faster than making a nice, colorful salad? Check out my COOL SUMMER SALAD and you will feel fresh and satisfied. You have to work? Prepare the salad after breakfast in the morning and take it with you in a sealed container. And yes, you can take what is left over of your morning smoothie too…

    Cool summer salad

  • You are longing for a snack? Make a TRAIL MIX. Grab a handful of cashew nuts, mix them with some cacao nibs and Goji berries, throw all in a small container or zip bag and you are ready to go on again.
  • To make it a perfectly raw day, make the ZUCCHETTI and you will be delighted and think: “Now, that wasn’t that hard was it?”

    Cool Zucchini Tower

    Cool Zucchini Tower

  • Dessert? That CHOCOLATE LOVE BAR will bring you in the mood for love…

    Pure Temptation Within Reach

    Pure Temptation Within Reach

  • You feel like having a glass of wine or alcohol in the evening? Make a FRESH JUICE of  4 green apples, 1 lime and a piece of ginger of about 1/2 or one inch and you will think you are drinking some fancy cocktail.

Yes, it can be this easy… enjoy and let me know if you liked it!

HOW do I start?

July 14th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · All About Raw Food, FAQ, Foods To Avoid, Transition 4 comments

Why do you want to go raw?

What is your ultimate goal?

When would you like to be there?

Do you FEEL ready to go for it?

Going raw is not as difficult as it seems to be. Once you found your reason WHY, excitement will take over from your doubts and fear. Simply because eating raw will open new possibilities, a new world, your new YOU. And just admit that you want CHANGE, so why hesitate one more minute? You need one more push in the back? Just think of the sparkling energy that will lift you up, think of the new body you will receive, think of losing pain and complaints, think of your “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” moment, think of looking radiant, think of feeling ravishing, think of living longer and HEALTHY!

Freshly Picked...

Freshly Picked...

Being raw is not about being 100 % raw overnight. It is about adding as much healthy, ORGANIC food as possible gradually and leaving out the food that takes away your energy and health. Many, many issues or complaints will disappear as snow in the sun as soon as you eat 50% raw. From the moment on that you can reach and hold on to 80 %, your body will renew its cells and blood. It will become strong enough to heal itself from illness or uncomfortable symptoms you are suffering from but don’t know what to do about them.

Let’s have a look at what will make you feel so much better in no time, just by LEAVING OUT of your current diet what slows your body down. If you do this one by one, you will feel very clearly what has been affecting you all these years without realizing. Simply because we are brought up in need of our daily bread, that comforting sugar, milk as our white motor, alcohol to loosen up at parties, fish and meat for proteins, coffee as socializer in the company of a cigaret and cookies.

Don’t be scared. You won’t miss anything. Well you will at first, mentally, but when you dive into raw food you will be surprised by the great tastes and the wealth of nutrients that makes a difference in only a week. So yes, leave out following products and your healing process will start that very moment by a natural cleansing. In this transitioning phase, start incorporating as much green, organically grown, living foods and your body will ask for more soon and reject what is not good for you.

Raw Muesli with Almond Milk

Raw Muesli with Almond Milk

  1. First start to eliminate DRUGS, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, SUGAR, WHITE FLOUR, SALT, MEAT & FISH, COFFEE, all processed foods. It might seem as an impossible thing to do and very radical. But you can take it slowly so you won’t experience the transition as “What is there left for me to eat?” TAKE THE TIME YOU NEED. For instance, if you eat meat every day, start skipping every other day and replace your usual menu by  vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits. Then decrease to two times a week and so on. Do this with each of these products and you will get there sooner than you think. The cleaner your body gets, the cleaner you WANT it to be. And remember that you are not giving up anything, but changing for the better, you are choosing for a gorgeous body and for your health!
  2. Now that you came this far, you will certainly want to leave out MILK, BUTTER, EGGS, YOGHURT, CHEESE, ALL ANIMAL DERIVED PRODUCTS. Why? All dairy products are mucus forming foods. Moreover milk is delivering more chemicals to your body than calcium. “But I love milk and yoghurt! I can’t give that up!” You will still be able to drink milk, eat yoghurt. But they will be made of raw nuts and seeds. You can make the most delicious milk in one minute! It will deliver you all the proteins and calcium you need for that day. So don’t worry. You will find easy, fast, delicious alternatives for every one of them AND feel better.
  3. If you are really motivated to GET RID OF TOXINS and you want to expedite elimination of toxins in your body, now is the time to start a DETOX WEEK on juices, smoothies, simple salads and mono fruit meals. No, you won’t be hungry because you will receive more nutrients than ever who will feed your cells and blood thoroughly.
  4. Now you can eliminate grains, crackers, bread and pasta, granola, stop cooking your foods by adding raw meals. An easy way to go is: START EVERY DAY RAW AND HOLD ON TO EATING RAW AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Dinner is usually the meal that you will leave out as last one. But each day you have come that far is a great day already! You can’t hold on to raw at dinner? Start with a lovely varied salad before you eat your cooked food.
    Asparagus

    Asparagus

I bet you will feel energized already next morning. A FEW MORE TIPS to go through your transitioning phases smoothly…

  • The GREENER you start you day, the easier it is to hold on to your healthy lifestyle! The first taste or food your body receives is the one it will be craving and asking for during the rest of the day.
  • If you cook or steam vegetables, do it as short as possible.
  • Take the time you need and don’t force yourself. It has to feel comfortable, nice, challenging, encouraging, motivating. It has to be FUN!
  • Make some juices and/or smoothie(s) every day. It is the best way to get used to all the greens, receive more nutrients you ever had and to detox your body in a very natural way.
  • If you want to eliminate toxins faster, fast a few days on fresh juices (as many as you want or need) and add a simple but yummy salad to every drink as a meal.
  • If you want to take it slower but still effective, fast one day a week on juicy juices.
  • Make your meals as nice as possible, make them pretty, sit down in peace, and take your time to chew very thoroughly.
  • Have fun with looking for recipes that can tempt you.
  • Make some lovely chocolates and have them stored in your refrigerator so when you are craving, you won’t be drawn to old habits but to your very own creations.
  • When you feel hungry, eat a raw chocolate: it will satisfy you and stop your hunger.
  • Throw out all junk food and replace it by lovely fresh greens and fruits.
  • Always have enough healthy ingredients in the house.
  • Make a little bit more of special treats and store them in the refrigerator so they are within reach on difficult moments.
  • Try to read and gain knowledge as much as possible.
  • Start finding out about food combining (also on this blog) and use more foods that are easily digested.
  • It would be just GREAT if you would schedule some colonics to get rid of many pounds of lifelong plaque in your intestines. It will clean your colon, energize you, make you feel lighter (lose weight) and make you leap forward in this great adventure!

YOU NEED SOME SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

If you think you can’t make this on your own but YOU DO WANT THIS VERY BADLY, I will be very happy to help you. Find out more on the ‘About You!’ page on this blog and feel free to email me for an appointment.

Ravishingly Yours,

Marie-Claire

Where do I start?

July 6th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · All About Raw Food, Body & Soul, Change!, From SAD to Bad!, In Five Steps To Raw, Personal Journey No comments - Tags: , , , , , ,

Ramson

After some tempting recipes I would like to write more about what Raw food is really about. Going Green is a challenging and life changing action. At least if you are convinced that this is what you want. But how can you know for sure?

There is a reason why you are reading this raw food blog. You might have been going through certain issues lately for which you are looking for a solution, although you aren’t sure yet where to look or what to look for. You have come to a point where you have felt and thought: “Enough is enough!” This is your moment, the point of no return. And no matter how frustrating or sad or angry this moment might have felt for you, it is the best thing that could happen to you right now. It is not healthy to live a life that doesn’t fit you. And it sure isn’t healthy you are eating food that doesn’t feed you. So this is one reason why and how you can be sure you want CHANGE. But what change? And…

“How can food change my whole life?”


Rejuvelac With Lime & Mint

Raw food is so much more than a diet. It is not about counting calories, not about guilt when you eat a dessert that you are really enjoying, not about doubts when you had a wonderful meal. Raw food is much more than the food you are eating. It is a lifestyle and a personal journey that takes you much further than you would have ever expected. Becoming aware of yourself, taking responsibility of your body and soul will open many new doors and opportunities to live your dreams. So let’s go…

In 5 steps from S.A.D. to RAW


  1. Your starting point is the most important step. To find the right commitment you have to know why exactly you want to do this. Knowing where you are starting from is your motivation that will support your engagement throughout your raw journey. WHY do you want to eat raw? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to feel energized as never before? Are you fighting disease? Do you want to live healthy and more consciously? Do you want to feel more connected to yourself? Find out and write it down.
  2. A very EXCITING step is finding out more about raw food and seeing all the possibilities you never expected. Discover this new world of ravishing food and read, read, read. The more you know the more you will be drawn to living your life healthy. Knowledge will guide you through your transition.
  3. It’s time to take ACTION and MAKE YOUR KITCHEN COME ALIVE! Throw out everything that might tempt you or can sabotage your raw food track. Find out which equipment you need first to make your whole kitchen set up successful. Reward yourself by investing in quality tools that make it easier and real fun to work with. This is a step you will really enjoy and makes your thoughts and search much more tangible!
  4. PLAYTIME! Plan your menu’s, try out recipes, create your very own, soak & sprout and make your own living foods, surprise friends and family with your first chocolates or raw pie -of which they will never even suspect it hasn’t seen the oven-. Enjoy and have fun with these ravishing foods that makes YOU come alive!
  5. You gained so much ENERGY, you are getting the GLOW, you are feeling amazingly STRONG. Raw food brought you to a new level in your health, physically and mentally. But this is just the beginning. There are many levels you can go through and it is all up to you how far you want to go. Each level will bring you higher up in your raw journey with each its own challenges and surprises. You have now the STRENGTH to make the things happen you always dreamed of. Your transformation has started.

These are the five steps that will bring more clarity on where you can start. There is much more to come. Now you know WHERE to start, you will certainly want to know HOW to start. Keep an eye on my blog. I will tell you soon. Meanwhile, take some time to think about what I wrote, prepare your journey and enjoy your thoughts that will bring you closer to your radiant health!

Step-By-Step

Cool Summer Salad

July 2nd, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Clean(s)ing, Cool Food!, Food Combinations, Ravishing Raw Recipes 3 comments

Cool Summer Salad

What can be nicer than a cool, refreshing summer salad on a hot I-can’t-move-summer day? I made this lovely salad the first time in spring, when I was in the middle of a juice detox combined with mono meals and pure salads. The Forsythia’s were blooming and some of the Japanese flowers ended up in my salad.

Forsythia Spring Salad

While puffing myself through this extremely hot day, I thought back of the freshness of the fruits, the acidity of the orange and pineapple. Luckily I had a fresh pineapple so I could start right after the thought struck me. You can use any fruit you like, but this combination is so surprisingly fresh that I can recommend it warmly. When you start experimenting yourself, there are a few rules to keep in mind though.

First of all, yes! you can combine fruits with vegetables. But only when they are leafy greens. Why? They don’t contain starches. Fruit and leafy greens are doing just fine together and won’t give you a bloated feeling after consumption. This is also the way to go when you are making your smoothies: only use leafy greens with fruits, don’t add starchy vegetables such as squash or zucchini.

Fruits don’t combine well with other types of foods because they digest much faster. They only take a half hour. Other foods are taking several hours. This is another cause of bloating. If you apply these simple rules, your tummy will be thinner in one or two days without going on a frustrating diet. As long as you are combining your foods badly, you will bloat and have a pot belly at the end of the day.

The second rule may seem more complicated at first. But you will learn quickly, you will see. There are three groups of fruits; acid, sub-acid and sweet. Combining the wrong groups will slow down digestion and make you feel bloated. With this list and know-how you can avoid a lot of trouble in your stomach and colon.

Don’t combine Acid with Sweet Fruits. What you can combine are Acid with Sub-Acid fruits and Sub-Acid with Sweet Fruits.

SWEET FRUITS

Bananas, raisins, prunes, durian, dates, dried fruits, persimmons, figs

SUB-ACID FRUITS

Apples, blueberries, cherries, kiwis, mangos, nectarines, plums, pears, fresh figs, papayas, peaches, apricots, cactus fruit, guava

ACID FRUITS

Blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, lemon, lime, tangerine, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, tomato, sour plums, pomegranates, kumquat

MELONS

Cantaloupe, watermelon, honey dew, muskmelon…

“Eat them alone or leave them alone!” is what Dr. Ann Wigmore said firmly. Melons contain much more water than any other fruit and are digested very rapidly, so it is better to enjoy them on their own.

FRUIT RULES

Listen to your body; it is your best guide.

Eat fruits by itself on an empty stomach, in the morning or three/ four hours after another meal. Always wait half an hour before you eat something else.

Eat melons on their own.

Eat fruits independently from vegetables. You can combine only with leafy greens.

Lettuce, Celery and Fruit make a GOOD food combination.

Acid and Sweet Fruits are POOR food combinations.

Acid and Sub-Acid fruits are GOOD food combinations.

Sub-Acid and Sweet Fruits are GOOD food combinations.

You will find the recipe of this delicious salad in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!”

If you sign in with your email address I will send you the link where you can download and enjoy it!

    Forsythia Spring Salad

    Ravishing Raw Chocolate Ice Cream

    June 29th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Cravings, Desserts, Good Mood Food, Inspiration, Ravishing Raw Recipes One comment - Tags: , , ,

    Chocolate Ice Cream

    If there is something that can help you stop craving on a hot summer day, it is ice cream. With this lovely creation in your freezer, you can easily resist the ringing sounds of ice cream cars passing by your house. You will be all smiles because you know you have something much better waiting for you.

    When I say ice cream, I mean the real thing. If you have no ice cream maker, you can blend frozen fruits and make the most lovely one-minute- sorbets in the world. This is how I did it… until just now. Since I got this wonderful equipment for my birthday, I am hooked on trying out all possible combinations with flavors and what my garden is offering me. The first spoon I took was a real revelation. I had never tasted such a full ice cream flavor and texture. Nothing can exceed the creaminess of a raw ice cream, made of sweet cashew nuts and fresh picked fruit in your garden or… pure chocolate!

    This recipe is based on one of Sarma Melngailis. I was totally new at making ice cream two weeks ago. So I started with an existing recipe and am trying out things now. For this recipe I left out the coconut. It is not always as simple to find them and I rather taste the chocolate. Add some more coconut butter instead to have a hint of memory to coconut. I prefer discrete tastes above an insistent flavor. This is the way you can start looking for your own preferences. Just try and taste.

    An ice cream maker doesn’t have to be expensive to do an excellent job. You can purchase a regular one for about $30 or $40. Even Cuisinart is very affordable here. So if you have a celebration coming up, put it on top of your list or just buy one yourself to treat yourself on a healthy and easy to make snack or dessert. Here comes your good mood food!

    Preparation to think of first! To receive a smooth ice cream texture, it is always necessary to soak the nuts you are using, even cashews. Soak one cup of cashews for about four hours or longer in filtered water or spring water. Do this in the morning, when you get up. If you have to work, your cashews will be ready for use when you get home and feel like making something special.

    Tools You Need

    Ice Cream Maker

    * An ice cream maker. Even a cheap one will do just fine and delight you with the real thing you have been longing for.

    * A blender

    * A small and a large bowl

    * Measuring cups

    * Measuring spoons

    * A whisk

    * A timer

    * Some spatula’s, small and big

    * A small bottle to apply chocolate sauce. If you don’t have one, take a square piece of paper, make a funnel of it, and cut a small tip off at the smallest end. Now you can draw with the sauce on your plate. Or simply use a spoon.

    Tools You Need

    Ingredients for chocolate sauce

    Ingredients for chocolate sauce

    * 3/4 C raw cacao powder

    * 3/4 C Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar (Maple Syrup combines great with chocolate and gives it an extra dimension)

    * 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract without alcohol

    * Pinch of sea salt

    * 2 TBS melted coconut butter for a full flavor

    The making of chocolate sauce

    Melt the cacao butter

    Always start with the part where you have to prepare food. So first melt the cacao butter while you are working on the next step. This will save time.

    Blend all ingredients except for the cacao butter

    Now blend all ingredients at lowest speed, except for the cacao butter. By the time this is done, the butter is ready.

    Add the liquified cacao butter slowly at the slowest speed. Your chocolate sauce is ready! Take a lick! Ever tasted this?

    Take the sauce out of the blender but don’t clean the blender. It’s all meant to come together and you don’t want to spill anything of this goddess sauce.

    Ingredients for ice cream

    Ingredients for ice cream

    * 1 C of soaked cashews (they have soaked in water and became bigger)

    * 1/8 C of coconut oil

    * 1/2 C of spring water

    * 1 C Agave Nectar

    * 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    * 1/4 tsp of sea salt to bring out all flavors even more

    * 3/4 C of the chocolate sauce you just made

    The making of ice cream

    First melt your coconut oil “Au Bain Marie”

    Blend all ingredients except for coconut oil until very smooth!

    Add the coconut oil slowly on lowest speed.

    Cashew Creme and Chocolate sauce

    This is your cashew creme and chocolate sauce. Keep a bit of the chocolate sauce aside to add lusciously on your ice cream later.

    Mix both emulsions together in your blender until they are one. Done!

    Chocolate Ice Cream Before Freezing

    Set aside a few hours in the refrigerator till the mixture has cooled off.

    Poor into the ice cream maker

    All set to go. Follow the instructions of your ice cream maker. Usually you have to turn on the machine before you start pooring. Than let the machine do the work.

    Forty minutes for firm ice cream

    Set the timer; twenty minutes for soft ice, forty for scoop ice cream.

    Coming!

    Peeking after about ten minutes…

    Ready!

    Ready to taste! Heavenly! You can take a scoop and treat yourself already. Put the rest in the deep freezer.

    Chocolate Ice Cream

    Zucchetti!

    June 26th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Ravishing Raw Recipes 7 comments - Tags: , , ,

    Zucchetti!


    One of the things I thought I would never be able to miss is pasta. I was a real pasta lover before I went raw and although I had only been eating the whole food versions for years, it was a scary thought it wouldn’t be part of my diet anymore. So the first thing I wanted to replace by a raw creation was spaghetti. And guess what! It is de-li-cious!

    In fact, you don’t have to miss anything when eating raw. You can make a raw version of every cooked recipe. I know, at the beginning there is so much to read and learn and it can be very overwhelming. But after a while, when you don’t have to look at all these recipes anymore and getting the hang on creating your own varieties, you will come up with new things.

    A good way to go when you are just starting is: follow the recipe the first time and then start changing, adding, creating to your own taste. You will be surprised how easy and fun it is to re- invent your new diet and lifestyle. The best part of all this is, that you don’t have to know anything about cooking!

    So let me tell you about spaghetti, made of vegetables. You can choose any long vegetable you want. If you are craving for the feeling, looks and taste of real spaghetti, zucchini is the best choice. It is al dente without cooking, has a pretty neutral taste with a touch of fresh sweetness, and just as cheap.

    I like my sauce with little bits of chunks, but if you prefer a real smooth sauce looking like a Bolognese, let the blender run a bit longer until you have the consistency you like.

    You will find the recipe in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!”

    If you would like to receive this step by step book, enter your email address in the sign up box and I will send you the link where you can download “Your Step-By-Step FooDprint”

    You can present your Zucchetti in different ways, depending on the occasion. Are you running late or aching for an ordinary looking spaghetti? Then just throw and stir up very well until all slices or angel hair is coated. It will look like this then…

    Linguini Covered With Tomato Sauce

    Or if you get a special friend over for dinner, take a ‘ring’ and make a little tower of the pasta and sauce. Put it on a bed of chervil and basil leaves or fine lettuce and you have a lovely, fancy starter that will impress for sure… Or you can treat yourself after a week hard work with a nice looking dinner in the garden.

    To treat yourself or a friend

    A Tower Of Pasta

    Smooth Health

    June 26th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Alkaline Your Body, Chew, Chew, Chew!, Chlorophyll, Clean(s)ing, Colon Health, Enzymes!, Green Smoothies, Jazz Up Your Health!, Keeping Your Body Clean, Ravishing Raw Recipes No comments

    Your Green Breakfast

    The best way to start your day is make some fresh vegetable juice or a smooth smoothie. Your body has to wake up in the morning and is taking its time until about noon to process your meals of the day before. During morning you are releasing eventual toxins and waste. So if you are not feeling great, look back for a second and think of what you ate yesterday. Try to avoid these energy blocks next time.
    All these lovely greens are the best way to do this. Moreover you will have ‘eaten’ more vegetables and fruit than you would on a normal day. You can make this most nutritious breakfast in no time. With a large blender -about 1,5 to 2 quarts of volume- you still have a few glasses to take with you to work, or to feed whoever is around and give them the best start for their day as well.
    Dishes are done as quickly; just rinse under running water and you can close the door behind you without leaving any mess.

    Green smoothies make miracles happen for your general health, both physically and mentally. I will write more about the benefits soon. But first I want to seduce you with this very simple and easy recipe. It’s the ideal smoothie that makes beginners ask for more and well, you can have more because this is enough for a whole bottle extra. If you have a small blender, just fill it up completely. Making another one is done in a minute.

    Your first smoothies are usual very sweet. You need a bit time to adjust to new tastes and your body to the large amount of greens it is receiving all of a sudden. If you have some trouble with the green taste, then add more sweet fruit until you really like it. The only rule in this game is: make your smoothies real yummy, totally to your very own taste. Gradually add more vegetables than fruit until you are used to the pureness of greens. Your body will very quickly start asking for more, a feeling that will surprise you. This means you are on the right track to health and ready for new, stronger combinations with wild edibles.

    A good tip is: always have frozen fruit in your freezer. Don’t throw out overripe bananas, but break them into pieces and freeze them in a zip bag, same with mango, pineapple, berries… Using frozen fruit in summer is just lovely and you don’t have to add ice anymore. Also you can make the most delicious ice sorbet in a minute when you are craving sweet. But this is for a next post.

    You will find this recipe in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!”

    To receive this eBook, join my email list and I will send you the link where you can download it.

    Your daily health in a bottle. Bon appetite!

    Pure Temptation!

    June 25th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · Anti oxidants, Desserts, Good Mood Food, Magnesium, Ravishing Raw Recipes, Weight Loss 2 comments

    Love Chocolate Caramel Bar…

    Pure Temptation Within Reach

    As promised here is a tasty preview of how tempting raw food can be. If you thought you would have to forsake all your beloved food you had it all wrong! Insatiable hunger? Eat some chocolate and you will feel immediately satisfied. One of these chocolates is enough to ease your restlessness while looking in your cupboard for that little ‘something’. Provided you have the pure natural ingredients- raw, without milk, gluten or sugar- this chocolate feast is one you can enjoy without guilt.

    You won’t gain weight because raw chocolate contains many valuable nutrients. It satisfies your eternal hunger for more and therefor will help you losing weight. It will provide you energy for the rest of your day, magnesium, a wealth of antioxidants and make you happy with its high serotonin levels. Too much of a good thing is never good, even with this chocolate. You can end up being constantly over- active when taking large doses every day, not being able to fall sleep when eating it in the evening. But in moderation you will only benefit from this divine food.

    Make your own chocolates in ten minutes, or some crunchy chocolate bars with a hint of creamy caramel. For this first recipe I will guide you step by step. What are we waiting for?

    Measurements;

    C = A cup or 25 cl.

    1 / 4 C = 1 / 4 cup or 6 cl.

    TBS = tablespoon

    tsp = teaspoon

    Quantity; this amount is sufficient for a tea with some guests or just for you during the week.

    Storing; This chocolate will keep well for a few weeks. If you add the caramel layer use it within one week. Always store in the fridge. These products are purely natural and melt faster than the usual chocolate you buy in the supermarket.

    Tips;

    * Always add sweeteners, spices or seasonings by bits, and taste, taste, taste. These flavors can be so intense and sometimes surprise you with their strength. You can always add more if you need to.

    * Rinse your kitchen tools immediately with warm water, especially bowls or batches of electrical equipment such as your blender or food processor. It is done in a few seconds and will save you a lot of cleanup work afterward, when the food sticks under the blades.

    Tools you need

    Tools you need; a food processor, blender or hand mixer, a large and a small bowl, a scale or measure cups, measure spoons, a grater or a paring knife, a spatula, a large spoon and a whisk.

    Ingredients for raw chocolate

    Ingredients for your raw chocolate:

    * 100 g. raw cacao butter, grated or cut with a knife

    * 6 TBS raw cacao powder

    * 2 TBS Agave Nectar

    * A pinch of sea sea salt

    * A pinch of cayenne will make your chocolate sensual and ‘hot’

    * For love ahead and exaltation; add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp maca powder, depending on your taste.

    Ingredients for the 'caramel' layer

    Ingredients for the caramel layer;

    * 1/4 C raw pecan nuts

    * 3 medjool dates (I didn’t need the fourth one on the picture…)

    * About 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, to your own taste. I usually use more in winter, to make my body glow.

    Scrape or Grate 100 g. of Cacao Butter

    Start with scraping or grating the cacao butter. (watch your fingers!)

    Melt Cacao Butter "Au Bain Marie"

    Fill your large bowl half way with warm water, put the small bowl with the grated cacao butter in it. Now you can start making your caramel layer while the butter is melting.

    All ingredients for your caramel layer in the food processor

    Throw all the ingredients for the caramel layer in the food processor and mix until you have a crumbly but sticky texture.

    Fine and sticky texture

    This is how your texture looks like. To test if it will stick, take some between your fingers and knead it. If it stays together it is ready, if not, add another date and mix again.

    Put some household foil into your mold

    Put some household foil into your mold so you can easily remove the bar later. Certainly when you are not using a spring form, you will appreciate this little trick.

    Push the crumble firmly into your mold

    Push the crumble firmly into your mold.

    Your first layer

    This is how your first layer looks like. You can also build up the sides if you like to. Now put it in the refrigerator while you make luscious chocolate in no time.

    Your melted cacao butter

    Look at this fluid gold! Keep the small bowl in the warm water while you are proceeding to keep it smooth and fluid.

    Mix all dry ingredients into the melted butter

    Whisk all dry ingredients in your melted cacao butter until you have a fine, smooth structure. Ready!

    Poor on top of the first layer

    Now poor this luscious brown desire on top op your first layer. Take another lick out of your bowl…

    Ready to let sit in the refrigerator!

    Ready to let it sit. No patience anymore? Ten minutes in the freezer and you can put your teeth in your creation. (but don’t forget to take it out! Set the timer) Or let it cool off slowly in your refrigerator for an hour.

    You will find the recipe of the following delicious chocolates in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!” To receive my eBook, sign up and I will send you the link where you can download it.

    Note your creations

    Buy a lovely note book and always write down your trials

    Time to spoil yourself

    Pick some lovely fresh mint and make yourself a nice cup of tea. Spoil yourself with your first chocolates…

    … and your Pure Temtation.

    … and with your Pure Temptation.

    Food for Love!

    Thirty Ravishing Reasons To Go Raw!

    June 25th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · All About Raw Food No comments

    Any reason is a good reason to eat raw. But it is only when you give yourself the opportunity to hold on for a while that you will feel the difference. From there, your motivation will grow and you will feel confirmed in what you are doing for yourself. You won’t have to wait very long for this ‘difference’. After only one week you will notice that your step is lighter, you have the energy to do that extra something in the evening, you are even in a better mood. Small things… which make the difference.

    As you become more motivated and add more raw foods to your regular menu, this experience will grow. In addition your curiosity will increase, you will want to know more, you will start searching and become fascinated by the infinite possibilities you had never suspected.

    Rawlicious Chocolate!

    But let me start from the beginning, if you have not heard about the many benefits of rawfood. Here we go!

    ° Your body is composed of about 70% water. All those fruits and vegetables that you reduce will hydrate you throughout the day and make it easier for you to maintain a good moisture level. After a few weeks you will receive nice compliments from people, saying that you are looking so good. “Who, me?”

    ° You have more energy than you can remember.

    ° You are receiving all the building blocks for a healthy life.

    ° No more dips after eating but a renewing boost to continue your busy day. All this is thanks to the enzymes which remain intact and are now available for digestion instead of for creating enzymes for digestion. This means that your body doesn’t have to do overtime and can hold its power for you!

    ° All vitamins, minerals and proteins are still alive and make you revive and alive. You don’t need any supplements, except for vit. B12, recommended in each vegan diet.

    ° You’re no longer ‘undernourished’, but ‘well-fed’.

    ° Malaise feelings disappears, like slumbering annoying complaints of which doctors say that “nothing can be done.”

    ° Your skin is tighter, your eyes gleam, you get the ‘glow’ that make you look younger and feel youthful.

    ° Your nails and hair grow faster, they shine and make you look healthy.

    ° You rejuvenate from the inside, and you can feel this on every level!

    ° You become more sensitive and enjoy sex more than you have in a while.

    ° Your mind is focused, your memory sharpened, your thoughts clear, your concentration better.

    ° On the other hand you are experiencing mental rest, and you feel the need to develop your personality in many different ways.

    ° You will discover new, open choices and possibilities in your life and feel like going for it now!

    ° You are eating less without effort and yes, your favorite dress is fitting again! And do you know this one; “Eat less, live longer?

    ° You can eat whatever you want without guilt. Yep, even chocolate, cake, desserts, but wait until you know what exactly and how to make it!

    ° Have you been suffering from yo-yoing effects of many unhealthy diets? Your overweight will melt away naturally!

    ° Dieting is now laying in the past! Because you have exchanged junk food for a healthy lifestyle. It’s as simple as that.

    ° If you weigh too little, you will come to a healthy weight that is right for you. Rawfood balances your body completely.

    ° Your body detoxifies in a natural way, releasing its toxins and heavy metals slowly.

    ° Your blood and cells are renewed, strengthened.

    ° Your sight, taste and sense of smell are improving: your senses are sharpened.

    ° You get the chance to kick off of your emotional food addictions and therefore are feeling better. The circle is broken and you are set free!

    ° Not only your body is cleansing: your whole personality and surrounding is. Your kitchen was never so tidy!

    ° Raw food supports your body during illness and makes it stronger so it can heal itself.

    ° The risks for chronic diseases, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease decrease. Your immune system is strengthening. Bye bye colds and flu!

    ° Raw dishes can be very simple, fast and delicious.

    ° No more burned pots and pans.

    ° You have you have never felt so good!

    ° You are simply a new, better and healthier person.

    … And so much more. But you will experience it all yourself. How? Look forward to the next post!

    Pure Food for Radiant Health

    June 19th, 2010 · Marie-Claire · All About Raw Food 2 comments - Tags: , , ,

    Deliciously Raw!

    Welcome to my raw food blog! I would like to take you with me on this culinary journey. Becoming “Raw” will open your world. This is my experience and that of many thousands of others who went on this adventure with certain hesitation and now are making the journey of their lives. Whatever the reason for your visit to my blog, I hope you will find the things and answers you are looking for. Even more, you can post me your questions. I will try to answer them as quickly as possible. I look forward to your comments!

    My raw journey began about a year and a half ago, when I was still dealing with my recovery of five serious diseases occurring simultaneously in 2005. I planned my healing very systematically, step by step. It took me several years to find a doctor who believed, diagnosed and treated me the right way. But it was only when I discovered rawfood that I made huge progresses and I could pick up the thread of my life again.

    That’s why I want to inform everybody about what we aren’t been told. Because it is not about what we know, it is about what we don’t know. With this knowledge and consciousness you can take the power in your own hands and protect yourself against illness. Or if you have been suffering of vague complaints for years, seeing many doctors who tell you over and over again that you are just fine, or that ‘nothing can be done’, or that ‘it is all between your ears’, you can now take your life into your own hands, strengthen your body and make ravishing progresses in a short time. Let’s do it!

    If you’re at the very dawn of this transition to a new diet and lifestyle, excitement is often accompanied by uncertainty. The questions, possible excuses-to-not-having-to-do-this including cynicism is making it all much harder on you than necessary. ”But how do I start? What should I eat? Can I only eat salads? Hey I’m not a rabbit! How can I enjoy eating? And some wine? How can I go to restaurants with friends? And what about my family? The children? How can I be sure that I will get all my vitamins and proteins? Raw in winter? You must be crazy! And at parties?”

    Sssht. Quiet. “Alles kom reg” they say in South Africa. We will go step by step. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will get there.

    Raw food is so simple. And yet, it is much more than the celery stalk or carrot out of your fist. Let the delicious possibilities surprise and seduce you. The principle is very simple; nothing is heated above 108 ° F. Some prefer to keep it at 118° F. but 108 °F. is the safest limit, if you want to keep all enzymes alive in your food. Above this temperature almost all the enzymes, vitamins, minerals and proteins die and your food becomes lifeless.

    “Eat Dead Food and you will look dead.” Dr. Ann Wigmore said frankly and oh what she was right. She stood at the cradle of numerous investigations of the entire scope and we thank so much knowledge and powerful recipes to her life long dedication. Raw food gives you new, unsuspected energy and vitality. It makes your body so strong that it can heal itself of its illnesses. Eating raw will focus you, sharpen your concentration, enrich your soul and make you feel whole. Choosing a raw lifestyle takes you back to the roots of your existence, your pure essence and the fundamental principles of all life: nature. And yourself!