Ravishing Raw » sap http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress Pure Food for Radiant Health Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:56:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Orange With A Twist http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/orange-with-a-twist/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/orange-with-a-twist/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:26:50 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=957 It is the season of the oranges. They are juicier and sweeter than ever during this time of year. I almost forgot how nice a simple orange juice can be. Then I saw that last piece of lemongrass and thought; “What if I …?”

Juicy Stuff!

A very simple juice, but only one glass is covering five fruit servings. We are so used to squeezing oranges but what do we know about them? That they are rich in vitamin C, yes. But did you know that they also…

  • … have high levels of magnesium and potassium? So one glass a day will balance high blood pressure!
  • … have inflammatory  properties and help relieve joint pains?
  • … contain folate and increase growth of skin cells and blood cells?
  • … contain enough nutrients and minerals to boost your immune system?
  • … are very good for your bones and teeth because of their calcium?
  • … are very rich in antioxidants and the carotenoids fight free radicals to reduce damage to your cells?
  • … enable a good DNA in your body with their niacin content?
  • … are a rich source of phytonutrients who make the nutrients work optimal?

A lot of good reasons to make that fast juice in the morning when you are out of time!

TOOLS YOU NEED

  • A juicer
  • A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

  • Three oranges
  • One stalk of lemongrass

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and twist!

Orange Twist

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/orange-with-a-twist/feed/ 3 Good Mood Juices http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:17:36 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=935 Dark weather all day long, rain, cold wind, the birds stopped singing: winter can’t be far away. I feel like looking at colors… and drinking them to juice up my mood. I took what I could find in the refrigerator; beets, carrots en fennel. I grabbed apples and oranges and decided to make very simple, pure drinks. Oh, this beauty!

Color your mood!

I have to share these good mood juices. Even if you can almost predict by looking at them what they are. Some got a little twist.

Sweet Fennel Juice

Have you ever thought of drinking fennel just as it is? I mostly add it to salads or to mixed juices to sweeten and freshen it up. But eaten on its own it can be a quiet overwhelming after a while. As a juice though, you can’t get it enough. With its extraordinary anise flavor, it is like no other juice. A great choice if you are longing for a drink in the evening. You can leave that bottle of Ricard; juice a fennel and you have the same taste. With much more benefits! Fennel is very rich in phytoestrogens and therefor helping with a lot of issues such as…

  • colic, wind, irritable bowel
  • spleen
  • liver
  • lungs
  • kidneys
  • digestive system
  • menstruation
  • increased urine flow

Fennel Green

But fennel is also used to treat…

  • asthma
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • high blood pressure
  • decreased libido
  • coughs
  • heartburn

And the list goes on. But let’s juice now and “feel” instead of read about benefits.

TOOLS YOU NEED

  • A juicer
  • A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

  • One big fennel

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and enjoy heaven!

Sweet Fennel Juice

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/08/good-mood-juices/feed/ 5 Amazing Grape http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/06/amazing-grape/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/06/amazing-grape/#comments Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:10:26 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=913 Another day, another juice! I am improvising and jazzing. That’s what a true musician does. So what did I come up with today?  A very simple pink grape juice. Later on I used this juice as a basis to add other fruits and that was a delicious surprise. Here they come.

AMAZING GRAPE

Amazing Grape

TOOLS YOU NEED

  • A juicer

INGREDIENTS

  • A bunch of pink grapes

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and Jazz!


JAZZY JUICE!

Jazzy Juice!

Leave some of the grapes so you can make fresh juice and improvise with that basis.

TOOLS YOU NEED

  • A juicer
  • A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

  • One or two cups of amazing grape juice
  • One or two apples
  • One kiwi
  • One orange
  • Half a lemon
  • One stalk of lemon grass (a most lovely add!)

THE MAKING OFF…

Juice, share and sing! Cheers!

Jazzy Juice!

]]> http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/11/06/amazing-grape/feed/ 4 Fascinating Fall http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/10/07/fascinating-fall/ http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/2010/10/07/fascinating-fall/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:07:36 +0000 Marie-Claire http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/?p=730 I love fall, the deep earth colors, that special light, the changes in nature and in people, another rhythm, abundance for free, the comfort of a fireplace. When I was walking in the fields today, a man came who lives there came up to me with a bucket in his hands; “Would you like some fresh chestnuts?” I was delighted. So was he because all the chestnuts of the tree in the fields next to his house are falling down in his garden and he didn’t know what to do with them. So I came back with a large bag of fresh, crunchy chestnuts, my arms full of dandelion I picked on my way to dry for tea and the dogs belt wrapped around one finger.

Chestnuts

I am picking dandelion and stinging nettles where I can lay my hands on them when I am sure they aren’t sprayed. I remember last winter. I missed those two herbs so much that I was looking forward to spring only to pick my power friends for my smoothies. The prices of free herbs are ridiculous so I didn’t buy them out of personal protest. I am not going to let this happen again, this is why I started drying them. I have a dehydrator but you can use a common oven too. Just wash your harvest well,  dry it by dipping with a clean paper towel, tear the leaves into large parts (they shrink a lot) and let them dry overnight on about 107° with the door a little bit open to release humidity.

Dandelion

I dropped by my friends and they had visit from a woman who ones promised me to give her small grapes in autumn. So there she was, with a big bag full of lovely baby grapes. She didn’t know what to do with them and they where just falling off on her terrace. “They make such a mess and they are much too acid to eat!” I was delighted and so was she because she didn’t have to throw them away and her terrace would stay clean. So I came home with many pounds of grapes to juice. The kitchen was one big mess and abundance; free grapes, free herbs, free chestnuts. I saw them priced in the store for almost 6 euro. I was all smiles.

Baby Grapes

Because these grapes aren’t fully grown in the Belgian climate, they didn’t develop their full sweet flavor but they have such a nice tart taste! So I made a wonderful “Grateful Grape Juice” with apples, kiwi and a pear.

TOOLS YOU NEED

  • A juicer
  • A sharp knife

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for Grateful Grape Juice

  • A bunch of wild grapes out of your garden (or just organic grapes)
  • 2 apples
  • 1 pear
  • 1 kiwi (if organic you can use it with the peel!)

THE MAKING OF…

Cut large fruits, juice everything, shake it up, pour it into your favorite glass and enjoy!

Grateful Grape Juice

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