Karenlovesraw

Pears and Strawberries.. what shall I do?

2011-08-25T13:02:00.000+10:00

Make a Pear and Strawberry Flan!! that's what I did.

I had to make something nice today, the morning tea I had served them the last couple of days was dismal!! It was one of those things I had to resurrect by making a nice chocolate sauce and cashew cream to pour over it. It looked divine but the cake was bit dry. O'well, you win some you lose some!!

This was a spur of the moment cake. I had strawberries that needed to be used and I couldn't bring myself to put them in the morning smoothie. I also had some nice big pears that lend themselves to that delicious sweetness needed in a good flan!! So of the the pantry I went looking for more inspiration and this is what I came up with. I wasn't going to write down what I put in it but when I finished it I just though id better. Nothing worse that when I throw something together that they love and then I can't remember what was in it.

Yep it was a hit and yep I going to blog it!! so here is the recipes.

Pear & Strawberry Flan

Base

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Kitz Active almonds

1/2 cup Kitz Active walnuts

3/4 cup dates

1/2 cup coconut (dried)

1 tsp freshly ground vanilla bean

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until sticky but still chunky. Press into the base of a paper lined cheesecake pan.

Filling

ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews

1/3 cup goji berries

cover with water and soak for about 1/2 hr.

add

1 large peeled and cored pear

1 punnet of strawberries

2 tbs chia seeds

1 tbs coconut oil

Agave to taste

Guar gum, - optional and if needed!

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. If it is too runny add 1/2 tsp guar gum while the motor is running until incorporated and thickened - I had to do this as I had left too much water with the nuts and goji's!!

enjoy!

Current fav - Orange Goji Berry smoothies..

2011-08-23T21:25:00.000+10:00

Not only do oranges taste amazing but they are also cheap at the moment. With the amount of I have to peel each morning i'm also loving that they don't have seeds. Navels are my freind. Because everyone should know.. Orange seeds are the natural enemy of a food smoothy!!

I have I told you about Goji berries!! whoa, they are a powerhouse of nutrition!! They have 500 times more vitamin c than oranges and they are a rich source of caratanoids. They contain 19 types of amino acids which include all 8 essential amino acids plus 21 trace minerals. 11mg of iron per 100g plus an array of phytochemicals. Some say they are one of the most nutritonally dense foods around. Plus they taste awesome!!

All you need is about 7 oranges - peeled
Small hanful of goji berries
Ice or water - about 1/2 cup

Blend until smooth and creamy!! devour.

This serves about 2-4 depending on size of oranges and glasses!!

Miso yummy fat free Kale chips and stixs

2011-08-14T16:39:00.000+10:00

Kale chips

Kale Stix

All of the Kale chip recipes i've seen are made with either nuts, seeds or oil. Now sometimes that's great but sometimes I just want a light snack. I also make these and crush them up like the celery sprinkles to use in salads. Kale is such a nutrutious green as it is extremely high in vitamins, A, C and K as well as a being a good source of usuable calcium and magnesium. It even has ALA omega 3 in it. Research has shown that Kale consumption is linked to so many improvements in your health and energy that you could write a book on it.
Kale chips are a really easy way to get lots of in!! The truth is I have to stop myself from eating it all before I get it out of the dehydrator.
Most people throw the stalks out but I just can't do that so I had a go at these stix and they are amazing. Yeh, nothing is waisted.
Just like everything I make, nothing is measured so these are just estimates.

Kale chips & stix

Ingredients:
2 bunches of fresh organic kale
3/4 cup freshly sprouted mung beans
1 tsp unpasturised barley miso
1/2 glove of fresh garlic
1 cm peice of fresh ginger
1 tsp fresh tumeric
Splash of low sodium tamari
good healthy splash of homemade saurkraut juice

Preparation:

Wash kale then strip the leaves off the stalks. Chop the leaves into medium sized chunks and place into a large bowl. Chop the stalks into sticks about 5cm long and place into a separate bowl.

Blend all the remaining ingredients in a personal blender, pour onto the chopped kale and gently massage it in.

For the Stixs I added a little bit of stevia to give it a more teriyaki type flavour, you could also use a few sultanas, raisins, agave or a date. the combination of sweet, savoury is always nice, especially with ginger and garlic. I did a separate batch of the wet ingredients for the stix and the chips, so you will need to do the about recipe twice.

Before going into the dehydrator

2011-08-14T14:33:00.000+10:00

Bush lemons are abundant at the moment and they are divine. Precious Katie has been bringing them in for me regularly as well as a few limes .. now they are really special!! She gets them from a tree growing wild in the hinterland. Perfect, no sprays, no polution!

I also had some freeze dried blueberry powder I needed to use up. The result of that is this cheezecake type swirl.

The ingredients make this a perfect after training snack.. gotta be happy with that!

Bush lemon blueberry swirl

Ingredients

Approximate only!

Base

1 cup of active mix or equal amount of any other nut or seed. (Preferably sprouted and dehydrated)

½ cup sultanas (raisins)

½ t each of cinnamon and vanilla bean

Squirt of agave or enough to bring it together or to taste!

Preparation:

· Process active mix or nuts in a food processor with the S blade until fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it sticks together when pressed into a ball.

· Press into a baking paper lined cheesecake tin. Place in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the filling.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cashews – soaked in filtered water for a least 2hrs

Juice and zest of 2 bush lemons. (Normal lemons would be fine)

½ - 2/4 cup dark raw agave

2 large scoops of Sunworrier vanilla protein powder

1 tbs freeze dried blueberry powder (or fresh/frozen, about ½ cup)

½ tsp guar gum

Preparation:

· Rinse and drain cashews then add enough filtered water to just cover them in a high speed blender. I use the Sunbeam Café series 1100 watt and it is fine. If you have a vitamix!! Lucky you. J

· Add the lemon juice, zest and agave and blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more water or agave depending on your taste.

· Add the protein powder and blend it in. then with the motor still running slowly rain the guar gum into the blender through the little hole at the top until it is nice and thick with no lumps. It is important to keep the motor running as it can clump.

· Dollop about 5 big spoons full or a little over half of the mix onto the base. Leave it until you add the blueberry mix

· Add the blueberries to the rest of the mix and blend until it is back to the smooth creamy consistency again. Dollop the rest into the base around the lemon cream.

· Note: if you used fresh or frozen blueberries and it made the mix too runny you can add more guar gum and agave or just freeze it that will help it stabilize.

· Carefully with the handle of a spoon swirl the two mixes until you get a lovely combination of colours, don’t overdo it or it will turn to mud!! Tap it gently on the bench the settle the mix and smooth the top as much as you can then place it back into the fridge or freeze until it is set.

Enjoy!

Still loving raw even though i've been absent from my blog

2011-08-06T21:59:00.001+10:00

Smashed Lemon Casheeze Cake

Citrus Coconut cakes with Fig Jam and Cashew Cream

Coconut cake, banana passionfruit salad with Super charged sprinkles and warm macadamia cream

Pear flan with apricot jam - Nut and seed free

New me, new blogspot..

2011-01-16T12:01:00.000+10:00

I think it's time I put the link to my new blog here..

As off last June I have been eating cooked vegetables, fish, seafood and oats, so I am not 100% raw anymore. It's been a great move for my health, socialization, family and Karma.. adored being raw and found it very easy to do but it was really making me an outsider and the fact was that my health was actually starting to deteriorate.

I'd had an itch for the last 3yrs on my torso that was driving me crazy. My hair was thinning, I was losing muscle tone and strength. The quality of my lean tissue I later found out had become quite poor. Not a good thing when it is so vital to retain it as we age. My hypothyroid had not corrected itself, my adrenals where drained, my teeth where chipping and cracking, my skin was starting to lose elasticity and I was finding myself completely drained and exhausted by about 3pm each afternoon. I also found myself craving things like a nice piece of salmon. I had never craved any cooked food, meat, seafood or for that matter anything that was not included in a raw vegan diet, but all of a sudden my body was telling me it needed more, so I listened to it and with apprehension make some changes.

The excitement of my husband and children at my decision to change my diet was amazing, they where just so happy and relieved. It really saddened me, I didn't realise how much my restricted eating habits had affected them. Right there and then I felt that was an even better reason to do it.

So here is a link to the new me.. Karenluvslife

I look forward to seeing you at the new location

xx

More fun for Christmas!

2010-12-14T07:36:00.000+10:00

Can we get enough good healthy sweet into us at Christmas? This wicked looking cake/tart/slice call or shape it what you want is made with only the best ingredients that for a Christmas treat you could have it for breakfast and still not feel guilty!! Go on try it.. lol

check out the post's below with the Christmas puddings too..

KITZ CHOCOLATE CARAMEL SLICE

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup Kitz active almonds

1 cup Kitz Choci-jo

½ cup dates

1 T coconut oil

Middle:

1 cup soaked cashews

1 cup soaked date plus soak water

2 T dark agave

½ t each cinnamon & vanilla

¾ guar gum (optional)

Top:

1 ½ cup soaked cashews/mac’s

½ cup soaked dates

100ml dark agave

Pinch vanilla

75ml water

1 heaped t cacao

Preparation:

Base:

Place almonds into a food processor and process until a smooth meal. Add the choci-jo and blend for about 15secs then add dates slowly down the chute while motor is still running adding coconut oil straight after so that it incorporates with the dates, once they are evenly chopped and the mix stays together when pressed into a ball pour into a nice slice pan or round tart dish and press down firmly to make a base. You can use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a flat glass to smooth the bottom. Make sure it is pressed well so that it does not fall apart when cut!!

Filling:

Rinse the cashews then place in a good quality blender with the dates and date soak water, agave, vanilla & cinnamon. Blend until smooth. This can take a while, to test put some mix between you thumb and index finger and if there are no grains, it is smooth like cream it is ready. It may not get as smooth as cream but get it as smooth as you can. IF using guar gum slowly while the motor is running tilt the teaspoon of guar gum into the blender so that it does not clump. Blend until it combines and thickens. Spread evenly over the base then place into the freezer to cool.

Topping:

Place all ingredients except the cacao powder into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy, then add cacao powder and blend until it is mixed in thoroughly. Spread evenly over the filling. You can wait until the filling has cooled a bit then add the topping. Place into the fridge or freezer to cool for at least 5hrs.. then ENJOY!!

Christmas Puddings

2010-12-14T07:28:00.000+10:00

Christmas is nearly here. One of the most enjoyable things about Christmas for me is making up all the wonderful treats we seem to just enjoy at Christmas!! why's that wonder? Maybe that's what makes them so good, the fact that we save them for this special time or sharing.
Here is a recipe I came up with last week in a moment of inspiration.

Christmas Pudding Balls

Ingredients & Preparation:
Equal portions of

Dates
Figs
Organic apricots
Organic sultanas

Chop all fruits to about the same size as the sultanas, place into a large bowl that has a lid.
Add

1t cinnamon
1 ½ tsp mixed spice
2-3 tbs organic dehydrated coconut palm sugar
1 cup of warm ginger digest tea or similar.

Soak for at least 24hrs stirring occasionally.
Then, in a blender grind until fine,

Kitz Active mix

Or equal amounts of

Buckies
Active walnuts – natural
Active almonds – natural
Pepitas (pumpkin kernels)
Sunflower seeds
Dried coconut – organic

Buckies, active walnuts and active almonds are all available in the Kitz online shop or at a good wholefoods shop near you.. :)

Add grounds nuts and seeds to soaked fruits and mix. Add enough to make firm dough. With damp hand roll into fist sized balls then roll in dried coconut. Place on a plate or a container and store in the fridge until firm. They will keep for quite a few days. If you wish you could freeze them to make them last longer.

Macadamia cream
Soak about ½ to 1 cup of macadamias, depending on how many pudding balls you made. They only need to be soaked for a couple of hours. Rinse a couple of times then just cover with good fresh or filtered water and blend until smooth and creamy. Macadamias do not get the ultra smooth gloss that you can get with cashews but some people find cashews a bit hard to digest, you could use cashews if you are fine with them. They do make a beautiful cream that’s for sure.

Coconut cream
I blended good quality low temp dried coconut until it went smooth and creamy and we had that with it as well, the combinations worked really well. If you have time and the ingredients give it a go.

Chocolate Inspired Christmas Puddings

2010-12-14T07:26:00.000+10:00

These are for all the chocoholics! A healthy combination of 2 Christmas favourites.. Chocolate and fruit puddings!! I really wanted to melt some raw chocolate and drizzle it over the cream but I ran out of time and had to get them ready quickly for my Kitz Angels.. it was morning tea time!!

Chocolate Christmas Pudding with Macadamia Cream

Ingredients & Preparation:

Equal portions of (about 1/2 -3/4 cup of each)

Dates
Figs
Organic apricots
Organic sultanas

then add half as much of the nuts as you did of each of the fruits (say 1/4 - 1/2 cup each)

raw almonds
raw walnuts

Chop all fruits to about the same size as the sultanas, place into a large bowl that has a lid.
Add

1t cinnamon
1 ½ tsp mixed spice
2-3 tbs organic dehydrated coconut palm sugar
1 cup of warm ginger digest tea or similar.

Soak for at least 24hrs stirring occasionally.
Then, in a blender grind until fine,

Kitz Active mix

Or equal amounts of

Buckies
Active walnuts – natural
Active almonds – natural
Pepitas (pumpkin kernels)
Sunflower seeds
Dried coconut – organic

Plus

1/2 cup Raw cacao nibs
1/2 cup Raw cacao powder (test to check your level of chocolatiness!!) - I know that's not a word but it explains what I mean!

Add grounds nuts and seeds to soaked fruits along with the raw cacao nibs and cacao powder. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add enough to make firm dough. With damp hand roll into fist sized balls then roll in dried coconut. You could also roll these in cacao powder to give them that really nice chocolate look and extra richness. Place on a plate or a container and store in the fridge until firm. They will keep for quite a few days. If you wish you could freeze them to make them last longer.

NOTE: Buckies, active walnuts and active almonds are all available in the Kitz online shop or at a good wholefoods shop near you.. :)

Macadamia cream

Soak about ½ to 1 cup of macadamias, depending on how many pudding balls you made. They only need to be soaked for a couple of hours. Rinse a couple of times then just cover with good fresh or filtered water and blend until smooth and creamy. Macadamias do not get the ultra smooth gloss that you can get with cashews but some people find cashews a bit hard to digest, you could use cashews if you are fine with them. They do make a beautiful cream that’s for sure.
To serve
Dollop macadamia cream top, sprinkle with raw cacao nibs a little vanilla powder and some raw cacao powder.. add goji berries for a Christmas affect.
Enjoy! :)

Choci-Logs

2010-10-11T10:45:00.000+10:00

I don't know why I called these Choci-logs because in the end they are not logs are all but I like the name, and anyway half way through the process they are a big log!!
I made the first batch of these for my daughter who was the inspiration behind the Choci-Jo, that's how it got it's name... her name is Sami-Jo!! She is a triathelete so always need healthy nutritious snack to keep up with all the training she does. These are a a great source of Carbohydrates for energy, good fats for metablism and processing nutrients as well as protein for growth and repair that is so essential when you train hard.

With a food processor these only take 5mins to make, they are so quick and easy!

Choci-logs

Ingredients:

100g Kitz Active Almonds
130g Kitz Choci-Jo granola
60g sultanas
60 dates
40g goji berries
40g raw cacao nibs
60g brown rice protein powder
1 large ripe banana – with black spots on it!!

Preparation:
Place almonds into a food processor and ground to a meal, then add Choci-Jo and process until broken up.
Add sultanas and dates a process until they resemble bread crumbs
Then add remaining ingredients and blend until it sticks together, you don’t want to overdo it as it will just turn into fudge with no crunchy bits from the buckwheat or chewy bits from the fruit!!
Turn out onto a piece of baking paper, cling wrap or a layed out clean plastic bag and shape into a big log.
Roll it up tightly then place in the fridge or freezer to cool for about 4hrs.
When the goji berries are soft you can roll it in desiccated coconut, almonds meal or ground cacao nibs then slice into little rounds.
Store in a container in the fridge or freezer depending on your preference
Enjoy!

2010-10-10T14:06:00.001+10:00

Tea time for the Kitz Girls

KITZ CHOCOLATE CARAMEL SLICE

My favourite slice has always been the sugary, fatty version of this healthy one I created using raw natural ingredients. I haven't had the sugary one since I was a kid but with this delicious alternative I can now enjoy knowing that all of the ingredients are actually nutritious!! The Choci-Jo and the Active Almonds are available at Kitz Living Foods, theres a link at the right of the page. http://www.kitzlivingfoods.com.au/

INGREDIENTS

Base:
1 cup active almonds
1 cup Choci-jo
½ cup dates
1 T coconut oil

Middle:
1 cup soaked cashews
1 cup soaked date plus soak water
2 T dark agave
½ t each cinnamon & vanilla
¾ guar gum (optional)

Top:
1 ½ cup soaked cashews/mac’s
½ cup soaked dates
100ml dark agave
Pinch vanilla
75ml water
1 heaped t cacao

Preparation:

Base:
Place almonds into a food processor and process until a smooth meal. Add the choci-jo and blend for about 15secs then add dates slowly down the chute while motor is still running adding coconut oil straight after so that it incorporates with the dates, once they are evenly chopped and the mix stays together when pressed into a ball pour into a nice slice pan or round tart dish and press down firmly to make a base. You can use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a flat glass to smooth the bottom. Make sure it is pressed well so that it does not fall apart when cut!!

Filling:
Rinse the cashews then place in a good quality blender with the dates and date soak water, agave, vanilla & cinnamon. Blend until smooth. This can take a while, to test put some mix between you thumb and index finger and if there are no grains, it is smooth like cream it is ready. It may not get as smooth as cream but get it as smooth as you can. IF using guar gum slowly while the motor is running tilt the teaspoon of guar gum into the blender so that it does not clump. Blend until it combines and thickens. Spread evenly over the base then place into the freezer to cool.

Topping:
Place all ingredients except the cacao powder into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy, then add cacao powder and blend until it is mixed in thoroughly. Spread evenly over the filling. You can wait until the filling has cooled a bit then add the topping. Place into the fridge or freezer to cool for at least 5hrs.. then ENJOY!!

My real world

2010-08-02T06:46:00.000+10:00

I've haven't been here for quite a while.. it get kind of hard because I feel that everything I put into this blog should be about Raw!.. I am raw, I love raw, I can't think of any better way to eat. I don't have the think about it. I don't crave anything but fruit, greens and some raw veg. Occasionally I think about seaweed or spirulina. Both are foods that I can eat in a salad and thoroughly enjoy if I am in the mood. Lately that seems to be .. well now that I think of it, kind of never really. When I get it in front of me it just feels like it's going to ruin what I am about to eat. I now love to mono eat my fruits. I never have more that one fruit at a time just because I like it that way and for no other reason. Many will do this for better digestion. My salads are usually no more that 2-4 ingredients and on special occasions I will have more variety. I think mainly so that friends and family don't think I've completly lost it!. ;)
I can remeber when I was a teenager we would sit around snacking, I would have a bag of red apples or some dates while everyone else wanted chips, chocolate and sweetened drinks, either bought juice or flavoured milk. Even back then they weren't real food to me. My big splurge would be rolled oats, bran buds and wheatgerm mixed with water.. I would make it really mushy and just pig out on it. I loved it!
But that's me, I have a family and they love cooked food. They have no desire to be raw, vegatarian or vegan. Except for my husband who I think could easilly be vegatarian.

Fruitfull Bali

2010-01-30T12:52:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I've been here... but we have been on a long awaited trip to Bali! and it was wonderful.

Honeydew Melon Smoothy

I feasted on fruit grown in the lush volanic soils of the island, all grown naturally without chemicals. It was amazing, the mangoes, papaya and bananas are as ripe as can be, full of sweetness and the skins are still green! what is that telling us?
Along with the massive amounts of papaya, mango and watermelon I consumed I also enjoyed snake fruit, rambutans, manogsteen, bananas and the most favoured of all.. the Durian! fresh from the farmer and never seen a fridge let alone a freezer! so cheep and so sweet and creamy!

Ubud Markets.. durian everywhere!

I am already planning a return, this time going to hire mopeds and take a small backpack so that we can just travel the Island and stay where we find great little gems. We did hire them this time while we where in Ubud and it was a lot of fun. Rode mountain bikes from the Volcano back to Ubud, the boys white water rafted.. I did the whole massage/spa thing.. :) very nice!! and we did lots of walking, talking - we where trying to learn Indonesian, exploring and mmm shopping!

Jordi in the Hot Tub at the Spa!

Raw Almond Shortbread House

2009-12-20T16:58:00.001+10:00

With Christmas only 5 days away I had to get together our traditional "Gingerbread House". I haven't done one for a couple of years as the kids don't really like gingerbread but they did always love the lollies on it and it looks so nice at Christmas time. To be honest it never really worried me that they didn't eat it as it's not the kind of food I want them to enjoy! But this year I decided to have a go at a raw version and chose the recipe for the Kitz Almond Shortbread cookies for the walls and roof. All healthy with no ginger! The cement is a Cashew Cacao butter cream with agave. The rest is just good ole raw superfoods.. almonds, goji berries, pepitas, apricots, spirulina and coconut with some orange and lemon zest for sparkle. I would have liked the cream to be a bit smoother but didn't feel like having another go at it.
Here it is in all it's glory!! A bit wonky but ok for a rushed rainy Sunday.. :)

Simplicity

2009-11-22T15:35:00.001+10:00

I am really enjoying the warm weather, Summer is a great time to enjoy the simple things in life. Fresh air, sunshine, clean beaches, clear water, great running and walking, relaxing, family, friends, pets, gardening.. all of these things are free and bring so much joy. There not complicated, agressive or negative if we handle them properly. Enthusiasm, encouragement and positiveness with friends, family and pets and the sheer joy of our natural environment with the remainder. We are so lucky.

And one of my favourite for summer.. (actually all year!) is the FRUIT.. wonderful, glorious fruit! I am devouring rockmelons, watermelon, mango's, papaya, pineapple, apricots, peaches, kiwi's and more..... it's all just so sweet and hydrating. I am thoroughly enjoying the simpliciy of Fruit! It tastes great, it digests well, it satisfies my sweet tooth and it's easy to get and prepackaged.

Enthusiasm

2009-11-15T21:00:00.001+10:00

I can remember where I got this story from but I love. I didn't meet the lady but this is the story as I saw it.
"I met a woman who looks very young for her age. When I asked she told me simply that her secret was enthusiasm. I believe it. That is why people can find falling in love so rejuvenating, - the excitement actually makes the cells more alive. (which is a testament to the power of emotions to affect our health). I think enthusiasm is a little lower key but therefore also more sustainable for the long term. So find the things you love to do and do them with enthusiasm!
I love to do all that I can with enthusiasm.. I love what I do. Work doesn't feel like work. My husband who has been struggling for some time with what his line of 'work' asked me..
If you had all the money you needed, what would you be doing..
I thought about it seriously for a couple of minutes and my answer was,
I would be doing exactly what I am doing now!
I love making and creating genuinely healthy food for everyone in my attempt to help people get away from the destruction being caused by over consumption of highly processed food and what it is doing to our world. It is my passion to help them realise that fresh, natural food tastes so much better, makes you feel so much happier and takes away the drudgery of having to worry about your weight, with good clean food and a little movement your body will naturally be at the correct weight it is supposed to be. You will not feel deprived, to me it is a 'life of Abundance'.. I really want everyone to see and feel that too!
So tomorrow morning.. which will be Monday. I will enthusiastically wake up, make a fresh healthy breakfast for my family.. smoothies, fruit salads and Kitz Granola, lunch and morning tea.. then go for a good run, then get into my Kitz Kitchen to make a large batch of Fresh Herb Crackers.. What a great start to the week.
:)

Kitz Kristmas Kindness..

2009-11-13T21:37:00.000+10:00

It's all about enjoying the fun of the festive season.. the tastes, the smells, the socialising, the gathering, the feasting! We have some healthy new Christmas treats we will be getting online and into the shops as quick as we can as we only have 6 weeks to go.. here are some teasers of what is on offer..

Kitz Kristmas Pudding Kitz Almond Shortbread

Delicious Dinners

2009-11-07T21:34:00.000+10:00

Zucchini Pasta with Tomato Mushroon & Asparagus

Most of us are bought up in a culture where dinner is our main meal. Not only is it traditionally our largest meal of the day but it also symbolises coming together, especially for families. Food is so about so much more than what we put in our mouths. Every celebration, reunion, meeting, birthday, Christmas, Easter and even wakes all happens around food. I think that most of our cravings are related to the ‘when’ and ‘why’ we usually ate something. The smell of bacon reminds us of relaxing Sunday morning breakfasts, donuts of special treats usually centred on a fun time such as a party or outing. Hot bread coming out of the oven and everyone getting excited about having that first piece, then watching the butter melt on it.

I am able to admit that I still enjoy those smells but actually can’t even remember the last time I ate any of them. They just don’t appeal to me as food. I explain this to people by saying that I also like the smell of frangipanis and roses but I don’t want to eat them. The smell gives me more pleasure than actually eating them does. Eating them would take the pleasure away and they would actually make me feel quite ill. I find that I am now at a happy place of enjoying the smell, the memories they represent, and I am happy to leave it at that.

Here are some of my favourites:

Zucchini Pasta with Italian tomato sauce, mushrooms and asparagus.
Zucchini Carbonara.. made with Cashew cream
Curry Cauliflower couscous with corn salad
Raw lasagne
Zucchini Cannelloni with Walnut Spinach filling and Tomato sauce
Savoury Italian nut patties with salad and coleslaw
Corn Chowder and crackers
Raw sushi
Raw Burritos.. made Cos lettuce leaves filled with blended salad, avocado and sprouts

Most of these are quick and easy. With the right equipment anything can be put together in a short amount of time. And I always find cleanup to be just as quick and easy when preparing nothing but fresh raw food.

I have always followed dinner with a serving of fruit.. I know it’s not what you are supposed to do but as much as I have tried not to do it, it just seems to cause me more grief that good! So I just do it and enjoy it. I sleep much better on a full stomach than an empty one. I do try to finish eating at least an hour before I go to bed. I have tried not to do this but found that I was waking during the night and was not able to go back to sleep. I then discovered that I was hungry!  So now I get my fill and sleep soundly. As I have always said .. Do what works for you. I know many people that eat very little in the evening.. I commend them for that. They are lucky. But I have learnt to embrace and enjoy my own ways and don’t let them bother me anymore.

Healthy eating also involves a Happy & Healthy relationship with food.. love it and embrace it, it is not our enemy.. it is there to nurture us! As long as it is good quality, clean, fresh and unprocessed it is your friend.. ENJOY

Curry couscous with blended salad, rocket & avocado.

Raw Pizza

Vegie Pasta with Nutballs

Luscious Lunch

2009-11-02T12:31:00.000+10:00

Now it's taken me a bit longer than it should have to get back here. Not good but I have been so busy. We need double the amount of dehydrators.. so contact me if you have one you would like to sell.. :)

Back to the next main meal of the day.. Lunch! For some this is a fairly substantial meal for others it's more like another snack.. I am more the snack type lunch as I am more of an evening eater. I tried for many years to fight it. We are taught to eat our largest meal for dinner usually followed by a dessert of some sort. Then as we get older we are told to eat a large breakfast, a medium lunch and a small dinner. For me that just doesn't work. It just tends to make me food obsessive where I just want to eat all day and the energy required for digestion zaps me. I just feel extremely unproductive.. I figured it’s just not how I am supposed to eat! But for some it is perfect. I recommend that you go with whatever makes you feel the best and then adjust it to suit your needs as in making healthy meal choices.

Here are some great ideas..

Lunch meals:

Green smoothie
Large salad with avocado
Raw sushi
Lettuce rollups – lettuce with grated carrot, zucchini, beetroot, sprouts, avocado or Sunflower seeds pate rolled up on a Cos or Romaine lettuce leaf. They are amazingly delicious and so quick and easy.
Vegetable Pasta with Tomato Salsa and avocado
Vegetable Bolognaise – Spiralized zucchini, pumpkin, carrot etc with raw tomato sauce and nut cheese. Add a few crackers either crushed up or sprinkled over the top, or just as substitute bread.
Mixed salad of Lettuce, rocket, carrot, beetroot, cucumber, onion, celery, fresh corn, with a few crushed nuts, avocado and your favourite dressing.
Sandwich made from crackers filled with tomato, lettuce, and avocado or fillings of your choice.
Crackers with dip.. Curry almond dip, Sunflower pate, Guacamole, Tomato salsa.. etc.

Beautiful breakfast... delights to wake up too.

2009-10-28T13:04:00.005+10:00

Ground Natural Active Almonds pureed with fruit, coconut

& goji berries, covered with Strawberries and Grapes

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am not really a morning eater but find it easy to have something light like fruit. Waking up early to a new day and heading off to my kitchen window that overlooks the ocean is a favourite part of my day. I make green smoothies and a different type of one of the suggestions below each morning for myself and my husband.. the kids always have a green smoothie. Here are some examples:

Green Smoothie with Mango, banana & Pineapple Bircher

Green Smoothie
2-3 Fruit Salad - V-Slice or mondoline 2 to 3 different fruits into a bowl and mix in a little coconut, ground nuts or seeds or chopped dried fruit. Or just by itself
Large bowl of Melon
Pureed fruit with Kitz Granola - place fruit of your choice into a blender, blend until smooth then pour into a bowl and cover with your choice of Granola.

Choci-Jo with pureed fruit,

goji berries and cashews

Fresh grated coconut with grated apple,

sultanas, Apple Cinnamon & Agave Walnuts.

Three Fruit Salad with pureed banana,

strawberries and Buckies

And for the special Sunday morning treat.. which is something I think we all deserve at the end of a good healthy week.. is my little Flaxcakes with cashew cream, organic apricot and fig spread, agave and bananas.. pile them up like pancakes.. have with a smoothie of freshly blended Mango, pineapple and orange and not only will your senses be delighted but your body will be completly nourished ready for the busy week ahead..

ENJOY :)

What you think about, You bring about!

2009-10-27T20:50:00.000+10:00

How many people do you know .. or you may be one yourself that constantly think of going on a diet.. a weight loss diet.

Just thinking about it brings on all sorts of negitive feelings, deprivation, failure, lack of enjoyment, restrictions, constantly thinking about what you will have next, am I doing it right?.. it just goes on and on. And what ends up happening..you have to do it all again because it just didn't last!

Now, if you tell yourself that you are going to Be 'Happy & Healthy'.. how does that make you feel. I don't know about you, but it makes me feel great. Enthusiastic, motivated, excited, happy, long lasting.. And the truth is, if you eat healthy and do some type of movement.. lets call it exercise! the result will be that you will be 'Happy & Healthy' and your weight will go to where it is supposed to be. And because it is a life time change for the better it will last forever and you will never have to think about the 'D' word again.

So write a list with all your favourite healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and that's the exciting food you are now going to live on.. sounds like healthy fun to me. Tomorrow I will put up some of my favourite healthy meals that make me excited about eating healthy. Enjoy! :)

Amazing Summer time salads

2009-10-25T11:01:00.000+10:00

We have some of the best fruit and vegetables available to us in the this country.. I can't believe how lucky we are, or how lucky I am. I am in heaven with a house full of wholesome fresh produce. The choices are amazing and we should all be embracing it.
I have a bad habit of finding something I like and then having that same thing everyday for months on end. Not good.. I'm always very happy doing it but I do think I should be more adventurous. I move with the seasons.. when papapa is in season I eat it in abundance. So I suppose it's not that bad because I am eating seasonally which is the best way to eat. I always have a large salad for dinner including lots of greens with a variety of non sweet fruits such as tomatoes, zucchini etc and I also love mushrooms which are a good source of B12 for me. I have been doing a bit a sprouting lately too. Something I used to do a lot of but stopped for some time as it starting to upset my stomach. Now I have them accassionally and only in small amounts. I just love alfalfa, fenugreek, lentil, mung and pea sprouts. Sprouts are the ultimate Live Food!.. full of life, nutrition and sunfilled energy. It is always my treat when we go away to buy the Crunchy Combo available in the supermarkets.. Other than that I never buy them as you do run a risk of them containing mould.

Alfalfa, mung, fenugreek & lentil with Pea Sprouts below

So getting back to the Salads I made up a beautiful Carrot, Sultana & Coconut salad yesterday for my daughter and her friends.. it was always a favourite of mine as a teenager and in my early 20's, I remember buying it from a little Health Food Cafe in my lunch hour. I just dress it with freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice. If you let it sit for about an hour the flavours combine and it is just a treat.

Carrot Sultana & Coconut Salad

And for dinner I had a amazing Zucchini Pasta salad with finely chopped tomato, mushroom, celery and red onion with a dressing of the same with some fresh garlic, chives, ginger and basil.. it was heaven!!

Followed it up with a small feast of mango's.. about 6 decent sized NT mango's.. what a great night!

Zucchini Pasta Salad

LIVE.. LOVE.. LAUGH

ENJOY!! :)

More cakes.. more bliss time.. :)

2009-10-24T12:05:00.000+10:00

Chocolate Banana & Berry layered Torte

I just love it when there is an excuse to make another gourmet raw cake! The girls are staying in a beautiful appartment right on the beach for Sami-Jo's 21st celebrations and Guess What? They all love raw food creations.. how good is that! I am having a wonderful time making up stuff for them that they really seem to be enjoying. Wow, even the boys seemed to really like the torte last night. How good is that. We all made sure though that they didn't know what sort of torte it was.. :)

The bottom is a thick cakey crust of walnut, dates and cacao nibs with a hint of vanilla, then a creamy banana cashew layer, followed by blueberries covered with a thick layer of rich chocolate avocado mousse finishing with a Cashew cream top.

For afternoon snack I had made up some raw sushi and in the rush forgot to take a photo of it. It came out wonderful and the girls devoured it. Along with some little Vanilla Fig cupcakes with Creamy Apricot frosting they where all kept well nourished. Pre dinner consisted of Kitz Crackers with Guacomole and fresh sliced tomato.

Vanilla Fig Cupcakes with Creamy Apricot Frosting

It was a fun night. Here is a pic of the girls in the late afternoon before they glitzed up for dinner..

Happy 21st my love!

Chocolate Velvet Torte for my babies 21st

2009-10-21T12:32:00.006+10:00

I can't believe it.. my first born has turned 21! What happened, it all just went so fast. The great thing is she just love raw food especially the desserts so I can always have fun making her a raw cake for her birthday. Forgetting that I had an appointment yesterday afternoon I left myself half and hour to make this cake for her, no time to get a recipe so with an idea in my head off I went. And. YEAH! she loved it so much she said it was the best cake she has ever had. She wants me to make another for her dinner party on Friday night.. but I have bigger plans for that. Will post how it goes. :)

This cake has a crust with raw cacao nibs in it giving that rich choc taste with a tiny crunch and a smooth velvety chocolate filling made with avocado then covered with blueberries.

21 today!

Some new stuff and specials for the festive season

2009-10-21T11:47:00.008+10:00

Great ideas for Kitz Living Foods products

With all the fun of Christmas about to happen I want to make sure everyone can have a great time and join in the festive fun which includes eating delicious food.. just don't tell your friends and family it's good for them.. funny thing that isn't it how some people feel that the only way you can get enjoyment out of food is if it is, well.. I would call it processed rubbish!!

But not all of us, I know that you guys are all like me and love feeling great! The only way to stay like at is to eat a fresh healthy diet, gets lots of fresh air and movement, live in the moment and to enjoy our friends and family.

I have always wished for health and happiness.. because to me with that I have everything! It means that the rest of life is great. Remembering to thoroughly enjoy the simple things in life is such a blessing. Things like a super sweet rockmelon that reminds me of caramel, and good run where I have an abundance of energy and just want to go for it, peace and quiet to recharge my batteries, waking up early to prepare green smoothies and fresh healthy fruit salad granola's for my family then us all sitting down to enjoy it together, dinners together with great conversation, treks out into the country to do a nature walk or a 10km canoe trip to a lovely location for lunch.. these are that things that fulfill me.. :)

So to help keep everyone on track with delicious snacks for this special time I am going to be offering some great special on the Kitz Living Foods website plus some one offs special runs of some new products I want to make for everyone to enjoy..

Chunk Special

This week it is the Chunk special with choc chip goji, pineapple pepita and almond, fig and macadamia and the banana, date and walnuts all for the price of just 3, buy for and get one free. There are also the new Almond choc chunk cookies with the chocolate cream filling which have nearly run out.

Chocolate cashew cream filled almond choc chunk cookies

Fresh air, family and fun

2009-10-17T14:53:00.007+10:00

We've just spend a wonderful couple of days away from civilization with 2 of our kids.. the eldest and the youngest.. oh and our new pet bird.. Maggy.. she's a baby Magpie that fell out of a tree in our back yard, her brother never made the fall.. he's now deceased.. :( So we have been hand feeding Maggy and she is going from strength to strength.

Looking back over Lake Lilly toward the reception and the communal kitchen

First thing we did was go for a swim, that's Craig diving off the diving board. Jordi was great at it doing back flips and all sorts of tricks. Sami-Jo even braved it and jumped off.
The cabins are nice a neat with just a bathroom a queen bed bunks for the kids. With the little verandah over looking the lake it's just perfect. We were a bit disappointed that we didn't have our own kitchen but after going down to the communal kitchen and putting our food into the cool room we realized it was going to work out quite well. We were the only ones there except for 4 WWOOFer's (Willing workers on organic farms) so we had the outdoor kitchen to ourselves.
Hassana is an organic farm stay with cabins and permanent tents. They do individual, family or group bookings.. I would love to do a raw food weekend for a group. Will put it onto the Kitz Living Foods website when I organise it as it will be a weekend for anyone and everyone.. learning, sharing and enjoying fantastic raw food.
Activities include, swimming, canoeing, walking, Katapult (medieval game) farm tour of the organic vegetable garden, chickens (collecting eggs), paddocks etc.

On our way back to our cabin - the middle one on the hill

Craig sitting on the deck of the Sauna on Lake Lilly before breaky.

On Friday after breakfast we did a 10km round trip up the river in canoes to the Art Gallery at Murwillumbah for lunch. After getting our act together with the paddles it was a great morning. Fantastic scenery, great weather and good company all in a quite serene environment.

We tied the canoe's up under this bridge then walked to the Gallery

Walking up to the Art Gallery

That afternoon I rode one of the farm bikes down to Stockers Sidding to check out the local art shop which has beautiful local pottery, knitting, woodwork and handmade jewellery.
Then before dinner we went to have a look at the Glow Worms in an old disused railway tunnel at the end of the valley. It was a eary but beautiful place and the glow worms showed up really well just as it was getting dark.

Walking out of the tunnel

Old disused Wood and Stone house in the Valley

Maggy - Day 1

the Happy Campers!

xx

New Cream filled cookies.

2009-10-12T14:06:00.003+10:00

I made some Chunky Choc Chip Cookies and just felt that they needed something extra.. so a made a chocolate cream and filled them.. I think they are amazing. Nice and sweet and gooey.. with little bits of crunchy raw cacao nibs.. Devine!

I have to go and put these on the kitzlivingfoods website before I eat them all.. :)

Carrot Cake with Lemon Cashew Frosting

2009-10-12T12:47:00.003+10:00

I have so many organic carrots in my fridge that I just had to do something with some of them. So after making a big batch of crackers I rinsed out my new favourite toy.. My blixer and whizzed up a yummy carrot cake.. This is the first time i've done a raw carrot cake and I was really impressed with how it came out. It's really quite delicious!

Raw Carrot Cake with Lemon Cashew Frosting

It seems the longer it sits in the fridge the better it get.

Here's the recipe.

Cake

Ingredients

3-4 Carrots
1 cup seeded dates
1/2 cup organic dried apricots
1/2 cup sultanas
1/4 cup flax seed - ground
1/2 cup coconut - desiccated
1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp organic ground vanilla bean or extract
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

chop carrot into chunks and place into a food processor, process until finely ground but not mushy. Add dates and blend until fairly smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until all ingredients resemble the size of course bread crumbs. Then place the mix into a cling wrap line baking tin or container of your choice. It does not have to be a baking dish, you can also use any other storage container, be adventurous, round, square, oblong.. the choice is yours or you may form it up free hand onto a plate.
Place into the fridge to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews - soaked in filtered water for 2.-3 hrs
4-5 tsp agave or to taste
2 tbs orange juice - fresh
2 tbs lemon juice - fresh
Zest from orange and lemon

Preparation:

Rinse and drain cashews then place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Place into the fridge to cool and thicken then spread onto cake. Sprinkle zest over cake to decorate and enhance flavour.

Enjoy :) K

Ultimate Birthday Cake

2009-10-01T21:13:00.003+10:00

Now this is a cake..

Happy 70th Birthday Nana.. :)

Yes it's just watermelon, grapes and kiwi fruit.. indulge!

Day 9-10 Finals day - Mind Body & Spirit

2009-09-27T15:05:00.005+10:00

Day 9

Thursday mornings breakfast was

Banana & Pear puree with Choci-Jo, goji berries, cacao nibs & cashews

With the usual for morning tea

Kitz Crackers with Guacamole

Which is simply

Ingredients:
Onion
Avocado
tomato
Salt & pepper to taste
Either
Cajun spices
Italian herbs
Fresh parsley & coriander

Preparation:
Dice onion, avocado & tomato and add flavourings of your choice then mix to combine or blend for a smooth guacamole.

A good afternoon just going with it and it doesn't seem to be too hard but I think he is looking forward to some cooked food. Afternoon tea has turned into raw cake with a green tea or dandelion tea which is a bit of a favourite right now. Dinner was a cauli couscous and blended salad. Some medjool dates after dinner snack while watching TV.. rugby finals coming up so Footy show tonight definitely.. :)

Day 10

Another breaky of

Blended pear and pineapple with Simply Granola.

after a good swim and run at the beach. It all seems to be going well again today although it is becoming obvious that he is over it now and ready for some cooked food. He had the usual crackers and guacamole for morning tea, left over dinner for lunch and the cakes and fruit in between.

Today is the last day and it was decided when he started that he would end it tonight as we have family arriving and it has been organised that we will be having dinner together.. mmm Pizza!!! can you believe it.. breaking 10days raw with cooked Pizza. So for dinner he had 1/3 of a light beer.. Yes!.. and about 3 pieces of pizza, some seafood and a gourmet vegetarian. They where fairly good pizzas .. as far as cooked pizza goes anyway. Good quality home cooked type pizzas that have been given the heart foundation tick.. mmm that's debatable too.. but worth mentioning I thought.. :)

I think he has done really well and there has defiantly been a lot of good come out of the whole experience.

Positives have been:

Cloud lifted - much happier and approachable
Motivated - getting a lot done on so many levels. Business and personal.
Empathy for others who have to restrict their eating for weight and health issues
More relaxed with life
Clarity - can see more clearly what he really wants to do on many levels
Realisation that what he has and what he thought to be not what he really wanted are actually the things he is enjoying.

And for me

he has no smell.. now he doesn't smell bad, it's just a smell, now there is NONE!! that's nice.. :) as I have very sensitive smell as do most raw foodists.
I can be really open and honest with him all the time, I do not have to put up a guard or sneak around wondering . 'what's on his mind?'
The kids are finding him more fun and approachable
I loved the person he was for the last 5days.. it was just fantastic. I felt a real connection and we do get on really well anyway but I loved that he had made a effort to try what makes my life so fantastic.. he was just so happy, energetic, motivated and I could see him gaining clarity on so many levels.. things that has been troubling him for many years where getting sorted out.
Lots of little things where getting done around the house.. :)

The negatives have been

He is getting a bit sick of the raw treats he used to enjoy so much
detox was a bit uncomfortable . but definately worth it!
restricted... really missing having more choices and the variety.

Negatives for me

I needed more input into the types of meals he wanted, that would have helped to make it much more enjoyable as I have been on raw food for so long that I like very simple things that are not suitable enough when first starting out on a raw diet.
The first few days where a little stressful and we tried to sort it all out, he didn't want to complain about anything so he didn't hurt my feelings and I was getting annoyed that he would not put a bit of effort into helping to decide and prepare his meals.. while he was also detoxing!

He said he was a bit worried about how he would feel after the pizza dinner but he drank a lot of water with it and after it and said he felt OK. Oh.. I forgot to mention that he had about 2-3 chocolate cupcakes that I made for me nieces 8th birthday.. :)

:)

love K xxoo

How it going now?

Nearly a week after finishing and he is still doing very well, eating very high raw but enjoying his healthy cooked food. We have had some dinner outings in the last week with family here and good healthy choices have always been made. No alcohol except for last friday night 1/3 bottle beer so that's great. There has been a bit of Chocolate mud cake as we have had 4 birthdays to celebrate in the last week.

Day 8 - Mind Body & Spirit 10 days raw

2009-09-23T12:42:00.005+10:00

All going great! Beach was a bit windy and the ocean a bit choppy but still managed a swim.
Here is breaky that was waiting for him on his return

Fruit Salad Ambrosia with
Kitz Cinnamon Agave Wanuts

Same ole same ole for morning tea. Left over Couscous Salad for lunch and some new cookies for afters!

Chewy Bircher Cookies

With this horrible dust storm we have got here today he is very busy going to Fire Calls. They say that the fire alarms are probably going to be going off all afternoon! & I hope there are no traffic accidents as visability is poor.. :(
I made a new cake that was inspired by and online blogger, it is an

Almond Vanilla cake with a goldenberry, cherry filling with a Berry Frosting..

The dust storm made day really weird and almost depressing by the late afternoon. But Craig's day was still fairly productive, got a bit done on the business and a few more fire calls. Seems to be fealing great other than that as mood and energy levels are good. Although he did have an afternoon nap.. but then so did I - lets call it a power nap!!

Raw Pizza

for dinner on Kitz Pizza Bases went well followed by some Exotica Mix.. Goji, cashews & cacao nibs! Then later a dandelion tea with some more Berry Nice Cake with Berry Frosting..

PS. I don't know if I mentioned it but after Monday's gym session he said he'd had a great session, felt very strong and uped his weights.. :)

Day 7 - Mind Body & Spirit 10 days raw

2009-09-22T21:20:00.005+10:00

Normal start to the day.. nice breakfast of

Banana, pear & apricot raw bircher Muesli..

Guacamole and Crackers for morning tea, then a large

Salad with notmayo, almonds and crumbled Kitz 4-Seed crackers,

Raw Banana Cake & choc cake for afternoon tea and a new dinner creation I came up with after perusing another of my cooked foodie mags for inspiration.. ..Curry cauliflower couscous, blended carrot, broccoli & tomato salad with rocket and avocado with an orange vinaigrette dressing

We had a good talk this afternoon and Craig is really feeling great!.. :) He is now finding it a lot easier and can see that there are a lot of things he will continue to do. He really wants to cut right back on bread, feels he will decrease his meat consumption even more and he will not go back to his decaf coffees as he is finding the green tea more enjoyable.
Personally I have noticed that he is a lot more positive and constructive. He is getting a lot of work done for his business .. things that he has talked about doing to years are finally getting done and I can see he is enjoying doing it and feeling great about it! Sami-Jo & I talked about it this morning and she also feels that his temperament is much more relaxed. We can say things to him that we probably would not have before and it's much more fun..
He had a hearing test this afternoon that gave him a bit of a shock.. his hearing is not good. The specialist feels that it is caused from swimming in the cold water each morning. And as getting ear plugs is quite expensive he went a bought a swimming cap to wear.. ( I will sneak down to the beach one morning and get a photo to post, should be hilarious!! lol)
So another day done and dusted on a really positive note.. it's great!.. :)

Rocket & Macadamia Pesto with Zucchini Pasta & Italian Sundried Tomotoes

2009-09-22T14:05:00.004+10:00

Pesto

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup macadamias
50g Rocket
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:
Process garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add rocket, oil & lemon juice and process until smooth.

Pasta
Ingredients:
2 zucchini's - spiralised
1/2 cup Italian sun dried tomatoes - recipe follows
1 tomato
2 mushrooms

Preparation:
Place the pasta ingredients into a bowl and add Pesto and stir. You can then place it into a dehydrator for about 1 hr stirring every 20 mins until warmed through and the veggies have softened. If you don't have a dehydrator you can place in the sun or just not worry about it!
To serve top with more rocket, chopped tomatoes, mixed Italian herbs and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy! :)

Italian Sun dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Italian or mixed herbs
About 1/4 cup water.

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together that place into a sterilised jar and let sit for about 24hrs before refrigeration.

Sunbaked Breakfast Cakes, Cashew Cream & Strawberry Sauce

2009-09-21T20:26:00.004+10:00

These Breakfast cakes are inspired by Ani Phyo's .. This is the breakfast I gave my husband Craig on Day 5 of his 10 days raw journey.

Ingredients:
2 cups ground flax seeds
1 cup dried or freshly grated coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup agave syrup
Water - enough to make a firm dough

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl with just enough water to make a firm dough, add the water slowly so as not to over do it and make them too runny. Shape into balls then flatten into flat round pancake shapes then place in the sun for about an hour.
Whilst they are doing there sun baking you can prepare the Cashew Cream and Strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries, cleaned and top removed
1/2 cup dates - soaked overnight in 1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Place strawberries, dates and date water into a small blender and blend until smooth.

Cashew Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cashews soaked in 1/2 cup water overnight
2 tablespoons agave
1/3 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract

Preparation:
Rinse cashews then add all ingredients to a small blender with about 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth and creamy.

NOTE: I use a personal blender like the Tribest or the Magic bullet for the cream and sauce. I find them fantastic when you only want to do a small quantity.

Extras

Apricot Jam
Ingredients:
Organic dried apricots - soaked in water
dates - soaked in water

Preparation:
Blend in personal blender until smooth or chunky - depends on your liking!! :)

Raw Abbs.. on a high fruit .. low protein diet!

2009-09-20T10:56:00.002+10:00

I only say that because I always believed that you had to eat more protein with less carbs to keep lean. Well I have proved this year that that is not the case. I eat a lot of carbs in the form of fruit. Heaps actually! and I have really cut back on my protein. I used to eat at least 80-90g per day, at one stage up to 120g. This made me very lean I will admit.
I then went off it for a while as I was really looking gaunt and ill. At the same time without knowing until I had a higher protein day that when I was waking in the night I would get fairly severe back pain in the mid-lower back whilst becoming upright.. it felt like pain in my kidneys. This came back after the higher protein day. To me it was saying that my kidneys do not cope with the higher amounts. I am finding moderate to low protein is working great for me and I have filled out a bit, my skin is not so crepe.
But I still believe that protein is very essential to good health. It is what our bodies need build, repair, and maintain body cells and tissues like your skin, muscles, organs, blood, and even bones.It also forms enzymes and hormones that enable your body to function normally. Enzymes enable chemical reactions to take place in your body. Hormones signal the appropriate enzymes to start working on what the body needs.
Proteins as antibodies protect you from disease-carrying bacteria and viruses.
Proteins help regulate the quantity of fluids in the compartments of the body to maintain your fluid balance. Protein also controls the composition of the body fluids.
Proteins control your body’s acid-base balance. Normal processes of the body continually produce acids and their opposite, bases, which must be carried by the blood to the excretion organs. The blood must do this without allowing its own acid-base balance to be affected. The proteins in your blood accomplish this task.
Only protein can perform all the functions described above.
I now get most of my protein from greens, vegetables and fruits.. My daily protein intake is now about 40-50g and is working well.

Day 5 -6 Mind Body & Spirit - 10 days raws

2009-09-20T10:32:00.009+10:00

Craig started the day nice and early.. 6am swim down at at Kirra. I got up and made some breaky for him so that it could sun-bake on the deck while Roxi (our dog!) and I went for our Sunday morning walk down along the beach.
I came home to him reading the paper in the sun on the deck with a warm cup of green tea So I set about finishing the breakfast of sunbaked Breakfast Cakes - inspired by Ani Phyo, with strawberry sauce, cashew cream, apricot jam, agave and strawberries with an Orange and Pineapple smoothie. Well there was not a lot of excitement but he did eat it all.. :) Here is a picture of what was on offer before being consumed.

Lunch was left over Pizza.. he saved 2 pieces, thank goodness! Afternoon tea was raw chocolate cake with a Banana Smoothie. He found it all a bit mundane and boring and was continuously asking himself....
"Why am I doing this?" and admitted to me that because I was blogging it he felt compelled to finish. I asked him if he wanted to go out for a cuppa, something we usually really enjoy on the weekends but he kept declining.
In the end I said "come on lets go" and then realised that it was because he would not be able to have his coffee that he thought it would be best to keep away from temptation. I talked him into going and sharing pot of Green tea.
You wouldn't believe it.. it was packed and all he could smell was the fresh coffee others had ordered and the kebabs cooking in the cafe next to us.. all whilst we looked straight into a really nice Sushi restaurant. I felt a little mean but it was a great test for his tolerance and stamina .. a lesson on so many levels. We talked it all through. Lucky we couldn't stay too long as he had to be at the Fire Station by 2.45pm..
For dinner I marinated mushrooms, soaked some Wakame seaweed, and cut up some zucchini, rocket, tomatoes and chili's then dressed it in a really nice Asian inspired Miso sauce. I also slice really finely some raw Atlantic Salmon. (he's taken it out of the freezer for his dinner) and he marinated it in Tamari, onion, chili and some fresh squeezed lemon juice. He loved the Sashimi.. and the Asian Mushroom, Wakame salad was OK.. he said too salty. I hadn't added any salt just the unpasteurised miso & tamari. So that showed that his palette was cleaning up.. a good sign, although Tamari & Miso are fairly salty.
Some raw Chocolate Balls to finish off the evening and Day 5 done and dusted.. except that we were rebels.. we watched Rove until 11pm.. we are usually really boring .. his in bed by 9.30, me by 10!
Mood for the day was fairly sombre.. I think he was feeling deprived. But on the same note mentioned that he thought he would stick to the lighter meals that he was having now just adding some cooked meats like the seafood & occasional chicken and his egg breakfasts on the weekends. He is finding that eating this way all the time is taking the enjoyment out of the raw desserts, treats and breakfasts that he usually loved. :(

Day 6
Another good start to the day with the usual early run and swim at the beach. Usual breakfast of fresh fruit, nuts, seeds & dried fruit made into a bircher type meusli. Mid morning Guacamole & Kitz Crackers and then a Salad for lunch with Notmayo and sprouts. Good strong session at the gym in the afternoon with a Banana & Raw Honey smoothie afterwards. Snacking on fresh fruit, raw cakes & choc balls.
I am having to think of simple meals that are going to be satisfying for someone new to raw so I read through one of my cooked magazines and come up with

Rocket & Macadamia Pesto with Zucchini Pasta, Tomato, Mushroom and homemade Italian Sun dried tomatoes.

I then sat it in the dehydrator for 1hr to warm up. He ate it all so I suppose you've got to take that as a good sign.. :) and the rest of the evening went of without a hitch.. another good day 100%raw!!

Day 1 - 4 Body, Mind and Spirit Challenge

2009-09-18T21:29:00.009+10:00

My husband, who eats a very healthy diet anyway that includes a lot of raw food has decided to do "10 days raw".. Today is his 3rd day..

I am going do a small blog on his journey. As a 100% raw fooder who has never struggled with this way of eating it is interesting to see the challenges others have with changes in their diet and how it affects more than just their cravings...but other things as well.. it certainly is a journey.

Day1
He started on Wednesday which went well up until afternoon tea.. this usually consisted of home-made bread with raw honey.. This was replaced with a Chocolate Banana nutmylk shake and some raw chocolate cake that was in the fridge.
Dinner was also a success with Zucchini/carrot pasta Alfredo with sun dried tomatoes and avocado with chilli and coriander(cilantro). His mood that evening was great, upbeat, energetic and quite happy.. more than usual. it was great!.. but only day 1.

Day 2
Up early for his usual morning beach run and swim with our 12yr old, then some meditation by himself whilst Jordi comes home to get ready for school. I tried something different for breaky.. cut banana,Choci-Jo and strawberries with almond nutmylk.. He did not like the running mylk. I usually do up more bircher muesli type breakfast using ground nut/seeds, fresh fruit, coconut and dried fruits blended a little with a sprinkle of one of the Kitz Granolas. Morning tea was banana flan & choc cake - both raw! He really missed his usual home-made guacamole with Kitz Crackers but for some reason I thought there was still some in the fridge. He had Engine Keeping at the Fire Station all afternoon.. he is also a Fireman and regular training is part of the job. He arrived home at 5pm starving with a bad headache. Now this was unusual. He had his banana strawberry nutmylk shake and some Kitzbarswhich seem to take away the hunger but the headache remained.. he then lay on the lounge under a blanket.. and it wasn't even cold.. Hmm looks like a bit of a detox happening here. He ate some of his dinner which was a Carrot & Avocado Bisque with Vegie sushi. Lay down again after dinner under his blanket and was asleep by 8pm.

Day 3
A great start to the day.. up early and down to the beach. Arrived home ready for a great day ahead.. Enjoyed his breaky of lightly blended pineapple, apple, orange, banana, walnuts, sunnies, Pepita's, figs, dates, sultanas, coconut, ground vanilla bean and cinnamon with strawberries.. with an Orange and Pineapple Green smoothie chaser. Guacamole and crackers for morning tea, salad for lunch with chopped up Cajun Active Almonds a chocolate smoothie for after his gym workout and an extra Raw bircher muesli for if he needed it.. My great fried who visited me this arvo commented that he seemed really genuinely happy, talkative and in a great mood. She is very intuitive. :)
I also thought mood all day was great, energy seemed great.. all good. Dinner he prepared himself with our daughter.. well it wasn't vegan but it was raw.. they had sashimi salmon. Craig made his into roll ups with lettuce, tomato, avocado, mushroom etc. He seemed to enjoy it which was great.
After dinner I spotted a hint of guilt.. and proceeded to coax out of him that he had had a coffee during the day with his mate at the coffee shop.. :( O Well it is his journey and he justified it by saying if that's the worse thing he does then it's all OK! I feel he was a little disappointed with himself so I tried not to judge. Sometime we have to do these things to realise that we really don't want to do them again. .. so lets see what tomorrow brings.

Fridays Fare

Day 4
Well things didn't go to plan last night.. the TITANS lost! But there's consilation, at least, they don't have to play the Bulldogs to get into the final next week. Phew!
And then this morning after discussion abouth the whole raw thing and if he really wanted to do it?, was he doing it for the right reason? and the negitive situation it was causing between us because I was left to prepare all of his meals with no imput from him at all.. As I eat a very simple raw food diet as you tend to do after 4yrs I was trying to make him things I thought he would like, well it seams I was getting them wrong. Then after much discussion about what to have for breakfast as he got out some bought yoghurt I explained that it's not raw.. then he said he didn't know if he'd continue so we made Honey Vanilla Yoghurt out of some fresh home-made yoghurt I had made with raw honey and raw vanilla powder. Half way through breakfast with the new yoghurt it it he got the shock of his life when I said the yoghurt was not raw! :(.. Like my dear frined said.. 'Trail & Error'.
Well he has moved on from that with the rest of the day being raw. We talked about the reasons for doing this. What for and why.. he felt he would just re-tox after it, and he already eats healthy anyway. My thoughts where that with the grease, fuel and chemicals he works with and has to smell in his car it was great for him to do a detox to let his system regenerate and recuperate and regain some strength. Then back to healthy cooked food, with a high degree of raw.
I personally really want him to experience the high you get from being raw, the energy, the happiness, sense of calm and positiveness.. it's just amazing to me, So good that I can't bring myself to do anything else. To me it's just all to easy and anything else would take all of that away, I actually feel deprived if I can't have my raw food. Inside I allow myself to eat what ever I want... I'm not anything, not raw, not vegan, not vegatarian even, just ME! So I am trying my hardest not to sound judgmental or make him feel that he has to do this. I want him to enjoy it, without the enjoyment it's just not worth it.
Will update later how the rest of the day goes. Tonight is another favourite. home-made Pizza!! Will tell you how it goes. Also got a loaf of bread in the oven for Jordi.. that's another of Craig's fav's.. so another test of will power and determination. xx
Well after a little walk, some soccor practice with Jordi and a good talk.. Craig has never had to restrict his eating in any way.. not for weight or health so this is a real challenge for him. I explained that it was giving him insight into how others feel when trying to do this for both of those reasons and why it is so hard. He was making all the same excuses they do.. all of a sudden the important reason he started it wesn't important anymore.. Isn't that what yo-yo dieters say to themselves everytime they break their diet! and Craig was always very critical of them.
The afternoon headache was setting in again, we had some shopping to do and tolorance was not good. Then to top it all off when we got home the bread machine had just finished a fresh.. hot! loaf of bread..:) But guess what he made a warm.. not hot cup of green tea and had some Raw banana cake. So I picked that he was going to try to stick with it so I made up a Raw Pizza on a Kitz Pizza Base and put it into one of the dehydrators so that it would be perfect for dinner... 2hrs!

He ate the whole thing except 2 peices.. said he enjoyed it and was really happy and contect after his meal. Then for supper .. more warm black green tea and fresh dates! Wow.. well done I say.. he's hoped back on the horse big time.

Tomato Salsa Tartlets

2009-09-06T15:32:00.006+10:00

Something savoury for a change, this is nice and fresh and light. You can make up a batch of the little tart crusts and keep them in an airtight container for when you need them.. they are fairly quick and easy to make and taste great. I am also going to make up some other savoury fillings for the one I have left over.

Tartlets:
Ingredients:
2 cups buckies
2 cup active almonds
1 tspn garlic
1 tspn Italian herbs
Sea salt to taste
Fresh parsley - a good handfull
1/2 zucchini
1/4 to 1/2 cup Olive oil

Preparation:
Ground buckies and almond to a food processor and blend until fine then add remaining ingredients minus the olive oil and blend to combine all ingredients together then slowly add olive oil down the shute until it sticks together when pressed into a ball.
Then press into a pie shell or a cling wrap lined muffin tin for small tartlets and place in the fridgte for about an hour. Remove from tin and place onto dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 24hrs. Let cool and fill or store in an airtight container in a cool dry place until ready to use.

Filling:
Ingredients:
3 tomatoes - deseeded and chopped
1/2 red onion - chopped finely
Splash of red wine vinegar
Pepper
Fresh bococoncini or avocado slices
Fresh Basil or coriander -,I used coriander as I didn't have any basil!

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl with just enough vinegar so it's not to wet as this will make the crusts go soggy. Spoon into crusts and top with bocconcini or slice of avocado, decorate with coriander or basil. A sprinkle of pepper would also be nice as well as fresh chilli if you like a bit of heat.

Hummingbird Cake

2009-09-06T09:31:00.004+10:00

Everyone loves Banana Cake and something was screaming at me to make a raw Hummingbird cake as I had some beautiful pineapples, organic sundried bananas and beautiful organic coconut flour.. so here's what transpired..

Hummingbird Cake - raw vegan!

Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
1 cup organic coconut flour
1/2 cup organic dessicated coconut
1 tspn vanilla powder
1 tspn cinnamon
2 cups pitted dates
2 cups fresh pineapple
7 organic sun dried bananas

Preparation:
Add walnuts, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon to bowl of a food processor and process until a fine meal then put into a large mixing bowl. Then add dates to food processor and blend until a paste then add pineapple and chopped bananas and blend until roughly chopped and combined. Add wet mix to dry mix and stir until well combined then press into a cheeze cake pan, I put paper on the bottom to stop in sticking. Smooth the top and refrigerate for about 4 hours then run a knife around the edge and release it from the pan and slide onto a plate then spread frosting..

Frosting

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cashews or macadamias
1/2 cup agave or honey
Lemon - juiced and zested.
Dessicated coconut and cinnamon agave walnuts to decorate

Preparation:
Soak nuts for 4hrs then rinse, in a blender combine nuts, agave or honey, lemon juice and blend until smooth adding water until it starts to just turn, don't add too much or it will be too runny. Keep blending until smooth then spread onto cake and sprinkle with coconut and lightly crushed Kitz Cinnamon Agave walnuts

Treats for the Girls.. and boys..

2009-09-04T15:36:00.004+10:00

Having fun making new treats with the new Blixer...

Strawberries are in abundance at the moment and they smell devine! So in a burst of energetic enthusiasm I threw a heap of ingredients into my new blixer to see how it would go.. in no time at all I had a delicious batch of chocolate fudge. Here is the result of on the spot choc fudge and fresh strawberries..

Chocolate Strawberry layer cake

Strawberry Macadamia Cream Tarts

They must have been ok .. there are none left..:)

Kitz has a new Chocolate Granola

2009-08-22T17:34:00.004+10:00

My wonderful daughter Sami-Jo wanted to make up a special treat for herself.. she loves the Simply Granola and also loves chocolate. so that was her inspiration...
"Mum can we make Chocolate Granola.."
"My love, we can do anything we like... " so we did.
It came out so nice that we bagged some up and gave sample bags out to friends to try... it was such a hit that I have added the Granola range for Kitz Living Foods.

This is my Jo.. Sami-Jo

Here's how good it looks with Chocolate nutmilk and strawberries.. this is my husbands breakfast I made for him Friday morning..

I hope people can buy this and get the same enjoyment they thought they where getting from Coco Pops or any of those other overprocessed sugar laden cereals that they try to convince us are not only ok for us but how about them telling us that there actually 'Good for us'.. give me strenght, too many people believe this stuff, it's sad!

I think we are slowly becoming more educated on what's good and what's bad so that is the reason Kitz Living Foods started up. I could not find healthy convenient food anywhere.. this is my answer to that need.. no preservative, additives, processed sugars, chemicals, gluten and wheat free, dairy free, soya free, you name it Free of everything except the goodness of fruits, vegies, nuts, seeds, sea salt, dark agave, herbs & spice.. NOTHING ELSE.. then all nuts and seeds are soaked and sprouted and dehydrated at low temperature to maintain enzymes and valuable nutrition... just as Nature intended..

Much love.. K :)

Raw Pizza Party

2009-08-20T16:09:00.012+10:00

I finally got some time to make up some pizzas on the new Kitz Pizza bases we made up last week. The bases are really nice.. great texture and crunch.. and the combination of the almonds with the flax and sunflower seeds is awesome.
So with the two girls set up in the Kitz Living Foods kitchen spreading Fresh Herb Dulse & Spirulina crackers and Cinnamon Agave Walnuts I took off upstairs to get into creating. yeah I love getting into the kitchen putting new things together.

So here is the recipe for my

Pizza Pizzaz

Dehydrated Nut/Seed Pizza bases - I used Kitz Pizza Bases
Nut Cheeze - recipe follows
Tomato sauce -recipe follows
Avocado or guacamole
Onion
Red Pepper (capsicum)
Fresh corn
Mushroom
Fresh pineapple
Baby rocket

Place base onto a plate or board

Spread with your favourite raw Nut Cheeze

Nut Cheeze

Ingredients:
1 cup soaked cashews or macadamias
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon garlic granules or 1-2 fresh garlic cloves
Sea salt to taste

Method:
Rinse and drain nuts then place all ingredients into a blender with about 3 tablespoons of pure water and blend until velvety smooth. If your blender is to big then you may have to double the recipe to get the mix blending properly.
Spread cheeze onto base with a spatular or flat knife

then spread with raw Tomato Sauce

Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh tomato
3-5 pitted dates
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or to taste
1/2 - 1cup Sun-dried tomatoes

Method:
Blend fresh tomatoes, dates, oil, salt and vinegar until smooth. Add soaked and drained sundried tomatoes last and blend until the sauce is thick adn well mixed to the consistancy you like. You can have it very smooth or a bit chunky.
This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Then add diced vegies to your liking.. Voila! Enjoy! :)
Made for fun day..such an easy way to enjoy a snack, lunch or dinner... even the kids seem to enjoy these which is fantastic.. that's what it's all about making healthy food look and taste great!

Famous Choc Balls

2009-08-18T14:34:00.004+10:00

In need of a new commercial food processor so I ordered a Robo Coupe last week.. then the nice lady rang me to tell l me that the rep would be here this week and that because of the complex dishes that I make in it he would he thinks I would be better suited to a Blixer!! yes blender/Mixer!! Well he was here this morning and my husband was in need of a batch of our famous Chocolate Balls.. so we whipped a batch up in a frenzy in the 4kg Blixer.. well I supprised the Rep.. he's never seen one of the machines struggle like it did with this batch of beauties! Anyway we managed to make up a wonderfully smooth fudgy batch. We have rolled most of them into balls but the rest has been spread into a muffin pan to make my Apricot filled chocolate tarts shown at the bottom of the page. So here is the recipe for anyone that does not have a choc ball recipe. This is the quickest, healthiest chocolate recipe around. Great for everyone from chocolate lovers to fussy kids.
The picture shows my impersonation of a Croquenboch-la-choc-balls made for my Mother-in-laws 70th Birthday..

Recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup walnuts or almond
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon raw ground vanilla bean (or equivilant extract)

Ground until fine in a food processor, then slowly add through the shute

2 1/5 cups dates
2 cups dried coconut
4 lg tablespoons raw cacao powder

Preparation
Keep processing until it start to come together and roll into a ball around the food processor, if it is too dry and starting to heat up the motor add a very small amount of water until it comes together.
Shape into balls and roll in dried coconut. Refridgerate or freeze. We freeze so that they don't get eaten too quickly.. have fun and enjoy.. K :)

English & Baby Spinach

2009-08-17T20:42:00.004+10:00

What's with this stuff.. it's amazing! To me it's one of those foods that you can so easily eat like a bag of chips.. it often makes me feel like sitting down to a movie. ... with maybe a big smoothie.. my idea of what some would call.. popcorn and coke.. not really food in my world but to some a daily staple.. how they survive is beyond me and so sad that they do not have the simple appreciation and delight of real fresh food..

Rockin Raw Pizza Bases..

2009-08-17T13:00:00.001+10:00

Made up some new Pizza bases for Kitz Living Foods as there seems to be a damand for them. I've alway had a great recipe idea in my head but never had the time to get them made up. Now that Sami is helping in the kitchen things are really getting under control, it's fantastic. So last week we had a day where we could experiment so we put on the new Pizza bases.. I'd already decided that they would have to be square as I can make much more per dehydrator tray than if I was to do round ones. It just seems such a waste not to use the whole tray and anyway the customers get more buck for their money.. or mouth, depends how you look at it.
Well , I am about to go to the kitchen to make up the Cheeze and Tomato sauce so that I can get some photo's on here.. :)