Rawday Sunday

Firstly, I would like to thank Denny for the SO sweet Valentine's Day e-card!  I got it first thing on Valentine's Day, but forgot to post about it yesterday when I posted about my other V-day swag.  My favorite line:  

"Do you have a raisin?

  No?  How 'bout a date?"

Thank you Denny, you're the best!  

How was everyone's Presidents' Day?  I hope you all had the day off.  It was a pretty nice day here.  I went to see He's just not that into you with my mom this morning, and since my grad class was also cancelled tonight, I got another yoga day this week!  

Most notably though, today was my second successful raw day (I had a raw flop a few weeks ago).  Same as last time, everything is from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.  Its the only raw book I have, and I like it.    

For breakfast I made one of my favorites from my first raw day, the Coconut Cashew Pudding, which I had with an apple and 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds.  I love this stuff, although I probably should have eaten a little more.

For a snack I made a batch of the Donut Holes.  I skipped rolling them in coconut (there was already coconut in them, and I had coconut for breakfast), and they were yummy!  

I used these dried green mangos, which I got while I was in Hawaii, instead of dried pineapple, because...well that is what I had.  They weren't green at all, and they were awesome!  I wish I had bought another bag.    

A melon baller worked perfectly for making the little "holes".  Does anyone actually use a melon baller for balling melon?  I can't say I ever have, I always use it for stuff like this.  Anyway, I had three during the movie, along with some dried pears.  I also had the rest of this raw Kombucha tea that I bought a few days ago (which is organic and raw).  Its weird, has an effervescence, but its pretty good once you get into it.    

Guava Goddess Flavor..they really don't market this stuff towards men, huh?

Lunch was probably the highlight of today.  I made the Stuffed Anaheim Chilies with Mole Sauce recipe.  They are stuffed with Ani's Black Pepper Cheeze, which is utterly fantastic.  

I wasn't thrilled with the Mole Sauce on its own, but it was good with the stuffed pepper.  I think my favorite thing about this was the strong spiciness from the garlic.  I can't believe I've never mentioned this before, but I adore garlic in any way shape or form, so this was totally perfect.  What is also perfect, is that this pepper package is totally portable and will be my lunch for most of this week!  

Snack time, banana ice cream!  Pretty simple, just a blended frozen banana topped with 2 tbsp of the Artisana Raw Cacao Bliss, that I found in Hawaii.    

Then I had some unplanned Donut Holes (they're so good!).  

Dinner was the Marinated Portabello Steak and Brazil Nut-Broccoli Mash.  This wasn't totally raw, because I didn't spring for the Nama Shoyu, and just used tamari sauce.  

My grocery store always has the most beautiful portabellos

Excuse the bite I took out of it...oops.

Now, I have something important to tell you.  If you have never had a raw marinated portabello mushroom, go out and have one right now.  Seriously, I've been trying to make myself like mushrooms for about a year now, and I just...don't.  Sometimes they're okay, but most of the time I just think they're icky.  But this is delicious.  I would seriously eat this often, happily.  And I really have to convey the fact that I have HATED mushrooms for years.  You may be asking why I even bothered trying this, but, again, trying to like them.  I'm so happy I found a way that works!  It is a tad salty from the tamari, but all in all, a glowing success.  As for the broccoli mash, as much as I am a huge fan of cooked broccoli, its never been a raw veggie favorite of mine.  So it was alright, but I'm not raving.  It probably would have been better if I had made the Mushroom Gravy, but I opted out of it.    

All in all, there is no doubting that raw food can be incredibly delicious. 

I'm looking forward to this week, although I won't have a lot to post about.  I made full servings of each recipe, and planned out my whole week, and it should be a pretty high raw week, as I go through all the leftovers.  I'm not so much looking forward to it because it is raw, but because I have it all planned.   

I have to get to bed, up at 5 again tomorrow!  I'm getting used to getting up, but I've been falling asleep on the way home.  Anyway, what I am trying to say is that I'll edit nutrition info tomorrow!  I've started, but it takes so long for an entire day.  

Enjoy the four day week everyone!

Reducing It

Today I went to the school I am going to be student teaching at to meet with my mentor teacher, get the lay of land, parking pass, ID, etc.  It went so well!  My mentor teacher is awesome.  He is a really nice guy, he cleared out a whole desk for me, he showed me around the school, introduced me to tons of people, took me to the department meeting, etc.  You could tell that everyone there loves him there.  It was just really great, he made me feel really welcome, seemed happy to have me there, and was really more than I could have asked for.  I am still nervous, but my mind is a little more at ease now.  

Anyway, on to food!  For lunch, I had the raw Squash "Rice" from yesterday, but I cooked it!  I just sauteed it in a pan in some cooking spray, and made some simple salt and pepper tofu.  It was fabulous!!  It was totally the perfect lunch.  

I calculated the nutrition info for the "rice" yesterday.  I had a half serving of that with 3.5 oz of extra firm tofu.  What kind of tofu do you normally use?  I always buy extra firm unless a recipe really calls for firm...or silken, of course.

Because my schedule has changed so much now, my gym schedule has subsequently changed.  It is totally a different crowd, a lot of younger people, and a lot of mom's whose kids are at gymnastics (a big part of my gym is gymnastics/cheerleading).  I'm used to the over 60 crowd, haha.  That and, there was just no one I recognized, not even the same trainers.  One guy did approach me though, as "the girl who does yoga on Saturday".  Once he said something, I realized he had been behind me this past weekend, haha.  Today was chest day, it was pretty good.  I just realized that this is the last week of the program I have been doing.  I kind of like it, part of me wants to keep doing it, but I know it'd be better to change it up.  I don't know if I should go back to my favorite program, since it'll be easier to do something I already know and like when I start student teaching, or do something else I've had in mind.  We'll see.  Oh and I ran a little after lifting.    

I had some protein ice cream when I got back, and I really just wanted vegetables for dinner.  Lots of vegetables.  I had a Roasted Fennel and Onion salad with Orange and Balsamic reduction.  

Orange reduction (left, obviously), was made from 1/3 cup orange juice, and 1 tsp sugar, and just cooked down until it is a syrup consistency.  

Balsamic reduction, was about 1/4 cup balsamic cooked down to a...well, a reduction.  

Does anyone else love reducing things?  I think its so cool, and for some reason, I'm always surprised that it works, haha. 

This was drizzled on top of one bulb of roasted fennel and one large roasted onion, which were placed on some salad greens.  

This was yummy, and simple, just like I wanted.  I also had some broccoli.  Lots of veggies.

Serves 1

Nutrition Information:  237.0 Calories;  0.7g Total Fat;  0.0g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  53.8g Carbohydrates;  10.3g Fiber;  5.6g Protein 

On another note, I've been a big Top Chef fan for awhile, but it just hasn't been the same this season (the first season I have watched since becoming vegan).  For instance, this episode is all about "honoring the protein" (meaning meat).  They went to a farm, where all the produce is grown fresh right there.  All the meat is raised right there too.  One of the contestants even talked for awhile about how "He definitely isn't a vegetarian, but believes that all food animals should be respected, etc".  Whatever.  I couldn't imagine playing with baby lambs in the field outside the farm, and then chopping them up and cooking for dinner.  I guess that's why I'm not on Top Chef though, right?

I forgot to mention it, but don't forget to sign up for the Juicer Giveaway if you haven't already!

Raw Intentions

I had intentions to do another raw day today.  It just wasn't in me.  My thoughts are that I'll try to do a raw day once in awhile, but I don't think I can do it weekly or anything like that.  I kind of feel like I spent the past week making up for the raw day, eating things that I can't have on a raw day.  Yeah, my head plays games with me, I realize this, but being aware of it doesn't change my actions.  

Anyway, breakfast was good.  I've made a variation of the breakfast cakes from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen a few times this past week.  They have protein powder and some other stuff.  They aren't perfect yet (they taste awesome, but a little too high in calories), but I'll post the recipe if I ever decide they are.  I had a grapefruit with them.  Have I mentioned that I love grapefruit?  

That looks so dull, my grapefruit wasn't even as pink as usual.  No wonder I wasn't feeling excited about a raw day.  

Anyway, on Tuesdays I work out in the basement, we have a nice exercise bike, and then I do a Yogamazing podcast.  Today I did "Yoga for Creativity"...I am trying to write a cover letter today, which could use some creativity on my part.  Not that I am going to be making anything up just..embellishing.  The podcasts tend to be about 25 minutes, which isn't very long, so I always add in Trikonasana and some inversions.  The Triangle Poses (Trikonasana) are because I have mild scoliosis and that makes it feel a lot better (aka, I can sleep at night).  The inversions are because I am kind of terrified of them...its sad.  I did a headstand without the wall today though, which I was super proud of myself for.  It irritates me, because I know that I am strong enough to do handstands and forearm stands, but I'm just a big baby.  Oh, and I fell on my face doing the Crane Pose in class the other day.  Luckily, I can laugh at myself, haha.

If you aren't familiar with Crane Pose, and want to picture me falling on my face, watch this:

    

I already knew exactly what I was going to have after my workout, my Raw Organic Food Bar in chocolately chocolate that I got from Heather yesterday!  I've had this brand before, but only their larger bars, I had never seen this one before.  Upon opening it, it looked a lot like a smaller version of the larger bars.  I think I may have actually gasped when I bit into it though.  It had little chocolate chips scattered throughout it, that were the perfect smooth creamy consistency.  I don't really give these out willy nilly but...in the words of VeggieGirl...Holy yum!!

Another plus of this bar is that is has 8g of protein and 220 calories.  That's one of the best protein to calorie ratios I have seen for a raw food bar....it was probably the highlight of my day.  

For lunch, I made Walnut Cranberry Squash "Rice" from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.  This was...okay.  It looked really cool, really looked a lot like rice.  However, I just couldn't help but think how much better it would taste....cooked.  I guess maybe raw butternut squash is an acquired taste.  Not that any of it tasted bad, actually, it just didn't do anything special for me either.  I think it was the crunchiness.  Maybe the leftovers will taste better tomorrow.  

Nutrition Information:  378.0 Calories;  18.1g Total Fat;  1.6g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  58.0g Carbohydrates;  12.3g Fiber;  7.0g Protein.

I had dinner plans, but I abandoned them for some (cooked) leftover soup.  

I don't know if you can really feel my tone in this post, but I'm just feeling kind of blah.  Tuesdays tend to do that for me, I have no plans.  Oh.  That reminds me I was supposed to go shopping today...crap.  I need student teaching clothes.  I haven't worked in so long that the only clothes I really have are gym clothes and casual clothes.  I hate spending money on clothes.  I'm going up to visit my mentor teaching tomorrow.  Should be interesting, if nothing else.  

Alright, I promise to be in a better mood tomorrow.   

Today's Chopping (is wasn't all raw, but there was certainly no cooking) Song:  "The Crane Wife" - The Decemberists

Taking a Shot at Raw

Today was my first day trying a completely raw day.  Well, maybe not completely, but over 90%, I think.  

Almost everything from this post is from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.  

My main reason for wanting to try a raw day was because I think some of the stuff you can do with raw food is just so plain cool.  Poor Joanna has gotten a comment from me about this on her blog for her last 5 posts, at least.  I think that breakfast best showcased doing cool stuff with raw food.

Breakfast:  Crepe Kream Stack:  Coconut Breakfast Cakes with Cashew Coconut Pudding and Banana.

        Apart

Together!

This was so yummy.  I think I may have put too much liquid in, it was a little off since I quartered it.  So the cakes were softer and stickier than they should have been, but they still tasted awesome.  The pudding was good, but not so good that I won't try a different one next time.  All together it was awesome.  I made a full batch of the pudding.  I think it is going to be great with some Cinnamon Puffins tomorrow!  

Post Workout Snack:  Protein Powder and Orange Juice.  I don't think this is raw, I'm sure the OJ is pasteurized or something, right?  In the book, she seems to consider hemp protein powder raw.  I don't know if rice or pea would be.  

Lunch:  Spinach Salad with Apricots and Spiced Pecans in Shallot Lemon Dressing

Spiced Pecans and Lemon Shallot Dressing

This salad was supposed to be with persimmons, not apricots, but I couldn't find persimmons.  Altogether, the salad was awesome.  The pecans are stellar, they're spiced with cardamom and cayenne, and they brought it together perfectly.  I wasn't thrilled with the dressing, I just thought it tasted like olive oil really.  If I ever made it again, I would use less oil.  Also, do shallots make anyone else cry even more than onions?  My brother was in the kitchen while I was chopping it, in tears (literally), and was like "is it really going to taste THAT good?" haha.  My only gripe with this dish, really, was that I wish I had a dehydrator so that the coating stuck to the pecans better.  But it all mixed together perfectly.  

Snack:  Lemon Coconut Bars

Hm, I had a lot of coconut today huh? 

  

Not to be negative, but these were just okay.  I don't know if I didn't let them chill long enough, but the flavors were kind of splattered....and not in a good way.  Parts were really salty and parts were too lemony.  I probably wouldn't make them again, but maybe they'll be better tomorrow.  

Dinner:  Fettucine Squash Noodles with Cilantro Pesto

This was the only thing that really wasn't from Ani's book.  The zucchini isn't a new idea, and the pesto I just whipped up because I had a lot of cilantro I needed to use.  It was really yummy.  

For something different today, I am giving you a more detailed total nutrition breakdown for the day:  

Nutrition Information:  1982 Calories;  132g Total Fat;  25g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  2685mg Sodium;  170g Carbohydrates;  37g Fiber;  65g Protein;  66mg Iron;  28mg Calcium;  3262mg Potassium;  135ug Folate;  67ug Vitamin B12 

I'm also probably going to have a few strawberries before bed.   

This may seem like a lot, but its pretty much exactly what the calories I eat every day.  The fat is much higher, but I actually do pretty well on a high (good) fat diet.  My breakfast had 60g of fat, and it kept me full for hours.  I'm not saying I will do this every day, but I'm not feeling bad about it.  I do think that next time, I will try not to use quite so much coconut in one day!  

I going to try and do this once a week.  I felt like it took a lot of planning though.  It was kind of hard too.  The asparagus I bought yesterday was screaming "roast me, roast me!" every time I opened the fridge!  

So, I'd like to end this with some major props to people who eat primarily raw on a day to day basis.  I don't think I could do it!  I'm sure that sounds naive, like people who say "I could never be vegan, it would be too hard", but..oh well, I said it anyway.      

Tomorrow I'm going to turn on my oven again..yay!