Monthly Archives: August 2011

raspberry & vanilla ice cream sandwiches

Posted on by Hannah

So I’m almost, but not 100%, sure that I am moving…Friday. This is very good news, but it’s been a long awaited change that after four years is suddenly here. I literally just found out about the possibility of moving, a few days ago. So in one way I’m excited and relieved. In an other way I’m shocked and confused.

Nonetheless, I am moving. I am moving away from the county I grew up in, where everything is so familiar, and as hard as it’s been to live here at times, it feels like home. I am moving away from “convenience”. Living in a suburb of a large city comes with its perks and comforts. I’m moving away from the very little family I do have in the area.

However, with this move comes many blessings. I’m moving near several families that go to my church. I’m moving near to where my Dad works, so no more hour long drives! I’m moving to a small town (weird), where the library is considered vintage and everyone knows everyone (at least it seems that way). I’m moving to new possibilities and many many changes.

Although, this move is not what I was expecting, and I’m still unsure about so much of what is about to happen, it is an answer to prayers. I’m learning more and more how this life is just a blink, so to worry about little things, even where I live is of small importance compared to the vast plans of God.

Here are some verses that I keep tucked away in my heart as a reminder of how deep God’s love is in all circumstances at all times.

“Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail;
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

“Hope deffered makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34, but 25-34 is awesome read all together.)

I know, way long post, so I’ll get to the recipe right after this picture : )

Raspberry Ice Cream
2 c coconut milk fat
1/2 c raspberries
1/4 c raw honey
1/2 t vanilla extract

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2 c coconut milk fat
1/4 c raw honey
2 t vanilla extract
1 t ground poppy seeds (optional)

Chocolate Cookie
3 c sunflower seeds (soaked and dehydrated)
1/2 c almonds (soaked and dehydrated)
1/2 c cacao powder
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c raw honey
1 T vanilla extract
1 t Celtic Sea salt

For the ice cream, blend all ingredients, freeze in ice cube trays, and process in a food processor until creamy. That’s it!

For the cookie, grind sunflower seeds, almonds, and salt into a flour. I like to use a Blendtec on the Grain Grind setting. In a food processor, thoroughly combine all ingredients. I like to pour the flour in right after it’s ground, then add in the additional ingredients.

The last step is to roll the cookie dough out and cut into desired shapes. Pre ground buckwheat flour is a tremendous help when rolling out the cookie dough, and makes for an even perfectly-cut cookie. Before cutting the cookies out, place the rolled dough onto the dehydrator screen. Then using a cookie cutter or glass, cut the dough into desired shapes. Instead of separating the cookies from the remaining dough, just let it all dehydrate together. Dehydrate 48 hours on 105〫F. Then remove the excess cookie dough (and eat:) and freeze the cookies.

Once the cookies are hard, dollop some ice cream on one, top with another cookie, and freeze until hard…or if you like soft serve cookie sandwiches, enjoy immediately!

Warning: the smell of the dehydrating cookies may drive you to insanity. Double or triple recipe, just incase. In fact, the ice cream is enough for about 2 cookie batches, so make that a quadruple batch. Nibbling is bound to happen, so plan accordingly!

*Note* Coconut milk fat is from a can and therefore is not technically 100% raw. However, you can use young coconut meat, your own homemade coconut milk by juicing old coconut meat, or you can use coconut butter and water.

[See here for tips and alternatives.]

Next week: red cabbage sauerkraut & pickles.

cucumber orange juice

Posted on by Hannah

It’s good to take breaks. I’m currently on a long facebook break, I’m technically on a summer break, and just a few weeks ago I took a solid food break. I will be honest about this raw food thing…it’s not perfect in every situation all the time. When I first embarked on this raw food journey I was way too rigid. It was all or nothing. However, food is for nourishment, so what we eat should nourish our body. Everyone is different, so that nourishment can come in various forms, raw and not raw.

My goal for what I called a feasting fast, was to let my digestive system rest without depriving myself. With the tremendous help of superfoods I was able to feel completely satisfied while only drinking liquids for ten days. I felt incredible!

Along with a jam packed superfood smoothie, lemonade, and fermented pickle water (haha…actually I’m serious), I made juice. A garden overflowing with cucumbers is the perfect opportunity for juicing. We like to juice those few (er tons) cucumbers that get a tad too big for eating. Some of my favorite juice combinations are a water dense vegetable with citrus. Since valencia oranges are in season during the summer they make the perfect match for our overgrown cucumbers. So simple, so refreshing!

Next week: raspberry and vanilla ice cream sandwiches.

nut/seed soaking & Irish moss gel

Posted on by Hannah

Although, not too exciting, before I go any further, I must share some raw food basics. Not that I’ll cover everything in this post, but I want to explain some necessities that simplify raw food preparation.

The purpose of soaking nuts/seeds is to remove enzyme inhibitors, which hinder their digestion. I’ve mentioned in previous posts how important it is to soak and dehydrate nuts/seeds along the way rather than right before preparing a recipe. Regardless of what I plan for a particular week, when I get back from grocery shopping, I start soaking things that very night. In my home this commonly consists of sunflower seeds, almonds, buckwheat groats, and oat groats. There are no set rules, but I cannot encourage you enough to get in the habit of soaking and dehydrating nuts and seeds on a regular basis. Raw food recipes can seem like too much work if you notice a recipe that calls for 2 cups almonds which need to soak for 8 hours! If things are pre soaked and dehydrated, you can spontaneously make peach cobbler in 5 minutes. I’m not kidding.

To keep it simple, I generally soak everything overnight. However, each nut/seed is different. Some are all set with only a couple of soaking hours, while others need a couple of days. I will specify in my recipes if I don’t soak something overnight. If you are really set on knowing exact times, there are many guides online that tell how long each nut, seed, grain, and bean needs to soak for.

I used to be so overwhelmed by all the raw food you could order online, and with the price and hassle of ordering, I just didn’t. However, eager to get that tiramisu consistency in the desserts I was making, I eventually ordered Irish moss and have been buying it ever since. Irish moss is a sea vegetable, which means it contains loads of minerals that we can’t get  from food grown in mineral depleted soil.

Soak dry Irish moss 12-24 hours in a glass jar. It does “grow”, so loosely fill a 1 quart mason jar and top the jar off with local spring water. After soaking, gently rinse the moss in cool water to remove sand and other ocean “stuff”. Toss the moss (hehe) into a high speed blender with 2-3x as much water and thoroughly blend. The result is a creamy jelly, and refrigerated it will become a firm gel. I use Irish moss gel in many of my recipes, including bread, so it’s pretty important in my opinion. If you need more direction, watch this how-to video.

Next week: Raspberry and Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches.

pesto alfredo kelp noodles

Posted on by Hannah

Have I mentioned how I love the outdoors? I think I have : ) but let me tell you again, I LOVE being outside! I am so grateful that, although not in my backyard, I have access to beautiful state parks where I can breath in the beauty of an unparalleled artform. The past four years I have lived in a tiny dark apartment in a part of town that continues to develop…and develop. Simply put, I don’t get out much, but I have this unquenchable need to be active in the midst of God’s beautiful creation. Man is meant to enjoy creation as a means to worship God. (I don’t know about you, but gazing up at a mountain or out to sea, makes me feel pretty small!) Being removed from nature is unnatural! So in an effort to get out, my sister and I were able to drive to a state park this past weekend and hike. It was so refreshing, peaceful, and made me even more eager to explore.

Beyond the health benefits and the pure fun of raw food, there is a similar amazement I have with pure food as I do with the outdoors. Seeing the beauty of a vine ripened tomatoes or a freshly cracked coconut is a beautiful sight! I want to always keep in mind these little things and praise God for the beauty of His creation. For me, raw food goes beyond being “healthy”. It is a reminder of how perfect God’s ways are above man’s.

Alright, alright, I guess I should mention pesto alfredo somewhere in this post : ) I was so blessed to receive a sample of organic hemp seeds from the friendly people at Manitoba Harvest! Hemp is a superfood that makes the list among goji berries and cacao, so you know it’s powerful stuff! A great source of protein and healthy fats, hemp seeds are a staple to many of my favorite recipes. For this recipe, the strong, rich, and nutty flavor of Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds was the perfect ingredient for a pesto alfredo.

Pesto Alfredo 
2 c Manitoba Harvest organic hemp seeds
1 c extra virgin olive oil
2-4 garlic cloves
juice from 2 lemons
basil to taste
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Thoroughly blend all ingredients and refrigerate until ready for use.

I soaked kelp noodles overnight (not necessary, but at least rinse before eating), which were a spot on companion to the pesto alfredo sauce. Let the noodles marinate in the sauce for about 30 minutes, or until the noodles are to your desired consistency. They will get softer the longer they marinate.

Next Week: Soaking nuts and seeds, and how to make Irish moss gel.

spicy cheese kale chips

Posted on by Hannah

Just a week away from my normal routine and I’m a mess! Not really, but why is it so hard to get back on track? Prior to my family’s little getaway to Wisconsin, I had the pizza photos edited. The plan was to have the post ready before the trip, so all I had to do was post it on Wednesday. Well…I learned a long time ago not to freak out when things don’t go according to plan. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

On top of that, I decided the pizza post didn’t do pizza justice. Pizza is a touchy subject. It’s like burgers. People, especially Americans, like their pizza and burgers…the traditional *very unhealthy* way.  As a whole, the health food community, looks really bad to non health foodies. Rubber and cardboard tend to be the imagery commonly associated with things like meatless burgers and healthy cereal. That’s part of the reason I started this blog. I want to showcase beautiful food that provides the highest levels of nutrition and flavors that would make anyone give health food a second chance. I only wish I could serve the food to you in person!

The pizza recipe will eventually come, but I want to only present the very best. For now, I want to share one of my family’s favorite snacks (or meals:). Kale chips look gnarly and, yes, they are green, but one little taste and you can’t stop eating these. For this particular recipe, the only thing holding you back from eating the entire dehydrator full would be the spice. These are HOT! If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, just skip the cayenne and lighten up on the garlic.

When I create a recipe, I write everything down and tweak the ingredient amounts with each attempt until I get the results I’m looking for. In the case of kale chips I have never made a recipe with precise mesurements. I don’t think it’s necessary, and unlike most raw food recipes I’ll share, you can’t really mess up when making kale chips. I’ll give you estimates, but feel free to experiment!

Spicy Cheese
4 c. sunflower seeds (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 c. wheat free tamari (or to taste)
1/2 c. olive oil
fresh garlic to taste
water
cayenne pepper (optional but highly recommended)

Grind sunflower seeds to a flour. In a food processor combine all ingredients except for cayenne . Add water as needed to reach a thick batter like consistency.

This amount of sauce is enough for at least two bunches of kale. I can’t tell you the exact amount, because I didn’t weigh it! After rinsing the kale and removing the spine (too tough to eat dehydrated), it loosely filled a very large mixing bowl. Like I said, you can’t mess this up.

Massage the sauce into the kale, spread onto dehydrator trays, sprinkle on desired amount of cayenne, and dehydrate on 105〫F until crunchy. In my home, these barely make it out of the dehydrator and are often nibbled on before they’re done : )


Sometimes I have extra cheese sauce, so I spread it over a Paraflexx sheet and dehydrate right along with the kale chips. Once the top is dry, flip, remove Paraflexx, and continue dehydrating…or enjoy soft!

Next Week: Pesto Alfredo.