fig bars & cinnamon milk

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Hannah

My schedule has been just a tad bit overwhelming lately, so my apologies on the tardy post. This quote is good to keep in mind during times like this:

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
Corrie Ten Boom

Fig Bars
2 c oat groats (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c golden flax seeds
1/2 c psyllium husks
1/2 t Celtic Sea salt

wet ingredients:
1 c water
1/2 c coconut nectar (or honey)
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c Irish moss gel

filling:
4 c black mission figs (about 22 figs)
1/4 c coconut nectar (optional/or honey)
1/4 t Celtic Sea salt

Grind dry ingredients into a flour. Blend wet ingredients. In a food processor, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients until doughy. Using buckwheat flour, roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut/divide dough in half. Process filling. Spread filling on to half of the cookie dough. Dehydrate both halves of cookie dough for 8-10 hours at 105〫F. Place the plain cookie on the the cookie half with filling. Cut into bars and continue dehydrating for a few hours or until ready : )

The cinnamon milk is a quick drink that I like to make, especially if in a hurry. There are no measurements and the spices can vary.

Cinnamon Milk
coconut milk
water
stevia extract
vanilla extract
cinnamon

No blending required. Just shake in a mason jar and enjoy!

Watch this ☛ 180 Movie. Then share with as many people as possible.

Next week: hearty autumn bread loaves.

mozzarella & sun-dried tomato pizza

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Hannah

I used to struggle with extreme fatigue, so when I learned about all the benefits of eating enzym rich foods, it just made sense to “go raw”. After only a few days of eating raw, I noticed a tremendous improvement in my energy levels and there was no turning back. There are small and life saving benefits to eating raw, but one often mentioned by long time raw foodies is vibrant flawless skin.

I am still waiting on that one.

It has not always been a problem, but lately my skin has been taking quite the beating. I know it is linked to stress and some digestive issues I still have to work on, but it has been teaching me something. Humility. I have generally always had nice skin. When I first went raw I had the typical detox break out, and later during The Master Cleanse, but as a whole it has not been a problem. I took that for granted, especially since my face is what people see the most! It may sound strange, but I am actually learning to “count it all joy” (James 1:2a).

A few weeks ago I started reading through the Bible in chronological order, and just this morning I finished up the book of Job. What a man! Ashamedly, there were a few times I was a tad too dramatic thinking that my face was ruined forever, but while reading Job it seemed like a minor ailment. Job’s life, his family, his estate, and his health were stripped away from him yet he remained faithful to God, and in the last chapter God restores Job’s life twofold . When life seems hopeless there is only one hope that can be found in Jesus! I desire to have a heart so fixed on Jesus that the occasional physical flaw goes unnoticed, even if not by others.

If you have never read Job…what are you waiting for?! Then comeback and learn how to make raw pizza : )

Our garden is still producing an abundance of tomatoes, so I have tried to keep up by drying them in the dehydrator. If you have neither, store bought will do.

Tomato Sauce
4 c sun dried tomatoes
3/4 c water
1/2 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 T basil
1 T oregano
1/2 t Celtic Sea salt
juice of 1/2 a lemon

In a food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. This is a very rich and thick sauce. If it seems too thick, continue to add small amounts of water until the consistency is just right.

Pizza Crust
dry ingredients:
3 c buckwheat groats (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c psyllium husks
1 t Celtic Sea salt
wet ingredients:
2 c water
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c Irish moss gel
1 T honey
juice from 1 lemon

Grind buckwheat groats, psyllium, and salt into flour. Blend all wet ingredients. In a food processor, slowly pour wet ingredients into flour. Process until doughy. Using buckwheat flour, roll out dough just like you would any other pizza dough. Shape and dehydrate at 105〫F for 24 hours.

Last, but not least, the cheese. This can be a bit tricky if you are not used to it, but it is worth all the effort!

Mozzarella
1 c young coconut meat (from 2 coconuts)
1 c cashews
1/2 c Irish moss
1 t salt
1/2 t probiotics (I used Body Ecology Kefir starter)
juice from 1/2 a lemon

Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Place a cheese cloth or flour sack cloth in a strainer and rest over a deep bowl. Make sure the bottom of the strainer does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Pour blended ingredients into cloth and twist tightly to cover. Let sit in a warm place (I rested it on the dehydrator) for about 24 hours. The result is a soft tangy “cheese”. I divided the cheese into fourths, rolled into balls, and cut into slices for the pizza. You can also just drop teaspoons to cover the pizza.

Toss any of your favorite veggies with olive oil and salt and let marinate for about one half hour.

Next week: fig bars and cinnamon milk.

peach cobbler

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Hannah

What am I thankful for this week? Hmmm…so much. I want to make a habit of giving God the glory for everything, however small it may seem. This week I finally got on a healthy schedule. I am a terribly habitual night owl, but when I get on a regular early to bed early to rise schedule I feel better, have more energy, and get more done. A recent change in my routine simply will not allow for fatigue, so praise the Lord for the discipline it takes to break a night owl’s habit.

In some of my past posts I have mentioned how incredibly easy it is to throw together a cobbler. As summer officially ends next week (not too happy about that) I decided to close the season with a traditional based peach cobbler recipe. The topping can be used on any fruit or can be eaten on its own.

Keeping a high raw and whole foods lifestyle can seem overwhelming, but with recipes as simple as this one, it does not have to be. If you have presoaked and dehydrated oat groats on hand then you are all set.

Cobbler Topping
1 c oat groats
1 c golden flax
1/4 c olive oil*
1/4 c honey
1/4 t Celtic Sea salt

Grind the oat groats, flax seeds, and salt (I use course ground salt) into a flour. In a mixing bowl combine flour, olive oil, and honey until crumbly.

Cut fresh peaches into cubes, top with cobbler crumble, and enjoy. To take this one step further up the delicious scale add vanilla ice cream. Oh so yum!

Next week: mozzarella and sun-dried tomato pizza.

*If you do not care for olive oil use coconut oil. Although olive oil seems to have a strong flavor it is surprisingly awesome in this recipe and not strong at all. Be sure to always use organic extra virgin cold pressed olive oil in a dark bottle. I’ll explain why in a future post :)

tahini zucchini

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Hannah

I thought I would post twice this week, because I still have some summer-like recipes that woudn’t be seasonal to post in a few weeks. Sometimes I make an unplanned recipe and decide to photograph it as well. This would be one of those.

Tahini is a rich and strong flavored seed butter, which is very simple to make but takes some time in the food processor. Just let it run, rest so not to overheat, run some more, rest, and so on. It’s worth all the wait though! I especially love using it in hummus, but I’ve seen many recipes that use tahini in salad dressing. Raw and organic tahini is SO expensive, so making it yourself is again another plus. Raw organic sesame seeds are much less expensive : )

Tahini Zucchini
2 c cucumber (cubed)
1/2 c tahini
1/2 c water
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c dried chives
1/4 c wheat free tamari or nama shoyu
2 T honey
3 garlic cloves

The tahini dressing is kind of a hodge podge of ingredients, so feel free to mix in other ingredients or leave some out. It was kind of an experiment recipe using the tahini. I simply blended all ingredients, poured over, finely sliced zucchini, and topped with yellow tomatoes.

Next week: peach cobbler.

red cabbage sauerkraut & pickles

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Hannah

What a week. My family and I looked at a house last Tuesday and moved Friday. It still doesn’t feel real, but I’m starting to think of our new house as home. We lived in a tiny, dark, cave-like (not kidding) apartment for much too long. Although there were times where I thought nothing could be more miserable than living in such “uncomfortable” conditions, I learned a lot. I think I’ll look back on those four years and two months as some of the richest times of growth in my faith.

With the new house I have much to be thankful for. God is very good, and although no earthly possession or circumstance determines where my hope lies, the blessing of a real house is huge. My sister and I have great visions of hospitality to both church friends and those in need.

As my family and I transition to our new home, I want to use the space as a tool to glorify God. I know that no earthly thing can satisfy, so even with the excitement of living somewhere bigger I know that Christ Crucified is all that matters

“Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:20-22)

On top of the extended elbow room for hospitality, there is a far more functional kitchen. I have yet to make a recipe in the new kitchen, but I’m eager to get to work! Which brings me to this week’s recipe.

Fermenting is oh so good for you and with my new found love for red cabbage sauerkraut, I’m finding it very easy to eat everyday. I’ve tried all kinds of fermenting like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and water keifer. I like them all, but lately I MUST have red cabbage sauerkraut. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about the red cabbage that tastes so much better than the green cabbage.

I won’t go into all the nit picky details of fermenting, because there are already endless resources to learn all you could ever want to know about fermenting. Sandor Katz, The Raw Food World, and Daniel Vitalis all have great YouTube videos about fermenting. I’ve found that the process can be over complicated not because it needs to be, but fermenting foods have to have just the right conditions to turn out well. In my opinion, keep it simple and then make changes if things don’t turn out.

Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
1 head red cabbage
1 T Celtic Sea salt

I literally shred the cabbage in a food processor, mix about a tablespoon of salt with the cabbage, press firmly into canning jars, and let sit for seven days. Done and done.

The finished product☟

Pickles
cucumbers
2 c water
1 T Celtic Sea salt

In a pitcher I make a brine of two cups water to one tablespoon salt. With an abundance of cucumbers I multiply that as many times as I need to cover all the cucumbers. Slice the cucumber into preferred shape, or if they are small enough you can leave whole, then pack tightly into a canning jar. It’s important that the cucumbers are completely covered with brine. In the case of floating cucumbers (common with chips) use a small bowl or clean rock as a weight to keep the cucumbers underwater. As with the sauerkraut, seven days of sitting and you’ve got raw fermented (and so much yummier than canned) pickles!