5 Favorite Vegan Thanksgiving / Holiday Recipes | Katie Reines, MS, RD.

Ahhh Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. Take the stress away and leave nothing but joy to saturate your friends and family. Which is really what Thanks. Giving. is all about, isn’t it?  Sometimes, these family occasions can be looked at as a burden.  I invite you to challenge that.  Let’s put in an effort out of love. It is worth it.  And maybe even take it to the next level- provide your family a truly compassionate dish option 😛

1. Apple Pie

This is the gourmet recipe from the incredible healing cafe, Organic Garden Cafe in Beverly, MA where I’ve been working at seasonally since high school. Jacob Massey is an amazing raw vegan pastry chef. This pie: UNREAL. You have to believe me, seriously you must try it <3. I’m obsessed. Maybe its the already delicious food it’s made out of. Or maybe it’s all the joy he puts into his work. I’d say both. Anyone who has it tastes and feels the incredible-ness.

Makes 6 Pies:

Crust:

• 10 cups walnuts
• 7 1/2 cups pitted moist dates or coconut date rolls
• 2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 2 1/4 Tbsp coconut oil

1. Line spring form pans with parchment paper
2. Pulse and blend in food processor until well combined and a little chunky, not too smooth
3. Distribute crust evenly into pans and press to smooth

Filling:

• 10 quarts chopped into 1/2 inch cubes apples
• 4 cups soaked dried apricots
• 2 cups soaked raisins
• 3/4 cup psyllium
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger (not peeled but washed)
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 2 tsp salt

1. Blend soaked fruit, psyllium, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in food processor until smooth
2. Combine with chopped apple and mix well. The juices from the apple will release and the dried fruit mixture will distribute nicely
3. Distribute filling evenly on crusts and press to smooth

Crumble:

• 8 cups walnuts
• 1/4 tsp clove
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp coconut palm sugar

1. Pulse in food processor until well combined and forms a nice crumble texture, not too smooth like butter
2. Distribute crumble over pie fillings evenly and smooth gently
3. Freeze pies overnight and thaw in the refrigerator. Freezing and thawing gives the apples a delicious cooked texture and releases all the wonderful juices.
4. Try your best to share with someone 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!

2. Holiday Kale Salad

Inspired by the Quinoa Medley (#4 below). Use whatever herbs you like and have so much fun! This dish has wowed so many people and honestly, you can’t go wrong. A sweet tangy dressing, epic freshness and beautiful colors with the pompom. Mmm mmm!

• 1-2 bunches of kale
• 2 pomegranates
• 1 bunch green onion (half chopped half blended)
• 1 large bunch dill (half chopped half blended)
• 1 bunch mint (half chopped half blended)
• 2 Tbs tahini (I used 2 Tbs hemp seeds)
• 2 cups currents or raisins (I didn’t use raisins at the demo)
• ½ cup pure lime juice
• ½ cup orange juice
• 4 dates
• 2 cups walnuts

1. Wash, de-stem, and schiffinade kale
2. Chop using either a food processor S blade, or a knife and cutting board, half of the bunches of scallion, dill, and mint
3. Deseed pomegranates (with a large spoon, banging on the outside of 1/2 of the fruit so the seeds just fall into your palm)
4. chop walnuts
5. Blend juice, dates, and the other half of the bunches of green onion, dill, and mint
6. Massage dressing into kale thoroughly with gloved or very very clean hands
7. Using tongs, mix in nuts and pomegranate seeds
8. Serve chilled

3. FullyRaw Pumpkin Pie

I made this pie many times in Indiana where little local persimmons are all over the place.  There were two local persimmon trees at Purdue where I would frequently sit under, wait for the wind to blow, and eat all of the fruit that fell to the ground! The samples I made in the video below could not have gotten better reviews.  It is amazing how people think healthy food won’t taste redonk. And when it does, the light in their eyes! Priceless.

FullyRaw Kristina’s Pumpkin Pie:

Crust

• ~1 lb dates
• 1.5-2 cups pecans
• 1-2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Pie Filling

• 2-3 cups pie pumpkin
• ~2 lbs dates
• Ginger, thimble sized piece
• ~168grams persimmon pulp
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Crust

1. Using food processor S blade, put pecans in first, then dates and cinnamon, and pulse and blend until desired crust texture
2. Take out the blade
3. Press all around pie crust

Pie Filling

1. Put pumpkin chunks and then dates, persimmon, cinnamon, ginger, and spice in vitamix, or food processor S blade
2. Blend until completely smooth
3. Rubber spatula into pie crust
4. Freeze to set (about 2 hours)

4. Quinoa Medley

I’m actually obsessed with Chef AJ and The Plant Based Dietitian, Julieanna Hever.  I got to meet Chef AJ at Chicage Vegan Mania when I went with the club that I helped to create, “Be Veg at Purdue”. She made this quinoa medley at her demo and everyone was like. HOMINA. No oil? No salt?? So much flavor?!! Howw does she do it. A must make dish for every occasion.  Both Chef AJ and Julieanna Hever have the best recipes.  Definitely check them out!

Time: 25 minutes. You will need: large pot, knife, cutting board, large bowl, large spoon, measuring cups. Serves: ~20. (½ cup servings)

Ingredients:

• 16 oz dry quinoa (about 2 ½ cups)
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 bunch scallion
• ½ bunch cilantro
• ½ bunch parsley
• ½ – ¾ cup lime juice (about 8 limes)

Steps:

1. Rinse quinoa and then bring to a boil in 5 cups of water. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. (cook to manufacture’s instructions on box)
2. Allow quinoa to cool. Chop herbs using a food processor S blade, or by hand. Juice limes.
3. Combine ingredients in large bowl. Serve chilled. Keeps well for about a week in the fridge.

5. Butternut Squash Brussel Sprout Stuffing

My roommate in Texas made this twice for a project and guess who ate it all.  GUILTY (well, you know, ate most of it). It is so amazing! Food52 is a great resource for reliably bomb vegan recipes.

I hope this helps you to bring something healthy and delicious to your table. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!

 

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Vegan Brunch: True Bistro with STEPH’S PLATE + Why Try A Vegan Restaurant?

First of all, I am so honored to have met Steph from Steph’s Plate! She is such a doll you must watch her videos and get inspired on IG.  Secondly, True Bistro is one of the most classy vegan restaurants I have ever been to.  It is definitely swanky enough for impressing a date, yet not intimidatingly so.  Their lunch menu offers brunch options of waffles, crepes, tofu scrambles, as well as classic sandwiches with burgers, salads, and they feature incredible sweets like local FoMu ice cream and fresh cinnamon buns.

 

Steph ordered the crepes with FoMu lavender ice cream and blueberry compote, I went for the more savory mushroom and red pepper tofu scramble with fresh home fries, salad, and a side of their smokey mac and cheese.  Steph’s crepes were incredible.  They didn’t, you know, “taste vegan” at all!  It was so good, like an incredible dessert to me!  My scramble had such a refined savory flavor profile, I was really impressed.  It didn’t taste like eggs necessarily but the combo of herbs and veggies were brilliant- so delicious.  The mac and cheese I actually got to take home for my sister (the cheese lover). It had a LOT of smokey flavor, almost sausage-y.  Anyone who enjoys those smokey tones would adore it.  Can’t wait to try the waffles and I must go for dinner!

 

4 Reasons: Try A Vegan Restaurant:

1. Plant Foods In Your Diet

A whole foods plant based diet has been shown to be the most effective at preventing and reversing disease. According to the USDA’s Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines:

2. Environmental Impact

It is without a doubt that eating more plant based meals is more sustainable for the long term and environmentally friendly. As described in the USDA’s Scientific Report, and watch Dr. Michael Gregor’s Video:

3. Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer

Saturated fat and cholesterol are well known for their association with causing the leading causes of death: heart disease and cancer.  Fortunately, plant based diets high in whole foods with fiber containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

4. Get Inspired

Once you find out how delicious plant foods can really be, you are much more likely to want to get in the kitchen and start cooking!  Keep trying more restaurants and dishes, and before you know it, every meal will be whole foods, plant based, and simply divine.

 

History in the Making: Dietitians of South Texas Tour Their New 100% Organic Grocery Store

In a city of McDonalds, Whataburger, Wal-Mart, obesity and diabetes, a world saving beacon of health and sustainability opens; fully equipped with the highest quality produce/products, demonstration kitchen, vitamins/herbs/supplements, beauty products, books, and, it’s love!

Natural Grocers 100% Organic Grocery Opens March 15, 2016

Today, I had the opportunity to get a tour of the store with the Corpus Christi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics group lead by the wonderful dietitian there, Kelsey. I was extremely impressed by this tour. A grocery store tour to dietitians? Please, as if they could learn anything more, but we all did! Like how Kelsey pointed out that the hemp seeds, walnuts, and other unstable fats are kept in the refrigerated section (polyunsaturated fats become rancid very easily, creating free radicals, so they must be kept cool). I have learned this previously but I have never seen a grocery store actually put their nuts and seeds in the refrigerator!

The sign above us says, “100% organic produce,” yes, I am the obnoxious intern that made everybody get in front of the produce section and asked the cashier to take our picture 🙂

The Tour~

Kristen gave us all a LONG list of things that Natural Grocers will NOT carry.  Including ingredients that I am quite familiar with like GMOs (genetically modified organisms), hydrogenated oils (trans fats), bleached flours, parabens (mimic estrogen and cause reproductive disorders), dairy products from cows given rBGH (recombinant  Bovine Growth Hormone), artificial sweeteners (all of them), and artificial colors and flavors, as well as so many that I have seen before but even I (a nutrition nerd grad student studying nutrition) have seen but no clue what they are!

Ingredients like DBP (dibutyl phthalate) which is a fragrance ingredient, plasticizer, and solvent that is a reproductive and developmental toxin, endocrine disruptor, and a known human respiratory toxin.  Also, BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are preservatives that have been shown to be carcinogenic and cause allergic reactions in humans.  I could go on..This place doesn’t even carry chemical based sunscreens or antibacterial soaps! Amen!

A few more reasons why I’m in love with this place:

• No bags, you have to bring your own! (or they use a cardboard box)
• GF (gluten free) items are all marked clearly next to price on shelf
• Local is emphasized and marked clearly with a Texas flag on shelf
• Lots of cheap “Health Hotline” sale items
• Bulk specialty items from mulberries and goji berries to raw buckwheat groats
• WIDE variety of vegan items
• Reverse osmosis water filter, only $0.25 to refill a gallon
• Nutrition experts- these people know their stuff!
• To reduce waste and cut cost of items: no deli/freshly prepared items (ever wonder where all the fresh baked goods from Whole Foods goes at the end of the day? Yup, in the trash #wasteful. !
• No self serve bulk bins but still has large packages of items in bulk – reduces contamination and food waste
• Huge wall of shelves with high quality nutritional reference and cookbooks

They even have cool events like this Saturday they have a gluten free tasting expo and health fair! Aw chocolate avocado pie food demo, and “How to live an alkaline lifestyle” is on Monday April 11th. Check out their website for more info on events.

A little bit about my internship…

I can’t believe it, I completed my food service and community rotations last semester and am now half way through my clinical rotation! Eeek! As a snob from the Boston area who  works at a raw vegan cafe called “Organic Garden Cafe” back home, I was nervous that I wouldn’t get to learn new innovations of nutrition while working as an intern in a program that emphasizes the low income communities of South Texas.

I could not be more pleasantly surprised and excited about my feelings towards this internship right now.  It brings me such joy and power to have worked with the people of this community. Diabetics who do not know what a carbohydrate is, teen mom’s going out for a cigarette, and people who are truly afraid to lose weight because they have (and their family and friends) have always been big, so if they lost weight, what would they think!? Many of these people do not want to change, and even if they did, where to even start? As my sister, the writer, put it, “You need to learn the script before you can re-write a new one.”

My clinical preceptor now, Shannon Aguilar, has helped me to not only be a much more confident clinical dietitian, but to take it a step further, too.  It is one thing to study nutrition, it is quite another to actually care enough to reflect on our own lives and practice what we preach.  My preceptor, Mrs. Aguilar, is more than a dietitian, she is also a health coach, and helped me to see how important it is to learn who our audience is before we try to help.

Seeing a grocery store like this open in Boston or Vermont would have been a, yawn. Another natural grocery? But, HERE! I get to see history in the making. These people having access to this kind of world saving expertise is dream come true for me.

There is something really cool about the idea of helping people who really need it AND want it. I could talk coconut oil and kale to the organic junkies back home all day every day, but that doesn’t reverse our obesity epidemic now does it? I may have thought that my second round match was a mistake, but actually, it was the best eye-opening and invigorating experience.  To be able to explain what a carbohydrate is to someone who has no clue? Check. Next: to reverse their disease through diet and lifestyle! No matter where I end up, I hope to make a positive impact and continue to be pleasantly surprised by all that I learn from the experience.

Strawberry Cookie Dough Pudding, Inspiration, and High On Life Salad

I’ve learned a LOT about nutrition and fitness, everyday becoming more and more confident in this amazing raw vegan lifestyle.  These past few days I have eaten 100% raw, very low fat, and I have MORE ENERGY THAN I KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH!!

As if springing out of bed before your alarm goes off, or running a mile just because theres a jumping bean inside you that needs to be released weren’t enough.. the clear glowing eyes, silky smooth skin, and superhero S shaped shits are definitely worth learning more about this lifestyle.  I recommend high carb FO SHO!! BUT: I would like to point out that I work out a pretty decent amount, and we can’t all survive 40 days on eating nothing but bananas and dates like Freelee.  Going from scrawny to strong takes a little increase in protein intake- maintenance of muscle mass does not require any increase in protein.  I have been craving the dark leafy greens and goji berries, especially after my workout-pro, stud friend Davis got me to up the weight on the squat rack!  This bowl of beauty hit the spoooooot!  The holistic health counselor that I seasonally assist, Christine Lucas, explained at one of her classes that sprouts are the most nutrient dense foods on land- SO many available amino acids!  In high school, I used to sprout oat groats, and various other grains instead of cooked oatmeal.  These sprouted little wheat berries are so divine blended with fruit like this!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

• over a cup of sprouted soft wheat berries
• about 7 whole strawberries (with greens on! yaay extra greens! 😀 )
• less than a teaspoon of chia seeds ( with the mass amount of fruit in my smoothies I ran into a little candida issues putting tablespoons of hemp and chia in there as well- be wary mixing fats with fruit and high sugar foods- it keeps the insulin from clearing from the blood causing issues! )
• about 2 tablespoons of goji berries

Blend everything except goji berries until smooth! Swirl in the goji! Super easy! Enjoy!

 

I have been experimenting with raw veganism for about over 3 years now, and have had quite a rough time, mostly because of social settings, general stigmas, and contrasting beliefs.  I have been lucky enough to have had a senior in dietetics, Tressa Massaro reawaken the confidence in me.  Tressa knows the facts.  The credible information behind it all to be 100% sure!  When I first met her she told me how amazing it was to discover in lab how much protein there was in kale!  I am so glad she re-inspired me!  FULLY RAW FO LIFE!!  This lifestyle can not only prevent but REVERSE sooo mannyy diseases.  It’s unreal.  BUT IT IS REAL.  BELIEVE IT.

She gave a RAWESOME food demo at the pole fitness place she goes to in Merrillville, IN.  My fantastically spontaneous and adventurous friend Davis went with me to it and we ended up having such a wonderful evening!  Tressa’s family owns a beautiful store, “Produce Depot”.  We got a ton of fresh organic ❤ produce and made dinner at her house!  We also had fresh juices and immune shooters (ginger shots) from the depot!  This is what we made:

High On Life Salad:

 

• 4 bunches of dinosaur kale (chiffinade)
• about 5 carrots (potato peeled)
• 1 zucchini (potato peeled)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced thin/ chopped)
• chunks of pineapple
• raisins
• goji berries

Drizzled with all this blended until smooth in a high speed blender:

• 3 oranges
• about 10 pitted dates
• juice of one lemon
• a couple of handfulls of fresh mint leaves (to taste)
• about 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger (to taste)
• 1 champagne mango
• 2 tomatoes

Even Tressa’s family and Davis enjoyed this!  SO MUCH LIFE FORCE ENERGY! We were high on life after all this amazing food.  I even got a text from Davis that night after he dropped me off at home, “I feel awesome right now”.  There is no question about it- eating healthy makes a huge difference!  Let’s see you give it a go! xoxo !!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Deep Dish Mexican Inspiration Pizza

Deep Dish Mexican Inspiration Pizza and Guacamole! The crust, so flakey, light, and crisp!  Absolutely delishh with a nice bite of warm refried beans and soy cheeze with cooling, crunchy, flavor-filled veggies!!

Thank you, Jesse Fabrikant.

Jesse has infinite passion and excitement.  He wants nothing more than to share his zest for life- inspiring others.  Such a positive light to be around, Jewish Jesse made a beautiful Shabbat dinner for his friends and I.  Jesse, the rock-climbing vegetarian, views fears as opportunities. “The more something scares you, the better the opportunity.”

I connected with Jesse in so many ways!  He reminded me so much of myself in his mission to find and pursue his purpose on this planet.  He, too wants to be the best, happiest, and most passionate version of himself.

(No, there is no pot growing in that hydroponic! Lots of yummy herbs though! 🙂 )

After being on our parents’ path for so long (high school, college…) it is time for us to listen to our hearts, and follow our own paths.  What that might be, it is up to us. Let it be challenging, scary, and let everyday be the f&^%ing best day you could ever imagine.  It can happen…  It is happening right now 🙂  You can get inspired by Jesse by visiting his brand new website at www.themoderncitizen.wordpress.com.  He climbs, and composts 😀

For the pizza!?! :

The Dough:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 Tbs vegetable oil (or substitute with apple sauce)
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• 1 Tbs white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/ 45 degrees C)

1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.  Mix in oil and warm water.
2. Spread out on a greased and floured deep dish pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes, or until just golden perfection 🙂

The Toppings:

Up to you!! This is what we did:

• Refried beans spread out on the bottom
• shredded daiya cheese (then put back in the oven for a minute to melt the cheese a little)
• organic frozen corn, thawed
• diced tomato
• diced bell pepper
• cilantro, chopped
• guacamole (on the side to dip the crust in, or to dollop on top 😛 NOM!
• eat mindfully! Shabbot Shalom!

Guacamole:

• 3 avocados
• 1 lime, squeezed for juice
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

1. Mash avocados with lime juice to form a smooth consistency
2. Fold in the tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno
3. Mix well and be merry! Mmmm Mmm MMMMMmmm!

Yoga Flow With Me!

Yoga stretches the body, mind, and spirit

Guess who’s teaching Yoga Flow at the CoRec on Saturday Mornings!!

Me! Saturday mornings from 10-10:50am I’ll be teaching a series of 22 yoga flow level one classes! This series is usually $77.00 but I’ll be teaching it for only $38.50 for all 22 classes!! This is an amazing deal!

■■ Registration Opens January 13 ■■ Registration Closes February 3 ■■ How to Register You can register online at http://www.purdue.edu/recsports, by calling 765.494.3110, or by visiting the Purdue Rec Sports Member Services Desk in the CoRec.

In the meantime, I just did this yoga flow to this Michael Franti playlist  :)! Give it a try!  My class will be similar, with more inspiration and quotes and mindfulness ❤ and by the end of the 22 classes, you’ll be able to do all kinds of poses! Gradually building your strength and flexibility!  I also am teaching Dance Mania at 8:30pm on Wednesday nights and Zumba Gold at 8:30am on Wednesday mornings!  Hope to see you there!

For yoga:

■■ Wait List: Classes fill up fast and class capacities cannot be exceeded. Once a class is full, you will be placed on a waitlist. We will contact individuals on the waitlist, in the order they signed up. Once contacted, individuals will have 24 hours to pay the class registration fee before the next individual on the waitlist is contacted.CLASS DATES

■■ Classes Begin January 27 ■■ Classes End April 20 ■■ No Classes Spring Break, March 15–23 ■■ Make-Up Week April 21–27 ■■ Make-Up Class Week

Happy Birthday Sunspot!!!

What a fun event at Sunspot Natural Market yesterday!!

Reiki!

Navitas Naturals!

Raffles and Goodies!!

Bee Hive!!

Organic cake!! Frosting dyed with spirulina and tumeric!!!

My raw vegan station!!! 😀

Spreading love, health and happiness with FullyRaw  Kristina’s Pumpkin Pie and talking about my:

RAW VEGAN THANKSGIVING DEMONSTRATION! 

NOVEMBER 6, 2013

7-8 PM PURDUE’S NEW CORDOVA RECREATIONAL CENTER DEMO KITCHEN

TO REGISTER:

GO TO MEMBER SERVICES DESK OR CALL THE COREC AT 765-494-3109!!

FullyRaw Pumpkin Pie

• 2-3 cups raw pie pumpkin, cubed
• about 3lbs dates
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• top of pinkey sized piece of fresh ginger, or ginger powder
• 1.5 – 2 cups pecans
• 168g ripe local organic hoosier! persimmon pulp (or 1 ripe thai persimmon) (168 g is the equivalent to the weight of 1 thai persimmon 🙂
• 1tsp vanilla
• LOVE! ❤

Crust

Using a food processor S blade, pulse and blend pecans, about 1lb of dates, vanilla, and about 2 tsp of cinnamon (eyeball it!). Press crust into pie pan and refrigerate while making filling.

Filling

If you have a Vitamix blender, use that! I used the food processor S blade again.  Thrown in your pumkin chunks, 2-3 lbs of dates, persimmon pulp, ginger, and 1-2ish tsp (up to you!) pumpkin pie spice! Pour over crust and let it chill for about 2 hours.  Savor and serve with plenty of love ❤ !

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions! Hope to see you on the 6th!! Live big, carb up!

Pale Pasta

Moving into Kappa, realizing they threw away all of the belongings I left there, including my blender, food processor, strainer, knifes, bowls, and everything in the kitchenette, I was still able to make a simply divine dish 😛Luckily I brought the spiralizer home and back 🙂 so that’s all you’d need! Oh, and a plastic knife 😉 All ingredients are fresh, local, organic, non-GMO from my front yard (that I picked yesterday morning before my venture to IN), Sunspot <3, and Payless!  Necessity is the mother of invention!  Just put something together with what looked good that I could find:

Serves One:

• 2 zucchinis, spiralized
• 2 ears of corn, de-corned
• 1 fun organic eggplant, chopped
• 1 sweetest organic apple ever, chopped
• 2-4 leaves of kale, ripped up
• 4-7 leaves of mint, ripped up
• 1 juicy orange, squeezed!

mush together with clean hands and savor the divine simplicity of your creation!

                      

Hudson Library Q & A with Sam Romano

On Saturday June 15, 2013 Sam Romano gave a raw foods demonstration and talk.  He brought cinnamon raisin cookies that he pulled from the dehydrator that morning and and whipped up some banana ice cream on the spot to share as well- rawlish! Ice cream sandwiches!

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Cookie:

• 2 pounds red apples, cored (5-6 apples)
• 1 3/4 cup almonds, ground in a food processor
• 1  1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 1 cup sweetener of choice dates, coconut nectar, maple syrup, etc) (he used coconut nectar)

In a food processor, shred all of the apples using the grating disk.  Add shredded apples with other ingredients to a large mixing bowl.  Mix well.

With hands press the mixture into about 20 round, flat cookies, approximately 3 inches thick onto teflex sheets.  Dehydrate approximately 24 hours.

Ice Cream:

• Frozen bananas, whipped up in food processor 🙂

Sam went over everything from his personal story, to protein, to production of fermentation and farts!  A fascinating intimate setting that began with some fun making food indoors, and eating it outside in the sweet sunshine.  With an audience of 10 beautiful participants, it was quite a comfortable afternoon of important information and mind blowing.  These lucky listeners went home feeling excited about the changes that they can make in the right direction towards a healthier life!  All the best to everyone!  ❤

Savor

What we put in our bodies is extremely important- yes.  Eat as if your life depends on it, because it in fact does!

We must not neglect, however, the way in which we eat.  This presentation by Dr. Lilian Cheung on her book, “Savor” was quite necessary and eye opening to the health professionals at the Massachusetts Medical Society Continuing Education Program this past weekend.

She began by addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States.  Showing us how it is estimated that obesity prevalence will increase by 33% and a 130% increase in severe obesity prevalence over the next 2 decades.

She then began to speak about the way in which we eat today.  As well as addressing studies proving that the more food that is in front of us, the more we eat.  Now is the time to take a deep breath, listen to your body, and savor the pleasure in not just your food, but in every aspect of life.

There are infinite health benefits to mindfulness.  Not only when eating, but in all aspects of life.  Even cleaning, driving, or just listening mindfully can improve your quality of life.  I feel so blessed to have attended this lecture, for now I know how to experience life on a much more pleasurable level.  When eating mindfully, the food is truly appreciated and enjoyed.  When living mindfully, the life is truly appreciated and enjoyed as well :).

 

Trading peanuts for red meat reduces heart disease risk by 30%!