Day seven and the end of phase one has FINALLY come and passed (well almost). Its been a long week of juice and broth but I feel really good. I feel like I still have a good amount of detoxing to do, but its been off to a good start. The most amazing difference I had the pleasure of noticing this morning. Not to get too personal on you but I usually have excruciating cramps, ahem, oh about once a month if you know what I mean. So bad that it is the one time that I do not even hesitate to take an OTC pain killer. But today... absolutely nothing! No pain at all for the first time since I can remember! Sorry, I was so amazed that I had to share that with you.
Due to the “unforeseen circumstances” related to the above I was very lightheaded today and I couldn’t wait a few more hours to start phase two. (Phase 2 is supposed to be 3 days of raw smoothies, blended raw soups and blended salads only). So late this afternoon I started off with a yummy smoothie made from chia seeds, banana, berries, raw cacao, spirulina and some coconut water. I felt so full afterwards. But now I have a confession to make. This evening I cheated. I broke down and needed to chew! I had sliced cucumber and tomato, followed by a bunch of raw nuts and a few dates. It sounds so silly to think of that as bingeing or cheating.. but that’s totally what it feels like. First thing tomorrow I will be back on track.. smoothies only for me for the next three days.
That was a very long winded intro into the point of this blog. I have been enlightened by rawness (rawdom?). I have always been very intimidated by the work that it takes to really be raw. All the soaking, sprouting, dehydrating is more work than actually cooking food. So aside from raw veggies and fruits, I have only ever dined out or store bought raw foods, which is expensive! But tonight I decided to prep for the upcoming days by making raw brazil nut milk to add creaminess to my smoothies. I CAN NOT believe how easy it was. Why have I not done this before??
I gave up on buying soy milk a year or so ago because so much soy these days is genetically modified. I switched to almond milk, but the cartons you buy are often non-organic, definitely not raw, and usually have added sugar and other ‘shelf-life’ ingredients. So, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to discover how easy it is to make my own “milk”! I will never buy packaged milk again, I will be doing this from now on!
Here’s how you can make your own too:
1) Start with 1 cup of raw brazil nuts. I scored a pound for $5 at Trader Joe’s. Soak them in water in a covered glass bowl for two (or more) hours. (Okay, so there IS soaking involved, but two hours I can handle!) Then drain and rinse them.
2) Put nuts in a blender with 3 cups of purified water and a tablespoon of raw honey, agave or sweetener of your choice and blend thoroughly.
3) Pour the contents of the blender through a cheese cloth or fine strainer. It looks purely liquified before you strain it, but there will be a great deal of ‘pulp’ left after straining. I haven’t figured out how I can use the pulp yet, but I’m working on it. You can be inventive or just discard it.
That’s it!! Store it in a glass container in your refrigerator. This made about a quart of milk, bu because it’s raw and free from added ingredients it won’t keep as long as the packaged alternatives. So if you don’t intend to use that much within a few days simply cut the recipe in half.
Next up: Cashew cream. So stay tuned!
Keep it Fresh and RAW!
-Jill
Due to the “unforeseen circumstances” related to the above I was very lightheaded today and I couldn’t wait a few more hours to start phase two. (Phase 2 is supposed to be 3 days of raw smoothies, blended raw soups and blended salads only). So late this afternoon I started off with a yummy smoothie made from chia seeds, banana, berries, raw cacao, spirulina and some coconut water. I felt so full afterwards. But now I have a confession to make. This evening I cheated. I broke down and needed to chew! I had sliced cucumber and tomato, followed by a bunch of raw nuts and a few dates. It sounds so silly to think of that as bingeing or cheating.. but that’s totally what it feels like. First thing tomorrow I will be back on track.. smoothies only for me for the next three days.
Thankfully, although not raw, we are also allowed to have some broth here and there. So, last night I busted out the stock pot and put everything but the kitchen sink into it. Carrots, potatoes, onions, broccoli, celery, herbs, seaweed, garlic... I threw it all in the pot with water and let it simmer. I have to admit, cutting up and preparing all the ingredients made me want to eat them, but I refrained. After an hour I strained out the veggies and had a yummy mineral and nutrient-dense vegetable broth left. Making your own broth is a great way to avoid the sodium and other unwanted ingredients like MSG that are found in most store-bought broths. Keeping your broth in an air tight glass container, such as a mason jar, will keep it fresh for a week or so, and you can use it for sauteing in place of oil, or as a base for soups and stews.
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