Veg Vivaciously: November 2011

11/27/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Almond Pâté


Almond *Pâté* on two strips of romaine with avocado and tomato (Lunch or Dinner made simple-pick it up and eat it like a taco)

There are many nut Pâté's; However, today's featured pâté is made from raw organic almonds. According to a study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, following a diet that includes almonds effectively lowers not only LDL cholesterol levels but also C-reactive protein levels, a key marker of inflammation. One quarter cup of almonds has over 7 grams of protein. It's rich in vitamin-E, has probiotic properties. Almonds also are a good source of: magnesium, potassium, vitamin b-2 (riboflavin) and b-17.

If you notice, I specifically said I use raw organic almonds. When making raw foods, it goes without saying to buy organic, if/when you can afford them. But its also very important and quite essential to make sure you buy raw as often as possible too. But when it comes to nuts. ALWAYS---ALWAYS buy raw nuts and seeds. NEVER---NEVER buy nuts that have been heated, cooked, baked, salted, etc. The nutrients have been cooked out of them, thus making the nut have little to no nutrients.

With pâté's you can pretty much throw anything into your Vitamix and make a great pâté. The key to a really good pâté is making sure its grinded so fine that its not grainy, but that the texture is soft to the pallet, like a real pâté would be.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw almonds (presoaked)
1 stalk of celery
1 peeled carrot
1/8 pc of bell pepper
1/8 pc of red pepper
1/8 pc of yellow pepper
1 avocado
8 sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos
5-10 portabella mushrooms (optional)
1/4 red onion (optional)
1 garlic clove
1 tomato
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp curry
1 tsp himilayan salt
1 tbsp parsely
1 tbsp basil
1/4-1/2 cup water (as needed)

Making the Almond Pâté

Put all of the above ingredients in your food processor or Vitamix. Add water as needed, but not a lot, you don't want this runny or soup(ish). Remember its a Pâté, not a soup, so you only add water to keep the blade from getting stuck. Mix it all well...and serve! Enjoy!

Almond Pâté

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Related Posts:
Almond Butter
Listening To Your Body
The Truth About Soaking Your Nuts
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PLEASE NOTE! This site (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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11/25/2011

PRODUCT REVIEW AND GIVE AWAY: Auromère Dental Care

Having a plant based food diet, makes you re-think a lot of things you're using in your life, including toothpaste. After trying many brands, I've finally found a great plant based toothpaste that I will stick with! I recently switched my toothpaste to this wonderful Auromère brand. Having tried many other products that purport themselves to be "all natural" and/or "plant based"... I found this one to be truly plant based and truly all natural. This was a super plus for me!

While the other "all natural" toothpastes I tried were fluoride free (more on the dangers of fluoride), they were not chemical free. So they may have fell in alignment with the "all natural" legalities (For more on "all natural" read this), but they didn't fall in line with my reality of what all natural is, or rather what it should be. This simply wasn't good enough for me. What's the use of taking the fluoride out and adding in other chemicals that may be harmful? Oh, wait! I know...so that the toothpaste can have a long shelf life (because that's what's important when it comes to hygiene)! Well, somehow Auromère has managed to have that same shelf life and with no harsh chemicals.

To add insult to injury, many of the other "all natural toothpaste" companies are under the umbrella of larger corporations that are known for selling harsh chemicals and substances. I had to ponder, if the products were really all natural as even the law stipulates. I mean how could they be all natural when they come from the same factory(ies) that some of these harsh chemicals are made in. I just couldn't process a logical explanation for that in my head...so many "what ifs" came up. So I figured, lets not even chance it.

Anyway...long story short...one of the wonderful people that joined the Veg Vivaciously Facebook Community, hipped me to Auromère Dental Care Products. After using it, I have to say, its one of the best plant based toothpastes around! That's right, it's PLANT BASED! So many products purport themselves to be plant based and all natural...and when you read the ingredients, you realize that there may very well be a chemical explosion right in your mouth! However, Auromère has managed to rather wittingly create a product that truly stands out amongst the "plant based", "all natural" crowds.

I've tried all of the Auromère toothpastes, as well as the mouth wash (that is sulfate and alcohol free-and tastes amazing!), and I love them all! Here's what has been my experience with this product:

It doesn't leave my teeth feeling gritty.
I have fresh breath all day (unless I eat something curiously-garlicy strong)
I know this one might sound unbelievable, but I actually saw my teeth get whiter after 1 day of use.
It immediately removed spots from my teeth that the dentist couldn't even remove without whitening chemicals.
My gums are all turning pink, as they should be. This just shows its removing impurities from my mouth.

I wish I had thought about it and taken before and after pictures. But who knew I would get so excited about a toothpaste? I mean, I've been using toothpaste all my life and never have I actually looked forward to brushing my teeth. But it's almost like with every brush you brush away every impurity in your body. The reason being is because this product is an Ayurvedic product.


*Here's what the samples look like!*

In honor of this product review, Auromère has agreed to host giveaways for each and every one of you. To get a free sample of this lovely product...all you have to do is the following:

Click "like" on our Facebook page.
Follow us on Twitter (we follow back!)
Join the blog community page by subscribing via e-mail. (I promise you'll only receive blog posts!)
Lastly, take our Veg Vivaciously tour and at the end...

click the "contact us" tab
fill it out completely, with

your name
email and
in the "comment" section, Put your:

complete Name, Mailing Address and in order of preference, your first 3 choices of the samples you want. (Your sample choices are: Mint-Free Toothpaste, Cardamom-Fennel Toothpaste, Licorice Toothpaste and/or Ayurvedic Mouthwash)
Example: for comment section:

Please Note: Giveaway samples ends December 15, 2011 or as supplies last.

PLEASE NOTE! This sites content (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business(es) (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used:

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11/21/2011

Vivacious Hair: Rosemary/Mint Tea Hair Spritz

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 cups Water
1/4-1/2 cup rosemary
1/2 cup mint leaves
1tbsp coconut oil
2 drops lotus flower oil
1 tbsp sugar in the raw (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Put the water, rosemary and mint leaves in a pot. Bring them to boil. Then put the lid on the pot and let it steep overnight.

The next day, strain your cooled and steeped tea into your blender, add the sugar, coconut oil and lotus flower oil...blend. Let it sit until the foam dissolves.

Pour the tea spritz into your spray bottle. Use it daily or as needed. This spritz I use daily as my water spritzer before locking in moisture with my Avocado/Coconut Oil Whipped Shea Butter to seal in the moisture.

Please Note: This is NOT a hair holding spray, in fact it helps make your hair soft and strong, while detangling it and is used prior to locking in moisture with other styling aids.

TIPS:
(A) Because this is plant based, I store mine in the refrigerator until I am ready to use it. However, if you know you are going to use all of the contents right away, refrigeration may not be necessary.
(B) Any left over tea can be used as a nice beverage, as long as the essential oil wasn't added to it. I made a large batch of this and actually poured some out for my spritz and saved the rest to make a large batch of tea. Just added some raw blue agave and refrigerated it.

If you're wondering why this combination...here's some background information on it:

ROSEMARY: Rosemary is has been used for centuries to help prevent hair thinning and hair loss. It's even said to help stimulate the scalp to help the hair grow. It fights against premature graying and can gradually darken existing gray hair. The oil is beneficial for dry, flaky scalps, and as such is a great remedy for dandruff.

COCONUT OIL: Coconut oil is excellent for both your hair and scalp. Not only does it relieve that dry itchy scalp, but it also rejuvenates the hair shaft and help to repair dry, damaged and brittle hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. More on coconut oil here.

MINT: Although minimal research supports the use of peppermint oil as a proven stimulant for hair growth, benefits for the scalp and hair associated with the oil have been documented by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Peppermint oil aids in removing excess sebum from the scalp and acts as an astringent. The oil contains menthol. When placed on the skin, it produces a cooling tingling effect.

LOTUS FLOWER: Along with water lily and bamboo, lotus flower is a critical component of the Cibu "Hydralphatine Asiatique" triangle. It's often used in cosmetics to revitalize and condition hair cells.

SUGAR IN THE RAW: I added this in for "good measure". I remember reading somewhere a long time ago, that sugar helps seal in moisture and helps the hair to grow. We have seen evidence of this with honey conditioners, etc. Since I didn't put any harsh chemicals in this, I thought why not give this a try. What could it hurt? It's just pure sugar.

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References:

Livestrong

EHow Health

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Related Posts:

Moisturizing Aloe/Flax Gel

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Anti-Aging Skin Tightening Crème

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11/20/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A Raw Foodie's Broccoli and Cheese

Broccoli Ingredients:

1lb of raw organic broccoli
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp of braggs liquid aminos

Not-cho Cheese Ingredients:

1 cup raw organic cashews (pre-soaked)
1/4 cup braggs amino acid
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup roasted red pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tsp crushed red peppers or jalapeno peppers (optional)

Making the Broccoli

Wash your broccoli. Put it in a container. Spray with braggs liquid aminos. Don't over saturate, just lightly spray to cover all broccoli pieces. Then sprinkle with 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Put a top on your container. Shake periodically and let it sit on your counter top to marinade for about 10 minutes.

Optional: Put on the dehydrate for 15 minutes to Un-cook it if you want your broccoli warm.

Making the Not-cho cheese

Throw all of the ingredients into your Vitamix. When ready, put the cheese into a bowl and let it sit to the side until you're ready to mix it with your broccoli.

Optional: Blend on high in the Vitamix if you want the cheese warm.

Putting It All Together

Take your broccoli, put some on a plate and top it off with NOT-cho cheese! Yes, its just that simple.

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Related Posts:

Diary of a former cheese addict

NOT-Cho's

Veggie Tales

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11/13/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 4 Steps To Making A Veggie Burger From Pulp


My Raw Vegan Burger (garnished on a bed of romaine with avocado and dried tomato topped with cheddar cheese)

Are you wondering what you can do with your juice and nut pulp? Is it stacking up in your freezer? Or are you one of those people who simply throw all that good pulp away?

Let no food go to waste! Pulp is still food with nutritional value left in it that can be used for something. Juice pulp and nut pulp, can be used to make a variety of foods. Today's post is about showing you how to make veggie burgers from all that pulp. Here's my basic Raw Vegan Veggie Burger Recipe, that is a no fail! It will have your house smelling really good just from mixing the seasonings up alone.

INGREDIENTS

Green Juice Pulp
Veggie Juice Pulp
Nut Pulp
Coconut Oil
Finely Chopped/Diced onion (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced celery (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced garlic (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced red bell pepper (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced green bell pepper (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced yellow bell pepper (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced mushrooms (optional)
Finely Chopped/Diced carrots (optional)
Seasonings of your choice...I used the following:

Turmeric
Cumin
Hemp Powder
Dried Tomatoes
Himalayan Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Basil
Parsley
Curry
Nutritional Yeast
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Ground Mustard Seed
Chia Seeds (pre-soaked in water-this will help "bind" it all together)

STEP ONE: Let your pulp(s) un-thaw. Put them all in a bowl.

Un-thawed Juice and Nut Pulp

STEP TWO: Add your additional chopped veggies and seasonings.

Added chopped veggies and seasonings

STEP THREE: Mix by hand very well and form into balls.


*Form into balls to "set"*

TIP: Let the balls sit in the fridge for AT LEAST AN HOUR. This will help "set" your veggie burgers, but also allow it to let the seasonings and variations of flavors from all of the different pulps set in too. P.S., Don't let that green color scare you away. I used a lot of "green juice" pulp. So of course my veggie burgers will be green...but if you scroll down, it comes out brown(ish) just like a "real" burger when its done.

STEP FOUR: After your veggie balls have set. Make them into patties and put them on the dehydrator. It never takes long for veggie burger to be ready. I let mine dehydrate for about 5-7 hours on 115 degree setting.

Make into patties and put on the dehydrator

TIP: Now I know some of you stove cookers are thinking, that's a long time to wait for a burger. But trust me the time flies. You can prep everything the night before, and put them on the dehydrator the next morning and go to work. Or do, as I do, and simply un-cook them while you're sleeping. When you wake up, they are ready! *smile*

And voila! You've just made your own veggie burger and all out of left over juice pulp that you probably was going to throw away!

A finished "un-cooked" veggie burger

Please Note:

(a) Feel free to add additional veggies, nuts and/or seeds to make your veggie burger more filling. I didn't add any nuts or seeds to this particular batch because I used a pretty hefty amount of nut pulp left over from making almond milk.

(b) You'll notice I used Chia Seeds to help bind it all together. It's not really necessary if you use nut pulp, like I did. But if you want to use them feel free...another option is flax seeds or flax flour.

(c) You'll notice I didn't put specified seasoning amounts because the amount you choose to use would depend on the amount of pulp you have and how large of a batch of burgers you make. When in doubt, you can always taste test it...its not like you're eating raw meat. *wink*

(d) You can fry or bake these. Whatever you prefer. Please know that by cooking you cook majority, if not all, of the nutrients out of your veggies. I typically dehydrate, as a way of "un-cooking" to maintain the full nutritional value of the vegetables. Also, while it's called "un-cooking" your food still comes out warm, just like it would from an oven.

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Related Posts:

Raw Vegan Teriyaki Burger with Bread and Mayo

MeatLESSloaf with Mashed UN-potatoes

Spaghetti and MeatLESSballs

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11/06/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

With winter slowly creeping upon us, its that time of the year where we want comforting warm foods. Nothing can be more comforting and warming than a nice bowl of soup. You don't have to buy canned soups with all of the preservatives, sugars, salts and GMO's. You can make your own healthy soup from fresh fruits and veggies.

For those of us who prefer our veggies raw, one might think we don't get the luxury of warm foods. This recipe is to prove that thought wrong! You can still eat raw and have warm foods like soup. If you turn your Vitamix blender on high it automatically warms up the food for you. The difference is, it doesn't heat it past 115 degrees, so you still get all of the wonderful nutrients in your veggies, even when making soups.

I chose to make a squash soup because I really wanted a "creamy" soup that was rich in flavor. Since I hadn't had squash in a while and because its "in season" (meaning its in abundance and on sale), it was the winner for the soup recipe. I got this squash for $1.00. So basically this entire meal is about $1.50 if you include the spices added in...and I think I'm probably guesstimating $.40 cents over.

Because it has seeds, butternut squash is technically a fruit; Therefore, it has a sweet undertoned taste, that really kicks the spices up a knotch for this recipe. Not to mention the nutritional and health benefits of this fruit is amazing. It's rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. It's low in fat and provides dietary fiber, thus making it heart healthy. It provides a good amount of potassium, which we all need for bone health. The greatest thing about this fruit to me, is that it has a good amount of B6. As we know the "complex" B-Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. Can you believe I got all of that for a $1.00? Who said going raw was expensive? *smile*

Anyway...enough of my rambling on...I know you want the recipe now...so here it is...

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash

2-3 cups water

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 large garlic cloves

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp curry

2 tbsp onion powder (or dried onion flakes)

1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos

1 tbsp parsely

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp hemp powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp black pepper (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

Please Note: This soup is spicy. If you don't like spicy food, you can always omit the black pepper and cut the cayenne in half or even just add a pinch. You can always add more if you need it...but you can never take it out once its in there.

MAKING THE SOUP

Peel the squash with a potato peeler. Chop it into pieces. I didn't remove the seeds from mine, but feel free to do so if you wish. Put it in the Vitamix Blender. Add the Water. Blend...begin blending it on low and gradually turn it up to high so that you can puree all of the squash and liquify it. Once its liquified, put all of the remaining ingredients in. Blend on high for about 5-10 mins. Be sure to stop intermittently and push all of the spices down so that its thoroughly mixed throughout.

Notice while blending in the Vitamix on high that it warmed your soup for you? No stove necessary! You now have soup! Pour some in your serving bowl and eat!

This recipe should be about 4-6 servings (or more)...depending on the size of the servings and the size of the squash you used. My Vitamix was filled to the 64oz capacity. This soup lasted me a week! Lunch for a week and for $1.00. Really, you can't beat that! It took me about 10 minutes (if that) to make this meal.

TIP:
(a) Storage options: Get some glass jars and fill them with this. You can easily fill 5 of them and you now have your lunch ready to go and for the entire week!
(b) You can freeze some of this soup and have it handy for those days when you just don't feel like doing anything.
(c) This soup is so creamy, it makes a great sauce for zucchini pasta.

Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

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Related Posts:
Genetically Modified Organisms ("GMO") Facts
Benefits of Coconut Oil
8 Ancient Superfoods That Promote Good Health
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11/05/2011

Raw Organic Almond Butter

Almond Butter made with the Vitamix

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw organic almonds (presoaked)
2-3 tbsps raw organic honey or raw blue agave
1-2 tsp tahini (optional)
1 tsp celtic seasalt (optional)
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (as needed)

VITAMIX DIRECTIONS

Put the almonds in your Vitamix. Blend slowly. This will chop the nuts and turn it into a powder, making it easier to make the "butter". Add all of the remaining above-listed ingredients. Add water, as needed. You want to add water so that it doesn't stick, but remember this is a "butter", so you want it thick and creamy, not watery...don't add too much water...but only enough to keep your blade spinning and mixing the ingredients thoroughly.

Please Note: While I prefer to use the Vitamix for processing Almond Butter, some don't care to do it that way. In those instances...listed below are separate directions for you.

FOOD PROCESSOR DIRECTIONS

In a food processor with an "S" blade. Put your pre-soaked and then dried nuts the food processor. Begin chopping and grading. Continue to do so until it turns into a powder...continue on until it turns into a doughy like consistency. It will do this all on its own. When it does, feel free to add your other ingredients with a little water and...voila! You have Almond Butter, made in your food processor!

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Related Posts

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter

The Truth About Soaking Your Nuts

Raw Vegan Desserts

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11/04/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Ab Exercises (work your core in 10 mins)

I remember when I first started working out, I thought I would never get my stomach down. I looked a little bit like a post-pregnant woman. The only problem is that I've never been pregnant. It was quite sad and discouraging for me to look at myself and see how I let my body go.

Finally I decided to target my abs...shortly after I realized I just wasn't "into" crunches. I mean I hated them! I know its someone out there saying, "well do them any way"...well that's easier said than done. My problem is that I am the type of person that has to actually "like" the exercises I'm doing. I realized right away that if I don't like doing something, whether its good for you or not, I won't make it a consistent habit. I knew I NEEDED to find an abdominal workout that would really be fun, different and that I could actually do on a consistent level.

My first introduction to working out my abdominals was not on purpose. I inadvertently learned how to do this while doing yoga. Yes Yoga! Yoga was a great introduction to targeting those abs. Those standard planking, side planking, and boat pose positions...all target your midsection. Those positions are great for the entire core! However, they also target the midsection, which is the strongest part of your core. It's just an added bonus that your arms and legs gain strength while performing those positions too. Doing yoga, really showed me that working out can be relaxing and not so "hard core" and strenuous all the time.

I also discovered a few other exercises, simply from watching men at basketball practice. I was out walking/running on a bike path at the beach, one day. Ironically, at a certain point on the path it leads to a basketball court. So as I was catching my breath and taking a break, while sitting on a bench...I watched some guys prepare for their basketball game. I thought the exercises they did were awesome. I immediately noticed how similar some of those core planking moves looked to the ones I learned in yoga. But there were a couple of other moves that were new to me. I literally got up right from where I was sitting and tried them. I felt them in my abdomen immediately and knew those exercises were keepers!

Now I know its difficult to do these exercises without specific examples of what I'm talking about. So here are a few youtube videos, just to show you how these exercises are performed. Try them with the videos. You'll be surprised at how you can work your abdominals and your entire core in about 10 mins!

Happy Ab (Core) Exercising!

*The youtube videos posted within this article is for the intent and purposes of showing various ways of targeting the abdominal section with a variation of exercises. Veg Vivaciously is not affiliated with the people and/or organizations represented in the videos.*

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Related Posts:

8 Walking Tips

Quality over Quantity

Women and Weights

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LIKE US!

11/27/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Almond Pâté

11/25/2011

PRODUCT REVIEW AND GIVE AWAY: Auromère Dental Care

11/21/2011

Vivacious Hair: Rosemary/Mint Tea Hair Spritz

11/20/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A Raw Foodie's Broccoli and Cheese

11/13/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 4 Steps To Making A Veggie Burger From Pulp

11/06/2011

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Raw Spicy Creamy Squash Soup

11/05/2011

Raw Organic Almond Butter

11/04/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Ab Exercises (work your core in 10 mins)