Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Dream a little dream...


This will probably be the last post I make here for a few days because we are finally leaving tomorrow morning for CT. Yippee! I am so excited about what the future holds for us there. You see, my Mom's house is on this piece of really nice riverfront commercial property. My husband has his workshop there, it used to be our horse barn... and my Mom has all of these gorgeous gardens that she has been creating and cultivating for 20 years. They are stunning. Most of the pictures on my blog are of her gardens/property. We also have a 2 great little sheds/carriage houses that used to house some more of the past animal menagerie. So now all the animals are gone on to nice new homes and we have room for a new endeavor... So, I am creating a CENTER FOR HOLISTIC LIVING!!! Including classes and workshops (nutritional healing, superfoods, classes in vegan/raw vegan food preparation, Reiki classes/sessions, organic gardening, Feng Shui, elemental design, trash to treasure, composting, beekeeping, edible landscaping, making your own organic personal care products, art classes for kids and adults, Kombucha tea classes, massage therapy, etc.) Adjacent to the workshop area is a boutique area where I can sell all of my beauty products, informational booklets and books, food products, etc. We are also going to rent out and cater for events up to 100 people, specializing in weddings for non-traditional couples, you know spiritual non-religious kind of folks. There is a field of native wildflowers that we will be harvesting and selling as cut flowers along with all the organic herbs and veggies that we grow. One of the small buildings near the road will be the farm stand area. I also have ideas about creating a tea room/juice bar in the near future. And we will also be hosting weekly community Reiki healing circles, guided meditations, and RAW FOOD POTLUCKS!!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I feel like my life is finally taking off and moving on to the next level. And the best thing is that all the stuff we need to start this whole project is already right there! It is great and I feel so blessed.

Monday, June 25, 2007

What a difference a day makes...


I just re-read my entry from yesterday and I can honestly say that I am feeling so much better today. When I went to bed last night, I gave myself a good talking to and reiterated that I am the only one responsible for my life and what I make of it. I was honest with myself and decided that I needed some sort of a plan to proceed with this fantastic raw lifestyle. I know that I am a powerful woman who can accomplish much if I put my mind to it. I also realize that I need to invest some faith in this process of healing myself and my life. So that led me to begin thinking about how much I underestimate myself and also how much of a perfectionist I am. I have realized that the reason that I like to cook is because it is second nature to me and I am always guaranteed a good result and at least a few compliments from whomever the lucky diners happen to be. I now realize that I could achieve the same thing with raw food prep if I just put a little more practice into it. I mean I am already quite good at it... It took me quite a while to get to be an excellent cook and I already know that it won't take as long to master raw food as most of the principles are similar. It all boils down to the fact that I need to be a little more patient with myself and allow my passion for creating gorgeous raw food to simmer a little longer.

So now I have a declaration to make. I am a raw foodist. I have decided this and now it is so. I am committed to and believe in a raw vegan lifestyle for health and ethical reasons. I love living food and what it does for me as a whole person. In this spirit I move forward on my journey.

So there...

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The dark side of the moon...


Even though the moon has been very bright lately, I feel like I am firmly rooted on it's dark side today. Man, I am feeling down and out. I did finally get my period today, so that could be part of it, and I haven't been eating 100% raw, so that could be some more of it, and, finally, I am stressed out to the max with the impending road trip. And, of course, what do I do when I am stressed, I cook. I cook beautiful, succulent, delicious, nutritious (compared to SAD), and oh-so-vegan food. I have been cooking forever. I have gotten extremely good at it and did it professionally for a number of years. I am truly passionate about food. Now one part of me believes the whole "cooked food is poison" theory, and another part truly believes that the glorious, love-filled (I know it is love filled because I'm the one that put it there) concoctions that I currently have bubbling away on my stove, are in no-way bad for me or anyone else for that matter. Then I eat the stuff. It tastes great and truly does make me feel better for the rest of the day. I don't crash out, I don't feel the need to binge that I do when I am 100% raw, in short, I feel like a normal person eating a delicious meal with my family. But what happens between the time I close my eyes that night and then open them in the morning is a totally different story. The next morning there is invariably at least a 1.5 lb. weight gain, literally overnight. I usually have a stuffy nose and am immediately grouchy. I crave caffeine to help me wake up. I want a cooked breakfast or at least a very rich smoothie as soon as I have downed the coffee/tea... It is like some sort of gourmet monster wakes up inside of me and proceeds to scream "FEED ME!!!" all day long. Which I usually decide to do, which leads to more cooking, more eating, more obesity, more depression, etc. on and on ad naseum... Then there is the raw food end of the spectrum. I wake up happy and refreshed because I actually slept through the whole night instead of getting up 3 times to pee. I cheerfully kiss my husband good morning and go to the kitchen and make us our green juice. I go about my day energetically and usually accomplish everything I set out to. In short, everything is great, except when it isn't. If I am at all stressed out, the desire to cook comes back with a vengeance and no amount of raw food prep seems to satisfy the gourmet monster. Then I give in and "cook for my family", end up overeating the food, and sometimes even follow up the overeating with a full-on binge, usually vegan, but a binge none-the-less. And on and on it goes.

I have been in this sort of holding pattern, you know, 3-steps-forward-2-steps-back kinda deal for about 1.5 years now. I understand that there is the whole "transition" period and all that, but jeez, I really just want to be through with this whole craving/addiction to cooked foods and the side effect of feeling bad about myself because I seem to have no "willpower" or "self-discipline".

If anybody out there knows the magic cure, please, for the love of God/dess, share your secret with me...

Friday, June 22, 2007

Moving along...


Things are a bit hectic here because we are closing up the house here in Florida and preparing to return to Connecticut. I am planning what to bring on the road with us for the 3 day drive. The last two times we have made this trip, despite bringing plenty of raw food, I have ended up eating cooked "road-trip" food and spent days regretting it. I'm kind of thinking that it might make the most sense to just bring plenty of really good fruit and make the whole ordeal into a sort of a "fruit cleanse". I have done this before, granted it wasn't in the car while driving over 1000 miles with a four year old, and felt great and had plenty of energy. I actually think that eating simple low-fat raw food is what my body likes the best. It is usually my emotions or my tongue which prompt me to eat the more gourmet raw recipes, ummmm, that and the fact that I am a chef... I also thought that, as another option, I could make up a really nice dressing and buy some nice avocados to go with the salads I could order at restaurants when we stop for food. I think I will probably end up with a combo of both. There really isn't much room in the car for us to bring a big cooler or anything. So I have a couple of challenges to overcome. I am looking forward to getting to Connecticut and getting on with all of my big plans. I am feeling very excited about being able to create a vision that I have had for a very long time. Even if it is going to be quite a bit of work. Ahhh, a labor of love. That is always the best kind of labor, in my opinion.
Have a great weekend and blessings to you all.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Today is a marvelous day!


I just had the best cup of mint tea made with fresh mint from our garden. Really very nice, it was. I also had some really fantastic news about a project that I have been manifesting for many years now and it seems like it is finally coming to fruition! This is very exciting as it changes the whole course of my life and makes things that weren't previously possible a concrete reality. I am so happy and grateful for this marvelous opportunity. More on this later. When I have all the details.

I made some delicious Sunflower seed Bars today. The whole fam loved them and I did too! They aren't super sweet and are pretty inexpensive to make as well. So here goes.

Sensational Sunflower seed Bars:
1c. raisins, dry
1. sunflower seeds, dry
pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Process in food processor until it starts to form a ball.

If mixture is too dry or too sour add one or both of following ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp. honey (optional, check sweetness first, then add)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil (optional, could use any other oil you have on hand)
Process again to thoroughly mix.
Press into pan (any baking pan will do)
Freeze until hard.
Unmold and slice into 1.5"x1.5" pieces.
Store in fridge to prevent softening.

That's it. Easy and delicious. 4 year old approved!

Blessings and Love.
XXOO

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Gorgeous in green...


My darling son, Lincoln, 4 years old, doesn't especially like vegetables. This baffles me, as Felix and I both love them, and I made all of Linc's baby food from scratch and always included a wide variety of veggies. He loved his veggie baby food. Since then, however, it has been all down hill, especially in the land of leafy greens. Until, you guessed it, green smoothies. They have recently experienced a Renaissance in our house. And Lincoln has jumped right on the bandwagon! Thank God/dess! I made an especially great one today, even sans bananas. It was a great combo of mango (of course), nectarines, and baby spinach. I added a little bit of honey and Lincoln LOVED it. Drank a big glass and begged for more. Hallelujah! Now let us all pray this sudden burst of green enthusiasm lasts.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Must be in the stars...


Man, oh man, it seems like today was a day for serious conversations... Mine came out ok in the end, but was definately highly-charged emotionally. Glad to let it all out though. I feel fresher and cleaner in a way. Like I can really move forward now. Bless the whole experience. And bless my wonderful Mother. She is truly the best. I must have had some good karma to get her for a Mom.

And to the other darling friends of mine who had a not-so-pretty serious conversation of their own, I send you massive love and healing vibes. Peace be with you.

I ate nothing cooked today and am very pleased with myself. Even with all of my emotional turmoil, I was still able to resist a few serious cravings. And I did not overeat as a way to cope with the stress. This is a tremendous accomplishment for me. And it wasn't even that difficult.

Maybe there is light at the end of the tunell.

This picture is in honor of our garden, lovingly tended by Felix. Love, Love, Love...

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Smooth-tastic!


Made a truly sensational shake today. Lincoln LOVED it and it had tons of sesame seeds in it which is good cause they are loaded with calcium. We all were going "mmmmmmmm" while we drank them down. So here you have it. The recipe...

Banana Sesame Shake-
2 lg. frozen bananas
1/4 c. sesame seeds (I used the brown ones that still have their hulls.)
1 Tbsp. raw honey
pinch of salt
nutmeg, about 1/4 -1/2 tsp.
about 1 c. water

Blend until really creamy, drink, and smile.

(Hint-If you don't have a high powered blender you could blend the sesame seeds with the water first until they are sesame milk, then add the bananas and the rest of the ingredients. It will be smoother that way.)

Hope ya love it! We did.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddies out there.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

So many different angles...


My first motivation for becoming a raw vegan, about a year and a half ago, was to lose weight. I had read many success stories of people who had lost tremendous amounts of weight very quickly by eating raw vegan food. They all seemed to have different approaches to raw food, but nevertheless, all still credited their weight loss to a raw diet. On my first try, I was able to eat 100% raw vegan for about 8 weeks. I barely lost any weight, BUT I was no longer depressed after over 3 years of suffering. However, I think that the lack of substantial weight loss discouraged me somewhat. I began to eat some cooked veggies, which led to eating cooked starchy items, which I now know trigger my all-out food addiction. Fortunately I still managed to remain predominately vegan. My weight loss stopped and within a few weeks I was gaining weight due to uncontrollable overeating, a problem I have always struggled with, but which becomes controllable through eating raw food. I felt extremely defeated, but I knew deeply within myself that my level of health was much better when I ate raw vegan. If I could only stick with it long term I knew I could heal my body and reach my ideal weight.

I have been struggling to maintain a 100% raw lifestyle ever since. It has been a year and a half since I first learned about raw veganism, and even with the off and on approach that I have had, my health is much better. Here is the thing- I am only down 20 lbs. from my highest weight. I had lost a total of 40 lbs. by following a low-fat raw vegan diet for about 2 months faithfully, but when my resolve waned, around Christmas last year, I fell off the wagon. And while my weight loss was quick on the low-fat raw diet, I felt much more emotionally unbalanced and spaced out. I also had massive cravings. I know that with about 150 lbs. to lose and a history of ingesting some horribly toxic substances, my journey is bound to be intense and quite probably long. I so much admire people who can manage to put themselves on very stringent eating plans such as very low fat raw, or green smoothies only, and manage to stick with it long term. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be one of them, at least right now.

So I guess the big question is -what am I gonna do about all this? Well, taking into consideration all the things I have learned about myself along this raw or semi- raw path so far, I think there are a few things I know for sure.
#1- All cooked food is addictive to me. As soon as I eat it I want more, immediately. I MUST refrain from eating it in order to avoid backsliding as I have done so many times before.
#2- I do lose weight fastest when I eat low-fat raw. However, I must be very careful with this approach as I detox really heavily and sometimes find it difficult to cope with my emotions.
#3- It is vitally important to have a raw-friendly support system. This means other raw fooders. I must not look to non-raw people for support mainly because they have no idea what I am going through.
#4- It helps me when I have an outlet for releasing my feelings. Blogging seems to be great for this.
#5- It is great for me to have some sort of routine/system to keep me on track and help me until this whole lifestyle becomes second nature.
#6- Green Juice is very important for me to consume.
#7- My body likes green smoothies.
#8- I would love regular exercise to become my reality. Yoga especially.

So that is my plan and I am manifesting it into my reality.
Raw food is my path. No matter what.
This is what I feel as my truth.
Peace.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Crazy For Coconuts!


I am so in love with coconuts right now. Fresh-picked right from the tree. Felix and Lincoln walk off down the road with the red wagon and come back less than an hour later with a full load of coco's! Man, what a blessing. This earth is so abundant... I honestly didn't know that coconuts could taste so good. We are so fortunate to have them growing right along our street, right in the middle of the city. What resilient trees they are! When we went to CT last summer, I ended up buying some of the young Thai coconuts that they sell in Whole Foods. They were good but I noticed a weird metallic taste when I ate them. Come to find out, apparently they are dipped in some nasty chemicals before they are shipped to keep them "fresh". I didn't research this so I don't know if it is all Thai coco's or what but I am not taking any chances!

I'm feeling much better lately. I think it is because the moon is finally back to waxing. I have noticed that right before the new moon I get really down and cranky and have more cravings than usual. Oh whatever, I'm just doing my best to keep it all raw!

I have also found that visualizing myself healthy and slim is really helping me with the weight loss. I truly believe that what we believe to be true about ourselves becomes our reality. This has proven itself to be true in my life time and time again. Now to keep my thoughts and feelings about myself positive and loving in every moment... That is the real key.

Today I made a smoothie out of some coconut meat, a frozen banana, and a teaspoon of my secret-delectable-oh-my-god-it-is-so-good raw chocolate sauce... All I can say is WOW! Raw food is so good. And it didn't even have any cashews!

One love and all blessings to you all.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Emotionally hijacked...


Wow... I have got to get a handle on myself. It seems like every time plans change, money gets tight, I have a disagreement, or any other little thing happens, I just lose it. My emotions just take over and off we go on some sort of stress-hormone induced bad trip. To put it bluntly- it sucks. I feel all out of sorts. I get all down in the dumps and internalize whatever is going on, making it all my fault and concluding that basically I just plain can't cut the mustard. Why do I feel like it is OK to be so mean to myself? And why do I feel like it is my God-given duty to save everyone else from themselves? I mean, I consciously know that everyone has the right to make whatever decisions they choose to make. You know, it's called "free will." Sometimes I seriously wonder if there isn't actually something hormonally wrong with me besides being a drama queen of the first degree.

The biggest problem with this whole messy scene, this emotional derailment, is the effect that it has on my lifestyle choices. It immediately sends me into punish- yourself-because-you-don't-deserve-anything-good mode. Ridiculous. And all because things get tough or somebody lets me down, or even because I let myself down. I start to crave all sorts of things that are really really really terrible for me including (but not exclusively)- fast food flesh burgers, deep fried death food, drugs of any and all kinds (even ones I have never done before, at least not in this lifetime), angry confrontations, toxic thought patterns, coffee, sugar, sugar, ice creamy products, bread, and maybe even more sugar. Now, I *usually* don't give in and indulge in these things. But- the worst part of it is that now to go along with the bad feelings I am having, I have these wicked cravings to deal with as well. And of course, I feel like an idiot for craving these things in the first place. It is exhausting. I just want it to stop. Now, don't get me wrong, when I am eating a predominately cooked diet this whole scene is much worse and I go even further off the deep end, usually culminating in deep, dark depression and hopelessness. Now that I am raw or "rawer", I am able to reign it in somewhat. Actually, now that I think about it, this whole emotional dementia thing is one of the reasons that I came to be raw in the first place. I guess what I am really wanting is to have enough spiritual faith and clarity that I don't emotionally react to such a degree every time something challenging comes up. I also would like to stop feeling so wounded and wronged all the time. I mean all that crap happened a long time ago, why should it still be such a huge part of who I am?

All I know for sure is that I am feeling better and better the longer I am raw and caring for myself regardless of my rides on the emotional roller coaster. I guess I should just be happy with this. I should just choose to allow myself to be satisfied and stop constantly reaching for perfection. Perfection that my conscious mind knows doesn't even exist. Perfection that my spirit knows cannot not exist. You get my drift? No. Me either... Ah well, tomorrow will be a better day, I hope.

I guess I'll just go and count my blessings, or something.

One love to you all until tomorrow.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

"Raw" Cashews...


I have always loved cashews. My father loves them. My grandfather loves them. Even my great-grandfather loved them. The fact that raw cashews are included in the diet of many raw vegans was one of the reasons that I was so attracted to this way of eating. I dreamed of all the delicious creamy concoctions I could create with cashews and my beloved Vita-Mix. Raw cheesecakes, cashew-cacao mylkshakes, raw ranch style dressing... The list goes on and on and on. And I made them all and ate them all. Delicious, ever last recipe. Hell, I even made up a few of my own raw cashew creations. In short (sort of) I was in cashew heaven. Then I heard/read a vicious rumor that "raw" cashews weren't really raw. Preposterous. It seem virtually all raw fooders ate an abundance of cashews. I didn't believe it. Then, sadly enough, I realized something, but only because I ran out of cashews and my budget didn't permit me to buy any more for a little while. I realized during those cashew-less weeks I lost more weight and had many less cooked food cravings. My appetite decreased and I had much more energy. Interestingly enough, at the same time I observed these things about myself, I began learning about acid-alkaline balance and the food that affect it in the body. I read that cashews were very acid forming. I deduced that maybe that's why I felt better when I didn't eat them. Well, I have sort of a short memory sometimes and so the other day I went grocery shopping and bought a few lbs. of raw cashews. I began eating them and immediately noticed that I felt really tired and sort of lethargic. So I begrudgingly left them alone for a day or so. This morning I really had a hankering for a mylkshake so I made one with cashews and raw honey. It was delicious and I drank it right down happily all the while thinking how great it was to be raw. Ten minutes later I felt ready for a nap and I hadn't even been out of bed for an hour yet! Yes folks, the sad fact is that I do not tolerate cashews well at all. I don't really know if it is because they are acid-forming or not "really raw" or even a combination of both things. The bottom line is- they are not my friend. Dang. Well you live and learn. At least there is still almond butter, maybe for a few months, we hope...

(This picture is of of my delicious raw corn chowder which, alas, contains cashews and is therefore nothing but a memory to me now. Rest in peace. You were loved.)

Friday, June 8, 2007

Freedom...


To be free of, to renounce actually, all of my non-serving beliefs and behaviors is quite a project. Especially when I'm not even sure why I'm doing it. Of course there is always the cover of "to lose weight". As in, "I've become a raw vegan to lose weight." Not even true, I now realize. I became, or am becoming, a raw vegan because it feels right to me somehow. Freeing, or something. Strengthening. Of course, I thought when I started this whole thing that it was to lose weight. To lose weight in the fastest, most aggressive way possible, and maybe to feel healthier as a beneficial side effect. But now I just have this inner knowing that this way of life somehow resonates with something inside of me and makes me feel more like myself, but better. To simply say that I feel healthier when I eat exclusively raw vegan food is such an understatement that it almost makes me laugh. I don't feel better, I feel like a super hero! I don't even care that my diet/lifestyle often makes me the odd man out, everyone thinks I'm crazy, and my friends call me a puritan. I feel fantastic!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Cooking- a bad idea...


OK, so I was feeling so great, so confident, so invincible...
I decided that it would be no big deal to cook for my family, I am after all a natural foods chef. Big mistake. Huge. So long story short, I ate some cooked food. A plate of tofu/veggie dish (very good) and a homemade carrot flaxseed muffin (also damn good). Not worth it at all. I think I could actually feel my vibration slllloooowww wwwaaaayyyy dooooowwwwnnnn...

So where do I go from here... I think I just go back to raw 100% and don't look back. I think I also need to stop using cooking for my family as an excuse to cook/eat cooked food. It has such a profoundly negative effect on me. I still can't imagine why I choose to eat it, nevermind cook it for those I love. Anyhow, I'm choosing to see this as a learning experience and move forward tword my goals without constantly brow-beating myself and feeling bad about it.

I did make a great halvah smoothie last night. It was supreme, nearly divine actually. I made it just after I ate the cooked food and it definately derailed what could have been a full on cooked binge. That is how I operated in the past, unfortunately.

It is raining all lovely like here in Florida. You can almost hear the plants whispering their gratitude. I know I am most certainly greatful.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Feeling So Fine!


Being raw (this time around) feels so different and so great. I am not having any cravings and am even able to cook for my family (vegetarian food) without freaking out and having to tell myself the whole time "you will not eat that food". My energy has gone thru the roof and I have been busy and productive all day. No depression whatsoever and definitely no fatigue. I went to the beach this morning with my husband Felix and Lincoln, my 4 y.o. son. We had a blast. Then when I came home me and Linc got ready, ate some cherries(delicious), and proceeded to do about 3 hours worth of errands/running around. Before becoming a raw foodist, even as a vegan, I suffered from severe fatigue and depression which nothing short of medication was able to even put a dent in. I think the green smoothies are also making a huge difference this time too. In my past attempts to stay/be raw, I always felt like it was a struggle, now I feel like it is such a blessing. Before, I would get all freaked out because I thought I was eating too much fat, not losing weight fast enough, eating too many carbs, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah... and then I would restrict myself to some ridiculously stringent "raw diet" purely with the intention of losing a ridiculous amount of weight in record time. Simply unrealistic... I have over 100 lbs. to lose, more like 150 lbs. It's gonna take a little while, even on raw food. This time I just decided to chill out and eat whatever I want as long as it is raw. And ya know what, my body knows what it wants to eat. That, for me, is one of the biggest differences between cooked and raw. When I am eating cooked food my emotions dictate what I will eat. And my emotions are not kind to my body... On a raw vegan diet my emotions are actually stable enough to let my body put in its requests for self healing and nourishment. Astounding to me and such a blessing. I have spent so long being angry at and loathing my body for what I saw as it's imperfections and now I feel like such an ass because my body is actually so wonderful. It does everything for me even when I try to poison it and chronically mistreat it. I guess it was my opinion of myself that was imperfect and loathsome.

It's raining, It's pouring...



Ah, it is finally raining here in Florida. We need it so bad. Everyone was getting really upset about only being able to wash the car once per week... I'm just happy for our vegatable garden. The tomatoes are looking a little raggedy.

I have been feeling really great. We are almost done remodeling our house and I found a great new local supplier for all of my soapmaking and toiletry making raw materials. Shea butter here I come. Shipping costs, a thing of the past. We have had huge luck growing lemon verbena this year so I'm going to make a special soap with it. It smells like fresh, baby.

I have been eating really simple food today. Mostly watermelon. We get it from an old guy who drives around our neighborhood incessantly honking in an old, old truck filled to the brim with the BEST watermelon in the whole world. Now whenever I hear him honking my mouth starts to water. Pavlov's dog, I am...

(This picture is of a salad I wish I had time to make for myself today. The salad that wasn't, but maybe will be tomorrow. Ahhh, well..)

The first day of the rest of my life...



So I'm all signed up at raw food talk for the 30 day 100% raw challenge for June. I'm really feeling like this time could be "the" time that I can finally make it "stick". My goal, ever since I did my first 100% stint, has been to be 100% raw all the time. It makes me feel soooooo great. My depression miraculously disappears within the first two days and the weight just starts to fall off of me. I think I just start to get freaked out because I become so much different, in a good way, when I am raw and I just don't seem to know what to do with myself. It is all good though. I'm really ready this time.

Mangoes are still abundant from the backyard tree. They are soooooooooooooo goooooooooood! I saw a man who lives down the road from us cut down a glorious, fruit laden, beauty of a tree from his front yard in order to improve his satellite TV reception. I cried. It was really sad to see such an example of what most people consider important these days.

Anyhow, happy full moon!

Man O' the Mangoes!


WOW! Felix, my divine Caribbean husband, has been 30 feet up the mango tree in the backyard about 15 times in the last week... Who'd a thunk treeclimbing could be so sexy! Lucky me! Mangos, mangos everywhere... I LOVE IT!!! Made a glorious smoothie of 2 fat, juicy ripe mangos, 2 bananas, 1/2 c. cashews, about 3 huge shakes of allspice, 1 Tbsp. honey, and a pinch of salt. I blended it until smooth and creamy in the vita-mix and then added about 20 ice cubes. Ahhhhh... Tropical paradise. Our 4 year old son Lincoln sucked his share right down and was happy as can be. Powerful smoothie, that one.

I also made a very vibrant and attractive salad out of nothing too exciting. Sure was pretty though so here's a pic.

All love and blessings till later.