The deliciousness...




It's summertime which is the perfect time to cool off, stay hydrated, and keep the vitals lifted especially with climate change, heatwaves and trying to keep the electricity bill low. So, here's a smoothie that is perfect for the summer and wellness.



Ingredients used in this smoothie:

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup baby kale
• 1.5 cups frozen mango
• 1/2 cup organic frozen cherries
• 3/4 cup org. frozen berries
• 1-2 frozen bananas

On a television-related talk-show note, my favorite comedian Wanda Skyes was recently on the Ellen Show as she is promoting her stand-up tour, which I hope to see when she comes to Atlanta. Anyway, I came across this video of the two in what I could only wish would become a new show called "White & Black." Basically, if this were an actual show, I would definitely watch it.

• Blend dates with water until you have a creamy liquid consistency, pour in glass.
• Blend frozen bananas with a little bit of water or nut milk until it has a thick, ice cream resemblance
• Scoop the banana ice cream onto date-drink and enjoy!

Lately, there have been a lot of raw vegan pies appearing on several of the vegan-raw vegan blogs I follow. So once I had finally obtained some good dates (could only get a few since quality dates are expensive) AND persimmons, I decided to make- something sweet especially since I had a really, really ripe hachiya persimmon that needed to be eaten. This single-serving pie is small, but it is super sweet.

Frozen version

INGREDIENTS

FILLING
1 or 2 Medjool Dates
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 Hachiya Persimmon, if you have the Fuyu persimmon use two

CRUST
3-4 Dates*
1 Slice Apple**
A pinch cinnamon
Coconut sugar, enough to roll the "crust-dough"

*I only had four dates left when I made this recipe, which is why the crust looks so faint. I recommend using anywhere from 3-6 dates and using a food processor or really good blender for the dates.
**I used only a little bit of apple since I was eating apple when I made it and thought it would be a good addition to the crust.  I suppose you could also use pecans, cashews, or some other nuts to make it more of a crust, the pie just won't be fat-free.






CRUST
- Blend or process dates, pieces of apple, and pinch of cinnamon until at crust-like, blended consistency.
- Then roll crust into ball and roll that ball in a bowl of coconut sugar to coat the outside. When coated, flatten the "dough" as shown in the two photos below:


 FREEZER
About 30+ minutes after letting in set in the freezer it should look like this

Dates are like nature's caramel candy except with nutritional value!





INGREDIENTS
Dates and Coconut Sugar.
You could also add any other fruits or seeds (hemp, chia, flaxseeds)
to this recipe if you don't want to use sugar.


METHOD
Pulse dates in blender or food processor until it becomes a paste. You can also cut the dates with a knife or fork if you don't have or don't want to use a blender/processor. I find that using my knife to blend the dates is less time consuming and makes less of a mess.

After dates are turned into a paste, roll it into a ball. Then add an ample amount of coconut sugar to a container and roll the date-ball-paste around in the coconut sugar. Set into another freezable container and put date-spheres into the freezer for anywhere to 20 minutes to an hour.
Quick and easy!

It was the end of September when I first tasted a passion fruit (and made this smoothie I meant to post much earlier, back when passion fruits were still in season). The taste of passion fruit was something completely unexpected for me- it was this super strange mix of squishy-jelly-feeling blast of citrus and sour in this bright, exotic fruit. The taste was just too much for me but I had to eat it somehow, so my solution was a smoothie.

A passion fruit smoothie which would be great with a screening of Passion Play, a mixed-genre film that is also an unexpectedly and unconventionally nice mixture of strange and beautiful.

Took this photo with phone, looks soo much better than photos with Flip camera

Ingredients

• Passion Fruit
• Banana
• Strawberry
• Water

I do not remember the exact amounts for each ingredient, but it's a smoothie so fruits/water can be altered anyway you want.

This makes for a great seasonal raw vegan ice cream that tastes like a candy I might have had prior to becoming vegan. I don't remember what candy exactly that I am reminded of, but this recipe is made from fruit: persimmons and bananas. Since bananas and persimmons are both sweet fruits, they fit well together in terms of proper food combining. Therefore, these two fruits are not only good on the taste buds and your health, but also digestion.



Ingredients

• 2-5
• Frozen Bananas
• 1-4
• Persimmons
• 2 Tbs. (for ice cream consistency) add more for smoothie
• Water

It is important for both of the fruits to be super ripe!
I can only fit a maximum of 3-6 medium-sized bananas in my blender so you can use more bananas/persimmons.


























Persimmons taste like pure sugar. They are pretty much only in season during the winter months and can be difficult to find since they aren't usually sold in grocery stores. Thus, you might have to go to either a farmers market or international food store to find it. I recently found an international farmers market that sells produce and all types of food for unbelievably great prices i.e. a full cart of fruits and vegetables (some exotic) that might last a few weeks for only 25-30 dollars. I don't think I have ever exceeded 35 dollars since I've been there even when I get items for making veggie sushi and super exotic fruits like dragon fruit.

This colorful mixture of pineapples, strawberries, bananas, and blackberries creates a look that resembles "cotton candy", while tasting even better and sweeter. Healthy, filling, and deliciously sweet, like candy in a cup! Instead of succumbing to over-processed candy, you can easily make your own healthier and sweeter versions.






Ingredients
Frozen

• Pineapple chunks
• Strawberry
• Blackberries
• Bananas

*Not all of the fruits have to be frozen, but I find the bananas are best in smoothies when frozen.





This smoothie is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Manganese, Magnesium, fiber, and Potassium.
And a pretty good source of Calcium, Iron, Selenium, Vitamin E, and Zinc-- among many other amino acids and naturally-occurring essential Omegas. No need for supplements when you can just blend fruits, and sometimes vegetables, into a nutrient-dense smoothie!

The smoothie that packs a punch of nutrients!

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Frozen Pineapple
1 Cup Mixed Berries (Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, etc.)

1 Cup Water
A few Bananas (frozen will make a more ice cream consistency)

I know it has been quite a while since the last post, aside from being somewhat busy, enjoying the break from school, then having another semester start up soon, I'm still trying to process all the photos I've taken for recipes and in-between a few film reviews. In this post, I will discuss the recent shift regarding changes to my diet and outlook on health and nutrition.



I've been following a vegan diet for about six years, have recently gained an interest in raw foods for the past year, and continue to learn more and more about veganism, raw veganism, and other health-related information. The more I learn, the more I strive to be closer to being in a state of optimal health, something that is made out to be more difficult than it needs to be (especially in our current society). This is an issue that persists considering the never-ending expansion of fast-food and widespread health-compromising foods that cause a series of severe health problems all leading to an unfortunate downward spiral. Not to forget it is the reason for the growing rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even certain** cancers, etc. It is the reason why people cannot live healthy, happy, energized lives. 

** I recently noticed a bag of frozen fruits from New World Farms that quotes The National Cancer Center says, "Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce risk of some types of cancers and other chronic diseases." 

I'm often glad that I found veganism at a young age so that I could continue on to a path that would later lead to improving my overall health. Too often, I see people constantly struggling, frustrated, unhappy and unhealthy. I also see those constantly looking and striving for the "secret" or answer to weight/fat loss and a way out of their current situation, when the answer is extremely simple: eat healthy, eat a whole foods plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables! Cut out the meat, the dairy, the eggs. And forget the unsustainable fad diets that promote a high-fat, high-protein diet that tells people to decrease the amount of fruits and vegetables (which I think is insane).   Food is the main source and root of everything that affects the body. So when you change your diet, you are changing your life.

There are many types of vegans and variation within the vegan lifestyle. From vegans who consume a high-processed, "junk food" diet that may or may not include adequate amounts of necessary fruits and vegetables to fruitarians and raw food vegans who follow a diet that is abundant in the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Raw Vegan Vegetable-filled Rolls

In the event that I recently realized I could easily be a high-carb, low-fat vegan and incorporate the 80/10/10 philosophy as a vegan who isn't currently able to be completely raw, I started to do it. By 80/10/10 I mean, a minimum of 80% daily calories from carbohydrates, with maximum of 10% or less from protein, and 10% or less from fats- a method derived from Dr. Graham's The 80/10/10 Diet.

Over time, I have gone from the high-processed with fruits/vegetables vegan diet (junk-food vegan) to a more fulfilling diet that consists of largely raw fruits and vegetables along with carbohydrate-loaded foods such as rice, potatoes, and minimally packaged/processed foods. I feel that the high-carbohydrate, low-fat, vegan diet is the way to go! I like this way because I am someone who eats a lot, likes to eat a lot, and has always done so.

Banana Ice Cream with Coconut Sugar - Coming soon

80/10/10 is something that is often discussed and recommended in the vegan community. Following 80/10/10 on a regular vegan diet is, in my opinion, easier and more affordable to do as opposed to going completely raw vegan. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables are more expensive especially when your diet relies on an abundant amount.


So moving on with the recipe for today..

MANGO KALE SALAD




This salad is raw vegan, super easy, simple, and loaded with Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and several other important nutrients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 1 cup : Kale
• 1/2 - 1 cup : Spinach
• Carrots
• Mango
• Any other raw vegetables/fruits

With fruit as a topping, you don't really need a salad dressing.