Banana Pancakes from a Mix

I was feeling a lazy breakfast coming on, so in the store I looked at all the pancake mixes 'til I found a vegan one. Arrowhead Mills' Organic Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix looked like the best choice.

I used an egg substitute (Ener-G egg replacer) and they turned out great! Happy Weekend to you.

Carob Celebration Cake w/ Peanut Butter "Buttercream" Frosting

As promised:

Cake!

I made this for our end-of-the-school-year staff party at work.
For taste it earned an A+.
The composition... well, maybe a C-.
Still, this recipe makes the honor roll for being delicious and soundly vegan!

Our oven is terrible and I partially blame it for the way this cake stuck to the pan. The other reason is I think I used the wrong kind of pan. I didn't have a round cake pan but wanted a round cake, so I used a Springform pan. I have only used these to make cheesecake, and I think they are not meant for regular cakes. Someone enlighten me on pan ettiquette, please.

Meanwhile, the taste proved that I am getting better at substitutions. I started with this recipe for the frosting and this recipe for the cake itself, then tried to make them healthier. These are the modified recipes I came up with:

No-Chocolate Carob Cake (Vegan, Gluten Free): 

1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour
1 cup turbinado sugar
2/3 cup carob powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1 cup carob chips

 

Vegan Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan margarine or coconut oil
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons vanilla almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together flour, sugar, carob powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork, making sure it is really blended together.
Add the water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar, and mix together very well. Gently stir in the carob chips. Pour into a cake pan. A real one. Do as I say, not as I pan'd.

Bake for 30 minutes (until a knife or toothpick comes out clean) and let cool completely, on a rack if possible. I think. With my bad oven/choice of pan, it took more like an hour and got stuck to the Springform bottom. Which was kind of good, because otherwise it was so moist it might have fallen apart when I unlocked the spring. But oh! The flavor itself was sooooo good.

Meanwhile, the frosting. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. You can adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar if it’s too thin, and adding more milk if it’s too thick. Mine was too thick, in retrospect, but it tasted out of this world!

Lastly, if you wanna get fancy, use this cool star and banner printable I found on good ol' Pinterest. I used jewelry wire, tape, and tacky glue to hold up the stars, and decorated them with yellow sugar (because glitter on your cake would be the worst!!!) and drew the word "Summer" on the banner to mark the party occasion. Fancy, easy. Enjoy!

See more photos on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Introducing the Smorbet. It's F#ing Delicious.

Raise your hand if you like to eat food.

Great. I bet if I could stare out through my screen I would see a couple of hands from people like me.
I love eating food. I love chewing so much I realized I was wasting valuable precious chewing time by drinking smoothies- even a 3-banana smoothie would be down the hatch in a matter of minutes, usually less. What a waste. Aren't we supposed to savor the things we love?

What better way to slow down and enjoy the pleasure, I thought, the unfettered fruit-mazing JOY of smoothie consumption, than to stick a spoon in one? Oh, man. But straws be damned, I didn't stop there.

Plagued by the fear that I'd been over-indulging on the vanilla soy milks lately, I swapped in my latest obsession: Zico dark chocolate coconut water (cue angel choir). This stuff is packed with good stuff for athletes to hangover-havers and everyone in between. Potassium rocks! Chocolate-flavored potassium really, really rocks! And when you throw Zico in a blender with frozen fruit it turns into glittering Jesus kittens. I swear it.
The result is something between a smoothie and a sorbet, so I am calling it The Smorbet (pronounced "s'more-bay"). It racks in around 220 calories and packs a whopping Vitamin C punch to boot. This is an icy, summery treat you can sit and enjoy for awhile. With a spoon. Here's the first recipe, with more to come soon:

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Choco-Berry Smorbet:
-1 1/2 cups dark chocolate Zico coconut water
-1 cup organic frozen strawberries
-1/2 cup organic frozen blackberries

Blend completely, until a soft sorbet texture is achieved. Garnish with more fruit, shredded coconut, hemp seed, whatev. Mmm... tastes like summer!

Buffalo Cauliflower & Blue "Cheese" Dip

Had a potluck/ BBQ this weekend and saw it as the perfect opportunity to make this recipe that I've been seeing all over Instagram:

Vegan-tested, gluten-free-loved, and carnivore-approved!

Here's a link to the recipe I used. I subbed gluten free all purpose flour because I couldn't find brown rice flour that day. The batter didn't stick or bake very well, so I will need to play with the recipe again next time. Still edible and enjoyable, especially the blue "cheese:"

• Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

Here are 2 more recipes, if that one doesn't suit you. I love Snapguide in particular, for making anything! Yay, for steps and pictures.:

•  Crispy Buffalo Fried Cauliflower
• Snapguide: How To Make Vegan Spicy Buffalo Wings

Love this recipe? Find more photos and recipes on my Instagram @veganlifeisgood

Super-healthy "Mac" and "Cheese"

Lately I've been so busy with life, work, and working out (I found an awesome new routine that I'll be sharing soon) that I have barely had time for making food at home. I subsist largely through whole fruits, veggies, hummus, pre-prepped grains, and the juice bar next to my gym. Luckily there are some healthy recipes I know that don't require ANY cooking, just my trusty spiralizer.

See more of my food and photos on Instagram! @veganlifeisgood

The Real "Easy Mac:"

• fresh raw zucchini, spiralized into long or short noodles (I like short because they are the most like "real" mac n cheese noodles)
• vegan cheese sauce  (in the refrigerated area of health food stores, near the guac and hummus. I like the brand Annie's, but see below for some links to homemade or raw recipes you can make yourself!)
• -veggie toppings, like spinach and tomatoes, for extra nutrition and texture

Toss together and you're done! Delicious! You can also heat the sauce first, I think it is much better than cold Mac.
Here are some links if you want to make your OWN delicious "cheese" sauce:

• Pimento cheese sauce 
• Raw vegan creamy cheese (video!)
• Vegan Cheese Sauce

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato with Vegan Sriracha Cream Sauce

Made this for dinner the other night. It was incredible!

See more photos on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Here is the recipe for the sweet potato and the AMAZING Sriracha cashew cream sauce:
 Just click:

Recipe: Baked Stuffed Sweet Potato and Sriracha Cashew Cheese Sauce

 The sauce keeps for 6 days so I made plenty of extra and enjoyed it on my tofu scramble. I also added some New Leaf tahini sauce, just because I'm an addict.

Eco/Vegan Gift Guide, Part 1

What do you get the vegan/health nut/eco-concious person in your life?

Uhhh where do I begin?!

As a vegan who loves gifts- both giving and receiving, I am sort of an expert on this question. I worked hard to get this post up to answer it in time for the holidays, but the gifts below are good ideas for all-year round and all occasions. Bookmark it and come back for b-days, graduation, anniversaries, and "just-becauses!"
Everything here is me-approved. Unless I clearly state otherwise, I will never post anything that is untried by yours truly. I have zero interest in marketing items I don't personally love and believe in! Felt I should say that, now here we go, categorized by recipient:

1. The No-Meat Athlete

More of my photos on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

I made the "Vega Bouquet" above for my trainer/colleague/guy-friend Billy Bad Ass for his birthday. I'm pretty proud of the idea, and he loved it. I got the vase for a $1 at Goodwill and taped each single-serve packet to a bamboo skewer. If you don't know about Vega, they make a line of protein powders, endurance gels, and the like, all vegan and decently tasty. You can find their products in pretty much any store with health and nutrition items; I got these at Whole Foods. Oh, and check out Billy's website Herbivore Athletics while you're at it- sign yourself and your favorite athlete up for his entertaining and informative newsletters. I learn something new every time!

2. The Sentimentalist:

I found several sellers on Etsy who are taking recycled silverware and stamping memorable/funny messages, names, dates, or other personalization onto silverware. I think it would be a cute idea to have one stamped with a name for every member of the table at a dinner party, or at a wedding. I ordered this one from: Bella Jackson Studios.  Note: The shipping on this one took awhile. I would contact the seller directly if you are trying to get it by Christmas or another specific date to make sure it is possible.

3. The Aesthete: 

If you know someone who likes to be surrounded by beauty, even when dining, I cannot recommend these lovely bowls enough. I've ordered 3 and can vouch that they are more beautiful in person, and true works of art. Again, check with the seller on shipping times, they have earned recent recognition in magazines like Everyday with Rachel Ray and seem to be a busy company. They have many more designs and colors:  Owl Creek Ceramics on Etsy


4. The Chef:

Okay, this is also fitting for the aforementioned sentimentalist/aesthete categories. I bought this beautiful cutting/serving board for my friend who is from Oregon. I researched and made sure it would be a quality tool to withstand the test of time and recipes, and in the end she decided to hang it on the wall as art! And who can blame her? I needed it in a rush and the seller, Hans, was very quick to make the custom heart over her hometown of Roseburg and to ship it to me. Many other states are available in his shop, and he states orders by Dec 18 will ship in time for X-mas:
 Alden Woods Designs on Etsy

*I have heard they also have state-shaped cutting boards at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I cannot vouch for their quality, but that at least gives you an option after the 18th if you are loving this idea.

5. The Host/Hostess:

Visiting family for X-mas? Attending a fun party? Let your gracious host or hostess know you appreciate them opening their home to you with this gracious little gift for... their home! Soy candles bypass any vegan debate on beeswax. I personally LOVE the holiday scents from Illume candles (found at Whole Foods), especially "woodfire," which does make the room smell, gently, of its namesake!

6. Bonus Gift- Stocking Stuffer:

My instagram: @veganlifeisgood

If you've been my friend on Instagram for awhile you may have seem this photo posted the day I first bought Go Raw Super Cookies. I still love them and recommend the lemon, gingersnap, and chocolate flavors! So good! They are not only vegan but also nut, wheat, and gluten free. They are available at health food stores, or if you live in San Diego you can go to the Go Raw Life Center at Liberty Station in Point Loma and pick them up in person. Good luck not buying 10 other things while you're there, they are quite an amazing and delicious establishment.

Hope that was helpful to some folks out there. That's it for this round, but check back for many more gift ideas in the future!

Vegan Cran-Pumpkin Sausage Stuffing with Chestnuts and Apple

I know I'm a bit late to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, but there is still plenty of time to say Happy Holidays!

Among all the things I was grateful for, including friends who open their doors (and tables) to me, a few precious days off from work, and leftovers (mmm!), I am also celebrating an anniversary of sorts. 18 delicious months of being vegan! And what better way to celebrate than with perhaps the most delicious and festive vegan dish I've made so far? I mean, look:

See more photos and recipes on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

I followed the recipe here almost to the letter (clicking will open it in a new window):

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/cran-chestnut-pumpkin-sausage-stuffing-vegan/

Notes: For the vegan breadcrumbs, I used Ezekiel brand, toasted beforehand then chopped. I added extra OJ and broth as my crumbs were still a bit dry after mixing them in. I also added extra celery, sausage, and cranberries, just 'cuz I wanted to be eating this for a week after spending so much time in the kitchen! I totally did, too.

First thing to do was to score the chestnuts with a shallow "X" to keep them from exploding in the oven.

I prepped everything while roasting the chestnuts. Try to do those ahead of time because hurriedly opening hot chestnuts was NOT fun and a bit painful. I do not know how the open-fire roasters sing about these so cheerfully. They were worth it though. So good!

I used the Field Roast Apple Sage sausage mentioned in the recipe, found at Whole Foods, and it is really good stuff. I'll have to get it into some future recipes, because, well... DANG. I love it. 

By the time I got it into the pan for the oven, I could already tell this was going to be one amazing dish. It came out beautifully, was well-received by members of my friend's not-at-all-vegan family, and stuffed my leftover sandwiches for days, and days, and days. 

The verdict? Total winner. If you have the time to make this and want to impress and amaze, look no further.

PS: The heart bowl is handmade:   Neal Pottery on Etsy

The owners are vegan and really nice folks. I bought two and love them so.

Speaking of beautiful things, stay tuned to the blog for my Vegan Gift Guide, and many more holiday recipes!

Mediterranean Bruschetta with Olives, Capers, and Roasted Red Peppers

Out of everything I made for Thanksgiving, this easy recipe got the most "mmm's!" Most of it was devoured as we dashed around the kitchen, staving off our hunger as we made the last preparations for dinner.

It is easy and elegant and I think it will forevermore replace hummus as my go-to appetizer, to please vegans and non-vegans alike.

See more photos and recipes on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Vegan Mediterranean Bruschetta 

     Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• Organic Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup or to taste, plus 1 tbsp
• dash of salt
• Pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
• Drained and rinsed capers (a whole 2 or 3 oz jar will do)
• Thinly sliced fresh garlic, 1-2 cloves
• Red-wine vinegar to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• sliced sourdough baguette

There are lots of ways to roast red peppers, or capsicums. I prefer using the same oil that will be in the rest of the bruschetta and low heat of 400 F, but if you want to really blister them try vegetable oil under the broiler. But I just used that extra tbsp of oil and the salt to coat the slices in a bowl, then spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the olives, capers, and garlic in a bowl. You will want to add the roasted peppers next, and then play with the amount of oil, vinegar, and fresh pepper. I kept adding more oil until I could see a spoonful of the bruschetta really moisten the bread. If time allows, allow the mixture to marinate for a bit in the fridge. Serve spooned onto the bread, toasted or un-toasted. Both ways are delicious!

*Note: Careful with the garlic. It gets more intense as the flavors marinate. 

Raw Chocolate Donuts

Do you eat vegan/raw/clean but crave decadent holiday treats? Me too!

This time of year doesn't have to be a challenge. I found a recipe over at Plant Powered Living's website that solves all our problems and tastes as naughty as those little chocolate Hostess Donettes, while still being raw, clean, vegan AND gluten free!!!

See more of my pictures on Instagram @veganlifeisgood

Here is the link to the recipe:  Amazing Raw Chocolate Cinnamon Donuts

 * A couple of notes:
     -I left out 1/2 of the cinnamon in the recipe and subbed nutmeg instead. To me, nutmeg is the essential flavor in donut-making.
     -Have a good rubber scraper on hand. The mixture gets really sticky in the food processor.
     -To make a clean glaze, add cinnamon to a little water mixed with agave or syrup.
     -The recipe calls for cashews OR almonds. I used cashews that had been soaked only an hour and they worked fine! Almonds will need more time.

I met some of the guys from Plant Powered Living at VegFest in San Diego and having been loving the recipes on their website. Check 'em out.

Tofu Steaks in a Holiday Marinade

Yesterday I shared a bright and seasonal kale pomegranate salad with a creamy sunflower seed, mustard, and avocado dressing. Here is another beautiful vegan dish featuring fresh satsuma oranges and rosemary, from the same Whole Foods pamphlet. The two recipes together cost me just over $20, though I had several of the ingredients already. The flavors in this one taste very appropriate for a holiday meal! Here is a printable version:

from Whole Foods, love that it's vegan!

Prepping the marinade, trying not to drink up the fresh satsuma juice.

The dates, cinnamon, and cayenne really gave this a unique sweet and spiciness. The marinade gave me an excuse to use a sprig of fresh rosemary from our garden!

Tofu steaks marinating, and smelling delicious already!

I only had time to marinate for 1/2 an hour, and that seemed to work fine, but they can be done overnight too for more flavor.

Warming the oranges in the steak pan after turning the heat off

The satsumas really brighten the plate, in taste and in looks!

See more recipes and photos on my Instagram! @veganlifeisgood

As of today I have a short holiday off work, which means more kitchen time. Lots more holiday recipes coming right up!

Kale & Pomegranate Holiday Salad

I was thrilled to see my Whole Foods put out a little booklet of vegan holiday recipes that are under $20! So far I have made 2 and they are cheap, easy, and delicious. The first was this beautiful salad with an AMAZING dressing. This can be made all year round by substituting the pomegranates for seasonal fruit.

More pictures on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Instead of typing their recipe, I thought I'd take a picture, so those of you with a printer could just print it and head for the store! Here it is:

Free recipe from Whole Foods

Don't forget to toast the sunflower seeds! It really brings out the flavor. I used whole, raw ones.

I substituted stone-ground mustard for Dijon 

This one is worthy of the holiday table. Enjoy!

Walnut Pesto

I love making pesto because it is so versatile. If I have a jar of it, I can reach for it for pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and veggie dip. Here's how I make mine:

More pictures on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Vegan Walnut Pesto:
-1 or 2 cups raw walnuts, soaked in fresh water a few hours or overnight, then rinsed
-1 med. bunch of basil (2- 3 cups packed)
-1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
-3 garlic cloves
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt, to taste
*optional: vegan Parmesan
-tools: a food processor

Pesto is always an experiment that involves me hovering over my food processor with my taster spoon. I start with some of the walnuts and some of the basil and oil and build from there. I wouldn't even say these are the exact measurements because I add a little here, another there. Flavorwise, I tend to be light on the basil and toss in extra garlic. Oil goes in til the perfect mix of chunkiness and spread-ability happens.

When I dip my spoon in and it finally comes back with a Halleluiah chorus singing on my taste buds, I throw it in a mason jar and enjoy it for up to 5 days. I don't know if that's the shelf life, I've just never had a batch last longer than that before being devoured! If you have extra you can also freeze it.

Tip: You can substitute pine nuts for walnuts to make a more traditional pesto, or sub parsley for basil in a pinch.

My Banana Island: Days 1 and 2

For an explanation of the Banana Island cleanse and the health benefits of bananas and raw food in general, see my previous post:
My Banana Island, Day 0: Why Bananas? and Preparations

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist.What I write here is based on my opinions and research and my experience will not be universal to all people.

Day 1:

On day 1 I had approximately 18 bananas ( I lost exact count at lunch). I felt very full and honestly quite sick of bananas by midday, but soldiered on in the spirit of banana island. Physically I was feeling quite good, probably from how healthy I'd been eating prior to the cleanse, but by the time I got home from work I had an  headache of the magnitude I associate with caffeine withdrawl. This was mysterious to me given that I'd given up caffeine weeks ago. Trying to cure it with icy liquid, I put some frozen raspberries in my water bottle and went to kickboxing class, where I felt very energized despite the headache. I was able to do all the moves, plus sprinting and a sadistic amount of squats. No problems there.
I decided to jazz up my banana dinner with a raw sauce made of blended carrot, banana, plum, water, and pumpkin pie spices. I arranged my banana into a sort of pie and heaped it generously with sauce to photograph for Instagram. The rest I ate together with more bananas out of a bowl:

More photos on my instagram: @veganlifeisgood

As a rule I have not been eating after 8, so it was a rush to get it down after kickboxing. After that, my stomach was definitely full but I was craving something warm. I made honeybush tea, which is lovely and contains no actual honey

At the end of day one my observations were:
-I had plenty of energy and felt calm, and light on my feet
-My skin was looking better daily
-My digestion was slower than usual until nighttime, then started working great
-I didn't think I'd last another day on B.I., as I was tired of bananas.

Day 2:

On day 2 I only pulled off maybe 9 bananas. As I mentioned in my Day 0 post, a flaw in my planning was not going to the store days beforehand to get bananas and ripen them on my porch. I ended up having to eat a lot of not-too-ripe bananas that hadn't grown spots yet. On day 2 I think they hit my system hard. The calm feeling of Day 1 was replaced by irritability and a lack of focus at work, and I ended up eating 2 grapefruits and 2 apples for lunch and only 1 banana. By the time I got home I felt a new resolve to get my banana on, but I did add cacao powder to the 4-banana and water smoothie I made. It tasted great. On a cleanse you really appreciate any variety in taste and texture, so I was loving my smoothie!
However, my energy levels had run low and I fell asleep til evening. I had a last banana, then caved when my roommate presented me with a homemade vegan energy bar. It ok but actually felt too heavy on my taste buds. I also spotted a zucchini in the fridge, and as I was beginning to deeply crave some veggies, it went down the hatch too. More tea and sleep.

Observations from Day 2:
-skin continues looking better/brighter daily
-energy and emotional levels very low
-hard to resist the temptation of other foods
-digestion working awesome

I just finished living Day 3 but haven't had time to write it all down yet. I can say from this side of it, though, that things felt much better on Day 3 and for the first time I could see results on my body. Stay tuned ;)

My Banana Island, Day 0: Why Bananas? and Preparations

Hello!
I wanted to document my experience with Banana Island, which is essentially a cleanse where you eat as many bananas as you want. I know it may sound fruity! I recommend skeptics head over to http://thebananagirl.com/ and check out Freelee's videos. She is a wonderful inspiration for anyone looking into raw foodism, and helped me when I was making the transition to veganism. Also, her videos and research could explain why I would do this much better than I can put into words, but here are the results of some research I've done*:

1. WHY RAW?
Raw foods are full of enzymes, and so aid in their own digestion. Food that is cooked or pasteurized does not contain these enzymes and thus requires a much greater effort from our bodies to digest. Digestion typically requires more energy than any other body function. This is why our energy levels plummet after large, cooked meals (aka the "food coma," you KNOW what that feels like). People who eat large meals of raw vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds, however, usually report an increase in energy levels. This is because they have set their bodies free to perform other functions such as repair and rejuvenation. This is the reason I juice almost daily, because I get so much nutrition for very little effort!

2. WHY BANANAS?
Out of all the reasons I could list, I'd like to focus on one: potasssium. Now, most of us are aware by adulthood that potassium is a buzzword for health. Like, it has a lot to do with something important to our health, and bananas have it. Right? That was the extent of my knowledge until I put in some research.
As it turns out, our potassium-to-sodium levels are a critical key to vibrant health. High sodium, low potassium diets are directly linked to all the major health problems in our country (and leading causes of death) like heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Potassium deficiency has the lesser effects of mental confusion, irritability, weakness, as well as heart, nerve, and muscle problems.The reverse, high-potassium and low-sodium intakes, are preventative to these health problems and are key to lowering high blood pressure. It isn't enough just to restrict sodium, the high potassium intake is also essential.
Most people have a potassium to sodium ratio of less than 1:2, which means they ingest twice as much sodium as potassium. However, researchers have recommended at least a 5:1 ratio, and a diet high in fruits and vegetables can achieve a ratio greater than 100:1! This douses your body in the electrolytes that aide in so many of its most important functions. Without enough potassium, cells will burst their sodium-potassium pump, fatigue sets in and muscles grow weak.

There are some of my answers to WHY. On to the HOW of Banana Island!

See more photos on my Instagram: @veganlifeisgood

Some things to note:

-Even though my sources are, I myself am not a doctor or a nutritionist. The things I write are my opinion and experience, and the things that work (or don't) for me are not for everyone.

-I am not pressuring myself to stick entirely to bananas and am allowing some other raw fruits and veggies. For one, when I went to stock up in the store most of the bananas were still green, a problem I'll explain later. Also, I do not have a specific goal like detox or an expectation of weight loss. If I really wanted those results I would be following Freelee's advice to the letter, but I am doing this mostly to cleanse my digestive tract, maximize my potassium intake, and for the adventure!

-I prepared for this, and even then, I've already discovered that I didn't prepare enough. I urge anyone considering a cleanse to get their body, mind, and pantry in the right place before embarking on one. More on that, coming up...

BANANA ISLAND, DAY 0:
That's right! Day Zero. This was the day I really prepared myself for cleansing, although I have been eating mostly raw for weeks and eliminated caffeine from my diet, which was a cleanse in and of itself. I will make a post soon about how I did it and why. The point is, after eating so well for so long, I knew I was ready for a cleanse and that it wouldn't be a shock to my system, or my mind. I think a lot of healthy detox and cleanse ideas have a bad rap because people try them without preparing themselves, and as soon as the pangs begin or the fruit basket is empty, failure creeps in along with disgust for the process.

For the mental aspect, I watched some videos on Youtube, including the skeptics. I wanted to be aware of potential set-backs, but usually watching any kind of vegan videos gets me fired up and these just reaffirmed my purpose. There are some really beautiful raw foodists who put their whole selves into their Youtube accounts, and I love them for spreading that around. Anyway, it helped motivate me and get my mind in gear, and it was reassuring to hear from others that they had eaten other things besides bananas too.

Foodwise, that day I ate... mostly bananas! That's right. If you're going on a cleanse, you should work your cleansing foods into your diet gradually, and I had already been eating a ton of bananas. I won't call it Day 1 only because I enjoyed other fruits for breakfast and made a massive spiralized raw zucchini noodle dish for dinner (pictured above).

I also prepped by buying a cart-full of bananas at the store, but this is where I hit my first potential snag: most of the bananas in the store were not ripe. They were still bright yellow or even had a greenish tinge at the stem. A good, ripe banana shows itself by having brown spots (not bruises, mind you, but those freckles of brown that most people think looks unappetizing, but the fruit under the peel is perfect!) and is easier to digest and much healthier. Really, looking back, I should have bought my bananas days ahead of time and ripened them at home. More on this later.

Check out my next post, Banana Island Days 1-2, coming up!

*I got a lot of information from the wonderful book The Complete Book of Juicing. Aside from great recipes, it is a powerhouse of information on raw food and nutrition, and I highly recommend it. I am in no way compensated for this recommendation, I honestly love this book.

Simple Juices: Part 2

Awhile back I posted some easy 2 ingredient juices (click here to see that post) that pack a punch against cancer and are soooo good in so many other ways. Here, as promised, are some more of my favorite supersimple concoctions I put through my juicer:

Watermelon Lemonade

• 1/2 watermelon
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

In my original Instagram post, I added lots of fresh water and some agave to this recipe. plus another half lemon with the peel on through the juicer. Not only is this new recipe easier, I think it is actually quite tastier. Why water this down and add sweetener if it isn't necessary? Only add the extras (and plenty of ice!) if you want a pitcher-full for a party.

Orange & Ginger

• As many oranges as you can drink (I average 5-6!)
• 1/2" to 1" peeled fresh ginger

When I juice ginger, I cut into whatever else I'm using, in this case an orange, and wedge the ginger inside to easily juice them together.
This is such a good juice for immunity or fighting an existing sickness. I was experiencing a lot of detox symptoms from eating raw and kicking caffeine, so the orange nourished me while the ginger blasted my tummy troubles and migraines. I felt so much better if I could get a big, simple juice into me before a raw meal!

Watermelon + Mint

• Tons of fresh watermelon
• Handful of mint, plus more for soaking/garnish

If you read this post you already know of my serious affection for the combination of watermelon and mint. Life really does not get much tastier than these two together. Enjoy the last of summer watermelon while you can, the weather here in Santa Cruz has been alternating between getting a bit crisp then heating back up again.




Stay tuned for many more juices. Or you can follow my instagram account @veganlifeisgood, which shows tons of creations that I can't keep up with on the blog! Here's a little taste of what I've been up to:

Follow me on Instagram! @veganlifeisgood