Raw-velation

          I jumped back on the 28 Day Transition to Raw program this Halloween. I haven't been following the program exactly this time around, which, as a lifetime member of the community (love that!), I do not think is necessary.  I have a good idea of the recipes that I like and that work for me, and I can pick and choose what to make depending on what is in my fridge or what's fresh at the store. I am excited to see the extras we will get this time around with Thanksgiving falling into the mix. It's so nice having the forums and ongoing support of the friends I have made there.

        Last night I made a modified Raw Zucchinigetti, to which I added some raw olives. I think I need to start making larger portions... I love that Miss H gobbles up a lot of the raw dishes I make and often turns her nose up at cooked vegetables. When we had lunch at the co-op the other day, Miss K scarfed up a veggie pad thai (and picked out the veggies) while Miss H was happy as a clam with the raw cole slaw and "potato" salad that she picked out from Blossom Raw Food Cuisine. 

Raw Zucchinigetti with olives

        Today I started out with a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a maté latte (okay, not completely raw with the addition of some hazelnut mylk). For lunch I ate half a watermelon. It's definitely the end of the season for melons, but there might still be a few pretty good ones at our Kroger. I'm going to miss these melon mono meals in the winter!

I'm going to miss this lunch in the winter

         On another note, it's been really interesting to see the drama and controversy happening in the raw food world. I stumbled on some videos about other raw food 'programs' on YouTube a few days ago, and I've been watching a lot about 80-10-10 (80% carb, 10% protein, 10% fat), essentially a high carb, low fat raw vegan diet that involves eating a LOT of fruit and apparently little else. At first I thought it sounded pretty crazy to eat 30 bananas a day, but the more I listen, the more I start to see a lot of validity to getting most of one's calories from pure, fresh fruit. At this point, however, I am not yet inclined to make a smoothie out of a kilogram (2.2lbs) of dates and water.
         Of course, I am just scratching the surface and so I might be missing something, but as with most things, I think there needs to be a balance. From my own experience, eating fresh, raw, whole foods is a lot better (and easier) than relying on dense "gourmet" raw meals that consist primarily of nuts and seeds. Well, I'm not finished with this topic yet, but I suppose I have rambled on enough for one day... :)

I'll just leave you with a photo of tonight's dinner.

Raw "stir fry"