In the Raw

Wahoo! My kitchen is getting raw friendlier and raw friendlier every day. I just won a used (for vegan foods only) 5-tray Excalibur Dehydrator off EBay for 50% off the regular price. Yea! (I'm getting REALLY good at EBay bidding, btw. Ha ha!) So now I'll be able to make sprouted buckwheat breads, flaxseed crackers, parmesan "cheese"--made soley out of pine nuts, and a host of other healthy, enzyme-rich foods.

Last week I made zucchini pasta, which I actually prefer to regular pasta as a light, flavorful summertime meal. Basically all it entails is using a peeler and peeling long, thin strips of zucchini "meat"--not the skin or seed center--until you have what looks like a plate of pasta!

And last night I made Almond Milk, which I'm drinking in my iced coffee this morning. It tastes delicious.

This is how you do it:

1. Soak 2 ½ cups of raw organic almonds over night. The raw and organic part is important, as toxins are held in fats so you want the purist, most pesticide-free nuts possible.
2. Rinse the nuts, then put in a high-power blender with 6 cups of water.
3. Blend like crazy.
4. Strain the liquid into a carafe. (You can save the crumbled almond pieces in the freezer to use for breads or as a topping on salads or desserts.)
5. If you want to flavor the nut milk, you can pour the liquid back into the blender and blend with whatever you like. Last night I used cinnamon, vanilla extract, a pinch of sea salt, and agave nectar. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Just you wait. In a couple months I’m going to positively GLOW. :-)