What Under 200 Feels Like!

I am under 200 pounds! Holy Crap! I am amazed and so freakin happy I can't even tell you. Considering I started at my heaviest at 238 pounds. Started on raw when at 231 pounds. Now I am under 200 pounds! WOW!!!!

So How I look: (I think that I look healthy and beautiful...and that takes a lot for me to say)

How I looked: (uumm.... Lets not even go there...)

How I Feel: (Sassy and Sexy as Hell!)

Ok I am done with the photos I promise! lol. I am just so excited at the difference. Can you believe it? I feel great and I am totally psyched. I never really thought that I would be able to get this far and keep going.

Broccoli in Hoisini Sauce with Parsnip Rice

OMG. This was delicious! Russell James is an absolute genius. I subscribed to Russell James' The Raw Chef newsletter and I have not really tried to make anything before this recipe. This one seemed like it was easy enough for me to give it a go, and boy am I glad that I did. And who would have thought that parsnips instead of rice would be so yummy. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this recipe.

If you want to check out his other recipes, you can find them at: http://therawchefblog.com/category/raw-recipes. I am going to try many more. His desserts look amazing!

(And notice that I finally got plain white plates! haha)

Pistachio Pesto and Kelp Noodle Salad

I got this recipes from Ani Phyo's Ani's Raw Kitchen. It was really good. I was surprised how good the kelp noodles were. I am not going to lie, I was a little iffy about the whole thing. But the pesto and really tasty and the kelp noodles and mixed greens were a nice combination. I probably should have picked a different type of tomato to garnish, the cherry tomatoes I got were not ripe enough and they threw off the taste, but the dish was a lot better once I got rid of them. lol.
You can find this recipe and many many more at Ani's website, and the link is: http://www.aniphyo.com/2008/08/25/pistachio-pesto-with-kelp-noodles/ (See below for recipe)

Pistachio Pesto Makes 1 cup

1/2 Tablespoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pistachio
2 cups basil, fresh, lightly packed
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
1/2 cup avocado, about 1/2 of an avo
1 Tablespoon olive oil

In your food processor, place garlic, salt, and pistachios, and process into small pieces. Next, add your basil, and process to mix. Add your lemon juice, avocado, and olive oil and process to mix well. Toss with your Kelp Noodle Salad, below.


Kelp Noodle Salad Makes 4 servings

4 cups Kelp Noodles4 cups herb or spring mix, lightly packed

Place noodles and greens in a mixing bowl, and toss with 1 cup of Pistachio Pesto.

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

I wanted to try to make soup. I was never one for a cold soup- always being afraid to try it. So I decided that I was going to try this Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho from Sarma Melngailis' book Raw Food Real World. The end result was AMAZING. It really was like summertime in a bowl. I was worried about mixing all of the peppers and onions with my watermelon, but it was a very nice combination, and the cucumber in the recipe added a nice cooling taste to the soup. I will definitely be making this often. It is one of the best things I have tried to make.

They have a very similar recipe available online at: http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/support-files/watermelongazpacho.pdf (See below for recipe)

No Cook Yummy Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

Makes 4 cool and delicious servings

3 cups watermelon seeded/puree in blender
1 cup watermelon diced small
1 cup seeded tomato/diced small
1 cup peeled seeded cucumber diced small
½ cup red or green bell pepper/diced small
2 tbsp lime juice
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 small jalapeno seeded and minced
1 green onion, mince 1 inch of the green and all the white
1 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper
Mix the pureed watermelon with the diced watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber,
bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno & green onion. Take a ladle
and put it into chilled soup bowls and serve.

I am sorry about the picture as well. I am going to have to get a nicer set of dishes to display what I make.