Archive for July, 2008
When I came across Debbie Young’s feisty blog the other day, I was totally excited to get her on board and contribute some of her green lovin’ in preparation for our upcoming Green Smoothie Day! So, my lovelies, with no further ado, heeeeere’s Debbie, pimpin’ Green Smoothies!!
Green smoothies abound in the raw food world; they are as ever present as beer at a ball game. Why green? What’s so bad about just blending up some fruit and water and sucking it down? Green is where it’s at; it’s where all the chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins, proteins and micronutrients live. By adding green love to your standard fruity blend, you up the ante of fiber, dense nutrition and lip smacking satisfaction.
Say you are new to this party, not sure what to add and what to take out. Perhaps you have had ten thousand green glasses and are bored and thinking about Shamrock Shakes again. I have the ultimate guide to pimping your smoothie and making it yours, unique and custom geared to suit your tastes and fill your belly with delight. So grab your high-speed blender and let’s boldly go where all raw foodies need to go: To the menu of goodies!
Like any good anarchistic community, raw food has no rules save for that it be raw and uncooked. Green smoothies are the same way but to make it really rock, you need a few foundation ingredients. Then you can play and improvise and generally run amuck.
Base Liquid:
You need at least two cups of liquid. Some are thicker than others, so choose
by flavor and desired consistency.
- Almond Milk use unsweetened vanilla or plain unsweetened
- Coconut Milk: make this using a young Thai coconut, the juice and meat together,
thick, creamy and sweet!
- Coconut Water: sweet, like water in consistency, O.N.E. brand is good
- Pure Water
- Fresh Juices: the skies the limit, flavors galore, be sure you juice it
yourself fresh!
Greens:
You can vary the amount from a handful to a few cups. The greener the less sweet
it will be, unless you have very sweet veggies!
- Collards: remove the ribs
- Kale: remove the ribs of curly, use dino kale whole
- Spinach: wash it well
- Romaine: use ½ head up to one full head
- Bok Choy: chop it up a bit
- Sprouts: any and all work, but sunflower and pea are the sweetest
- Cucumbers: peel if not organic!
- Broccoli stems
- Avocado: this will make it thicker, almost pudding like.
- Celery: this can be stringy, cut it up to make it blend better.
Fruit:
Add one cup or more of fruit. Freeze it for a thicker, slushier smoothie.
- Apples: peel if not organic, use seeds if desired
- Strawberries
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Cherries, berries of all sorts: Traders Joes has lots of frozen berry blends
- Lemon: go easy if you don’t like tart flavors! Lime works too.
- Watermelon: very yummy on it’s own but a great addition.
- Melons: musk melons, cantaloupe, melons rock, even on their own.
- Dried Mulberries: these add thickness and are mildly sweet.
Thick it Up:
Sometimes you need a little somethin’, add these to thicken your blend.
- Almond Butter
: raw only, chunky is great
- Macadamia Nut Butter: very thick, lots of natural oil
- Tahini: just a little bit
- Flax Seeds: grind them up to make a meal, do it fresh, it tastes better
- Chia Seeds: these form a sort of gel consistency and add nutrients galore
- Soaked Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, have fun!
- Ice Cubes: freeze good pure water
- Frozen Fruit
- Raw Ice Cream: wow, that’s a whole other blog post!
- Coconut Oil or Butter: just a tiny bit
Sweet Love:
Always taste test your blend, if it makes you pucker add some of these!
- Raw Agave Nectar: I like the dark variety.
- Raw Honey: full of bee’s pollen and flower love
- Dates: if soft use them whole (take the pits out!) or soak them a bit to
soften
- Figs: dried or fresh
- Coconut Flakes: dry, organic, yum!
- Vanilla: use the bean or the extract
- Stevia: teeny tiny bits will add sweetness with no acidity: just go light.
Super Foods:
If you really want to pimp out your smoothie add these Super Heroes.
Exotic Rides:
If you are feeling randy, try these crazy combos for a new level of taste treats!
- Cilantro, garlic and cayenne/ turmeric: Viva the Hotness!
- Fresh Mint and Cacao Nibs: Mint Chocolate anyone?
- Cacao/Maca Powder: Move over Mc Donalds, THIS is the real chocolate deal.
- Chai Tea: enjoy a natural alternative to Starbucks tazo chai latte.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice: tastes twice as nice.
So go wild, have fun and share your pimpin’ with us, send the RawDivas your recipes and tell us about your green smoothie concotions!
Oh and be sure to get some of those fat straws.. gonna need them.
Despite the kindness of so many people who emailed and posted regarding my Green Juice confessional, I have to admit, I didn’t actually manage to pull it off until Jamie the Wonder Goddess of yoga and green juice, emailed me THIS! Honestly, I would give my juicer away tomorrow if it were not for the fact that it still makes the best banana ice cream!
Thank you, Jamie!! You can check out Jamie’s other articles on greens in our upcoming Health in High Heels and on the RawMom site!
The Cheap and Easy Way To Make Green Juice
by Jamie Abrams
I started green juicing nearly a year ago. Up until that point I had been a green smoothie queen. I loved them (still do) but, I was finding that I was feeling really heavy after my morning helping. My skin was reflecting this to me as well through pussy pimples and acne outbreaks. Not really what a girl wants when she is nearly thirty!
Finally, I knew I had to break my love affair with my green smoothies and move to something that served my body better. Drum roll please…..GREEN JUICES.
We already know how fabulous fresh fruit and vegetables are for our bodies. But, as soon as we liquidize these babies they become even more potent and powerful, especially greens. The five biggest benefits of greens are their chlorophyll content, trace minerals, vegetable protein, enzymes and alkalizing abilities. All these formidable effects are enhanced when we put them into the easily absorbable form of juice.
Like many people starting on their juicing journey I kitted myself out with one of the best masticating juicers on the market. If you are like me and maybe a lot of others who have these diamond studded juicers you probably tired easily of all the fiddly cleaning of bits and pieces. Any one juice could require using up to thirteen parts!!! Who has time for this?
Not wanting to forfeit my daily prescription of green juice I got resourceful. I first heard Sergei Boutenko and then the Rainosheks suggesting to people to use their blenders and nut milk/ sprout bags to make juices and by doing this you without doubt half the set-up and clean-up time.
If you would like to give this a go try the following with or without little hands helping:
Bod-A-Bing-Ba-Da-BOOM Juice
1 cucumber
3 stalks celery
1 small pineapple or 1/2 large
1 apple
2 carrots with their tops
bundle of spinach
bundle of rainbow chard
sprinkle of watercress
Chop the following up into chunks your blender can manage. Add enough water to cover your blender blades (1/4 -1/2 cup usually does the trick). Place ingredients in the blender as listed above. By placing the high water content items at the bottom you are more likely to have an easier blending experience. Turn on your blender. Poof. You have thick muck. Place your nut milk bag inside a jug or bowl, pour half the blender contents into it and get squeezing. Ring out all the juice from the bag. Place pulp into compost and repeat again or until your blender is empty.
Magic! You have a smooth, delicious green juice in minutes!
Did I mention how sparkly you look now?
PS. For those with little people about: Have your munchkin place the ingredients in the blender, turn the blender on and allow them to help you squeeze the juice out. My little guy’s hands are like lightening when ringing out the juice. It always tastes so much more gorgeous when he has added his energy to it. Plus he loves to drink it with me!
The last few weeks I’ve posted on the idea of “Making Sense of Men”.
I don’t quite know how to say this, without sounding a bit silly, but, as I had been warned, within about 24 hours of my last post about feeling great with independence, Mr. Right smacked me upside the head like a pickup truck out of nowhere.
I think I mentioned I’ve been doing a bit of self-reflection–looking at how the decisions I’ve made in relationships have ultimately lead to some, well… less than ideal circumstances. 
And it’s not easy to look back on your choices and wonder, “Why on EARTH!?!…”
One of my life’s mottos is:
“Never regret yesterday, life is in you today and you create your tomorrow.”
How true. So while I’ve not been willing to beat myself up for some of my choices, I have been wanting to get clarity on WHY certain decisions were made and how to stop repeating irrational patterns.
I’ve done a lot of that kind of work on myself recently, and it’s clear that my life has taken a complete 180 degree turn.
So, what about this “Making Sense of Men” thing?
Well, frankly, having received the materials in the mail, they leave me uninspired.
Why?
Because I think what’s more important than someone’s interpretation of what “men” need or what “women” need–I think what’s more important than these gendered generalizations–is the power of communication, and an ability to decide.
I think when you DECIDE what you want for yourself in relationship to another person, and when you’re willing to communicate about what is needed and wanted BEFORE you jump into things, to really find out if this is a team that can survive and support each other in powerful ways, then I don’t know what more you really need.
These things and the willingness to constantly co-create a relationship seem like the missing ingredients in a powerful relationship.
I believe people really can create the lives they WANT for themselves–not just survive and trudge through life. I think once I started Making Sense of Me, the right man just POOF! appeared. (Ildiko was right, he showed up faster than she could type her little message!)
Okay… so, I’ve got some unopened CDs and understanding men to send back in the mail and a green juice to make this morning.
Isn’t life neat when you get a few more things into perspective.
Love and hugs,
Tera
By Vanessa Stewart, the Clutter Free Diva
Does the clutter & chaos in your living space feel like it’s taking over your life?
Are you feeling tired, confused and overwhelmed by it all?
Would you like to have a sense of peace, calmness and control in your life?
If you’re like most people, you’ve answered YES to more than one of the above questions! In today’s busy and hectic world, we tend to gather way too much clutter. It may be in the form of paper, books, toys, clothes, or who knows what. The big question is…”What do I do with ALL this “stuff ?”
Clutter most often represents delayed decisions.
Today I’d like to give you a few “Helpful Tips” to help you make the “decision”. Take back the control, add peace & calm as well as become more in love with your home again!
1. Schedule “de-clutter time”
Set aside a block of uninterrupted time, even 15 minutes a day will go a long way. Use a ticking timer to keep track, you can always re-set it if you want to do more!
2. Pick One Area
Decide on an area to tackle. Be real; set a goal that will allow you to see progress. It may be a drawer, closet or even a small room. When you start small, you are more likely to do it!
3. Evaluate your belongings
Walk thru your home or office and take a “look” at what you have. Are your belongings enriching or draining you? You want to be surrounded only by the things that you love, need and use.
Simple Steps to De-clutter your life!
ASK THESE 3 SIMPLE QUESTIONS:
Do I LOVE it?Do I need it?Do I use it?
And just for final measure…
How is it serving me in my life today? If it isn’t, and you didn’t answer YES to the 3 questions, it’s time to it let go! Give back!
Once you decide what you no longer need, don’t just throw it away. Give the items to a homeless shelter, or like-minded organization. This act of “sharing” will give you a sense of abundance and doing good in the world, it’s a win-win for everyone!
Clutter free kisses,
Vanessa
Vanessa Stewart is a certified Professional Organizer and Feng Shui Consultant. Her main goal in life is to “help people fall in love with their homes & offices all over again!” And she’s also our Clutter Free Diva!! Her 30 Day Clutter Busting program will be coming out in juuuust a few weeks, so watch for it!!
I know, I know.
This should be simple. I should be able to do this, but I’ll wave the
“I’m a Single, Self-Employed, Homeschooling Mother!!” flag as my excuse.
I’ve been eating too much fat.
I’ve been eating too late and night.
I’ve not been exercising enough and I NEED TO TRY GREEN JUICES!!
So, while I know a lot of people out there wouldn’t necessarily admit it…
…I need help.
*sniff*
I tried sprouts all by myself and felt brave and powerful. But now I’ve got sprouts on my balcony growing 3 feet tall. I have enough seeds to feed a nation of hamsters, but I realized I really don’t like sprouting. 
So, juicing is my only uncharted territory. That and regular enemas! *GASP* But Gina sent me some suggestions this morning so… don’t think I won’t get there eventually.
I just want to get the springy summer vibe pulsing through my system and I bet juicing is the way to do it. But I’ve always had a button on wasting all that FIBER! *sigh*
I can feel I’m not my perky self and I know I need a cleanse of some kind.
Can someone hold my hand and walk me through this green juice process, please?
And no! I don’t want to watch any videos. 
Just give me a shopping list, some recipes and make me a HAPPY WOMAN!!!
Mmmmmuah!
Love and gratitude,
Tera
Girlfriend, if I get one more email from someone who apologizes for taking up my time, I’m going to… I’m going to write a ranting blog about it!
AH-HA! Voila!
SERIOUSLY, the number of women who email me apologetically for taking up my time is shocking to me. Forgive me, sweet diva, because I come by my red hair honestly so I simply cannot keep quiet about this.
Likely you’ve stumbled upon this site and our girlie resources because you’re looking to improve your life–to feel better in your skin and more hopeful about the possibilities of what your life can be.
And it truly is an honor for us to have you here. I mean that. This isn’t some PR speech, you know. I mean, the real and genuine purpose of what we do here is to see other women embrace their potential, find balance, support, love and community.
Without you, this would be a pathetic waste of our time.
So, if I’m not mistaken and you really are here to lead a more positive and empowered life, then there is something you’ll need to do to make that happen:
TAKE UP SPACE IN THE WORLD!!
YOU are a gorgeous, powerful, clever creature and your time is as valuable as mine or anyone else’s. If you’re apologizing to me (Ms. Cheerfully Positive and Loving Humanitarian of the Year) then who else are you apologizing to for taking up their time? Huuuuuh?
TIME IS TIME! And your time is a gift to any person with whom you choose to share it.
You could be lying in sweet grass sniffing clover.
You could be in the arms of someone you love.
You could be out there on some other woman’s website (GASP!!).
But you’re here, and that really means a lot to us. Wherever you are, BE THERE FULLY and take up the space you deserve.
Go outside to a tall place at night. A balcony, a rooftop, a hill somewhere–get as high as you can then look uuuuup and see the farthest stars you can.
YOU are as big as you can imagine yourself to be. Stretch the limits of you out to the farthest stars and then farther still. OWN THAT SPACE. Be as big as you can and just enjoy all that room to breathe!
Practice the art of knowing that your time is a gift to others, too.
I offer free personal consultations to the women who are a part of our Body Enlightenment System and I am always so sad to learn how many women held back from asking for help because they didn’t want to waste my time!!
Eeek! Your time is a gift to me, and none of us are in this crazy game of life on our own, you know. My exchanges with other courageous women of the world are what inspire, fulfill and empower me to do what I do. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t willing.
So, today, practice the art of taking up space and take up time, too. Know that you belong here! More than that, you’re a key player in this circle of life and your contributions matter and make the world a better place to be, too!
Love and big, wide, astral hugs,
Tera
p.s.
And if you’re trying to lose those last 10 pounds, when your confidence and “beingness” start taking up more space, your body will be able to stop overcompensating.
Well, as may have become obvious, my little tigers are back from their vacation and time has quickly sucked itself out of my life.
HOLY COW is it ever incredible to think of how bum wiping and dispute resolution consume such an enormous part of my day. That having been said, it’s Monday! The kids finally left for their Dad’s for the night and it’s my time to get juicy.
And, since we’ve made Monday our Making Sense of Men days, I thought I’d share a few of the thoughts that wiggle themselves about in my brain as I drift off to sleep at nights.
Having taken the time recently to evaluate my past relationships I really got to see what worked and what didn’t. I get, now, where I made mistakes and I am observing myself do a complete 180 degree turn in terms of how I handle my relationships and communication.
In my ideal scene before two people decide to embark on the adventure of loving each other, they’d sit down and share their visions for the world. Ask a thousand questions of what they like, what they don’t like. Put sex, money, kids and past relationships out there on the table for both sides to see and THEN decide if the whole package makes sense.
I’ve never liked being a statistic. I didn’t want to be a divorcee. I believe in love and partnership and think that a family, when it functions with love and trust and supportive communication, is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed.
But I do think you can live a perfectly fulfilled and empowered life without having a long term partner. YES! It’s exciting and fun, and there’s so much to learn, but I’ve seen myself so on fire about life, community and the creative work I do that I’ve questioned whether a relationship is really something I need or want right now.
And you know what, I really don’t think I do.
I’m so excited by the work we do, so busy with kids and so engaged in my studies that I just don’t really WANT to take on more. I feel fulfilled and the first thing I’ve learned in this incredible process for myself has been how much I really like just being ME.
And that’s an awfully good place to start.
Muah!
xo
Tera
That’s what Tim said when he saw the picture of my Dad the other day. I liked that, because it’s somehow accurate in more ways than the obvious. You can get a better sense of that yourself by checking out the interview I did with him last night.
I’ve conducted more interviews in the last year or so than I could comfortably count, but this one was kinda special. I can remember when my Dad was a hot air balloon pilot and he came to visit my class I thought he was the most famous guy in the world. I still think he’s pretty cool.
It was so interesting to hear some of his perspective’s on problems and how to confront them. I believe he called himself a pathological optimist. (I believe I picked up on that gene. ) I loooved the way he spoke about ripping through dark clouds and the thing that impacted him the most when he spent time with Malcolm Forbes in France.
I hope you enjoy this call with him. I learned a lot and have had some really positive feedback from others who heard the call, too. You can check it out here!
He’s a neat guy, and he’s having a big impact on the world with his company while living on Fortune Bay right now, in Newfoundland, where whales go by just outside his window…
Speaking of whales…
…they won’t be able to keep going by unless YOU do something to make sure you’re ensuring their survival! You can do that best by signing up for our Green Smoothie Queen’s 3 Day Challenge.
Today’s Health In High Heels is ready to roll off the presses!
Mmmmuah!
Have an absolutely smashing Thursday, my lovelies!
Tera
Oh MY what a beautiful adventure I had yesterday!
Not too long ago when I had been out venturing to buy my dirt and sprouting supplies at my local health food store, I was standing in line when the person beside me spoke my name.
“Are you Tera?”
“Uhh… yeah,” I said, not so sure myself.
And then this charmingly cheerful guy proceeded to tell me that he recognized my face from some of the work I’ve done in the name of raw food. And as I was wrestling with 10lbs of organic soil, 2 kids and lots of sprouts, we didn’t get the chance to chat much, but exchanged cards with the promise of an adventure in the near future.
And yesterday was my lucky day! We spent about 3 hours walking around the mountain and had a great chat about our raw food adventures. Jimmy‘s been raw for about 8 or 9 years, now, and says he feels best on the David Wolfian approach with a bit of coconut oil, more nuts and seeds and oooooh baby… CHOCOLATE!
Jimmy, who will be contributing an article soon on Wild Greens in the urban jungle, also has the black book on organics in Montreal and he showed me his community grocery store! OH MY GOSH I’m shocked I didn’t squeal in public, but I was so impressed, excited and AMAZED at the selection of organic foods at this place for a MUCH better price than I’ve seen anywhere else.
The height of the adventure for me was the fact that Jimmy knows back alley snacks better than anyone. While I had a bit to learn about high risk zones (potential peed on patches) I was eager to nibble and taste the greens that Jimmy showed me popping up in back alleys.
The new discovery for the week which just tickles me pink, and will no doubt be reducing
my grocery bill even further, is LAMBSQUARTERS. Yummmmy! And I saw some bunches of grapes that I just know will be ready for foraging in a few weeks. I LOVE SUMMER!!!
So we took these pictures hoping you’d be able to identify some delightful salad or Green Smoothie additions to your meals this summer!
Thanks, Jimmy, for an amazing afternoon adventure. I’m off to shop and fill my stroller with mountains of organic fruits and veggies before my kids get back from vacation tomorrow.
Happy back alley snacking everyone!
mmmuah!
Tera
p.s.
Would you nick the nibblets from your neighbor’s back yard??
p.p.s.
Tonight’s the night I interview the most important man in my life: MY DAD!!
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
And so, it is with megaphones blasting that we intend to celebrate Green Smoothie Day on August 15th!
And you, my dear?
I don’t know yet what I’m going to do, personally, but so far I think I might volunteer myself and go to my favorite Health Food Store and make green smoothies for a few hours–pass out free samples and recipe cards. Do a workshop for free in my community center, and then host a green smoothie party and my house after.
If you haven’t yet checked our cheeky announcement about Green Smoothie Day we’ve taken on the declaration of a new International day of celebration and festivities in the name of raw food and greeeeen lovin and we’d sooo like you to be a part of this with us.
So… here’s the deal:
If you’re doing anything to promote the consumption of Green Smoothies out there, we want to know about it! Just send us a message, because we’ll be featuring Green Smoothie Goddesses, bloggers, girlfriends, you name it! Boys, too! Anyone taking on the Green Smoothie Queen’s 3 Day Challenge and helping to spread the word about Green Smoothies will definitely get a big raspberry kiss of approval from us!
Like these super divas!
We have a special new product we’re unveiling on this day, too! We’ve been trying to put it together for ages, and finally we’ve made it happen. We have some special guests coming to celebrate this event with us, and we’ll definitely let you in on that as we get closer to the date.
Anyway, get the eco streamers out and blow up your green balloons, cuz we want to CELEBRATE and we’d love you to do it with us.
For those of you who are not yet signed up for our Diamonds for Diva affiliate program, you can do that here, and we’ll reveal to you our big plans for this special celebration!
So tell me!! What are you doing for Green Smoothie Day?
Let’s start with a little Green Loving from one of my favorite green icons in the world!
Green hugs and kisses,
MMMUAH!
