The One Month RAW Challenge

[mtmouse]

That's okay, rain! I take responsibility for being in this thread before I'm supposed to!

I'm definitely not off the MC, but I'm pretty sure I won't do such a long cleanse again. I'm happy for all the benefits, but from here on in I think I'll stick with shorter ones.

I love my crackers hot, hot, hot! I also make them with one-third lime juice and I often add sprouted buckwheat, because that gives an added crunch. However, sometimes I leave it out because I don't want the grains. But if you don't like heat, then you might prefer the rosemary crackers. They're great (just don't put in as much rosemary as it calls for--I usually just do a Tbsp or so, not a quarter cup!).

It's funny, even on this last day, and even with all this talk--and action--about food, I'm still not desperate to eat! I think this is absolutely the first cleanse where I've experienced that. It's almost like, "who is this?" LOL

[rain]

Wow, Kathy, do you ever like things HOT!! I just looked more closely at how you adjusted the Red Pepper Dragon Chip recipe from what Sim posted (which she said was already fiery hot). Dragon crackers, indeed (I love the name!)! I'm going to make a trial batch with all the hot things much reduced from even Sim's recipe, because I do like chili and don't mind a tiny bit of heat (baby dragon crackers). And I might try adding a few other things (like cilantro?). The savoury crepes I was drooling over a few weeks ago were made mainly of buckwheat, and they smelled so good! So I'll definitely include the sprouted buckwheat. It will be interesting to see how that changes the texture of a cracker (as compared to nut-based crackers, which are the only kind i've made so far). Hmmm...I could also find a raw version of those savory crepes (later!). They were stuffed with cheese, greens, and some other things that I forget but will write down next time I walk by that trailer.

I did try the rosemary crackers in the past and they weren't my favourite, but I don't remember why. I'm pretty sure I changed the recipe, though. I'm going to try it again (a small, trial batch) and follow the recipe as it is (hopefully, I can do that!).

I know what you mean about not being desperate to eat (but enjoying seeing and talking about food). I was like that in the earlier part of my cleanse. It was like I found where the "wanting to eat" switch was and turned it off. It's such a relief!

Now where will I find time to make crackers? I think I'll be spending some very late (and happy) nights in the kitchen, so I can hopefully garden during the day! When I first started using my dehydrator (last December), I was so excited and intrigued that i 'd stay up all night making numerous things.

[rain]

Kathy,

Welcome back to food (well, OJ!)!

As I've sat here looking up recipes, the night has gone by and the sun has come up! Doing a recipe search on this forum isn't quick for me. I get lost in reading the threads...so funny and entertaining. I'm looking forward to having the time to read it all in order, from the beginning. And now I have questions...

Which macadamia nut cheese recipe do you use? It looks like it might be this one (the last post on the page)?:

http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/show...eese#post34331

And what do you make of the caution in that same post (starting with the words "Habib's Raw Nut Cheese") about brazil nuts, macadamias and pine nuts having a bitter taste when you culture them? I guess that doesn't happen for you...

I just found another interesting mac nut cheese recipe that uses probiotic powder and sounds really good:

http://goneraw.com/recipes/1358-Real-Cream-Cheese

I want to try your butternut squash hummus with the dragon crackers (a little bit hot and sweet...sounds great!), but can only find a recipe for zucchini hummus (and a reference to it being in Cornbleet's book). Other than substituting the butternut squash for the zucchini, do you do anything else differently?

I feel like just making whatever you're making, lol. It's gotta be good if it's your first post-cleanse food (except I'll definitely pass on the HOT!).

I also came across a mention of Ani Phyo's sun-dried tomato no-bean hummus. That would be yummy on the rosemary crackers!

Speaking of you probably not wanting to do a long cleanse again, I feel the same way. I've been intrigued by the 92-day global juice feast that's happening. Some people say they have so much energy it's overwhelming. Have you heard of Angela Stokes? She lost 160 pounds by eating raw. And then, a bit more than a year ago, she did a 92-day juice feast. Here's a video of her breaking her juice feast (she looks so clear and radiant):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HESWMoMNcRw

[mtmouse]

Hi rain,

Never saw that recipe PB posted!

The one I use is exactly like the one with the probiotic powder, except it doesn't use probiotic powder. Just mac nuts and water and time in a warm place. And it tastes fabulous!

Never heard of the other things you mention. But just as I wouldn't want to do 30 days of MC again, I sure wouldn't want to do 92 days of juice! (I presume that's what that's about.) I like to chew and I already feel clear and light, LOL.

I'll have to get back to you on the butternut squash hummus. It's been a while and I can't remember. But I suspect I just substituted. BTW, it worked better with frozen organic squash chunks than with fresh, if I recall. Better texture and milder flavor more like hummus than squash. I'll try to look up my recipe and see what I did. But I may not have time until the weekend and then I might forget, so remind me if I drop the ball.

I dreamed I had a huge meal and then realized "but I haven't had any OJ yet! I wonder if I still need any?"

But I'm still on a really even keel (of course, I haven't yet had that first sip of OJ, and that could turn those tables!) and still interested in thinking about food but not really interested in eating it. Such an odd thing for me!

[rain]

LOL to your dream, Kathy! I love that dream logic.

I have to confess that, yesterday afternoon, I started eating fruit instead of drinking juice (including a total of 4 bananas, which were verrry satisfying). I kept trying to remember to at least chew really well. My guts have been occasionally moaning and groaning back awake since then. But it doesn't feel as bad as the senna tea. I'm weathering it okay.

No need for you to rush with the butternut squash hummus recipe. I've already got other recipes to try. With there being tahini in that recipe, I wouldn't consider making it for at least a week, and it could well be longer than that before I get to it (I had originally planned to stay with just fruits and veggies for quite awhile). Thank you for looking when you can...and I could just try substituting the squash for the zucchini, and thank you for the tip about freezing the squash.

Have fun with that OJ, and congratulations on your 30 day cleanse! It sounds like you're ending in a good space. After doing some yoga yesterday, I felt sooo good in my body...calm and fluid, very sweet.

[Bogi]

Oh ladies, (Kathy and Rain), you make me huhgry! lol
Pasta with marinara sauce sounds really good as first real food (let's say maybe on Sunday afternoon). I use Alissa's recipe, very easy!
I love crackers, but I don't know any really good ones yet. I tried a few flax seed crackers, but I'm not keen about whole flax seeds, don't like they sliminess. It's a different story if they grounded or at least mixed with grains or other grounded seeds.This hot dragon stuff sounds intriguing to me (especially if it really comes out crispy) and so do the rosemary crackers. Are they similar to One Lucky Duck's rosemary crackers by any chance? (I try to find the recipe of their cheese crackers, too. I know both is almond based)
Can you guys send me a link to your cracker's recipe?

[mtmouse]

Bogi,

No time for searching right now, but if you do an advanced search for posts by mtmouse and key word dragon, you should find my recipe. Mine make a terrific substitute for lime and chili Doritos!

And I never use whole flax, no matter what the recipe calls for. I always whip up the flax with whatever liquid in the recipe in the Vita-Mix, stopping as soon as it thickens, and then go on from there.

And to get crispy, just dehydrate longer! (Although adding the buckwheat to the dragon crackers does help with crispy, too.)

[rain]

Bogi,

I found Kathy's red dragon lime-chili cracker recipe (and the original, only somewhat less intimidatingly fiery Red Pepper Dragon Chips recipe that Sim posted) by using the search button at the top of any page on this forum. (I'd post the link, but I don't have it up anymore.) I've never heard of the One Lucky Duck's rosemary or cheese crackers, so can't compare. But I'm interested in seeing them (can't have too many cracker recipes, LOL!)

Mmmm...I'm just remembering that I used to like eating corn chips dipped in applesauce. Looks like I've found something new to dip into that applesauce!

There's also some blander crackers that I like (it's easy to add flavour, if you want more), like banana flax crackers. They're crunchy. I blend them till the flax is ground, and then I add hand-chopped walnuts for texture. I also like Everybody's Favorite Crackers (from the Boutenko family). They're crumbly (like some SAD crackers), which I like. I posted both of those recipes on this thread earlier this year. And there's another crumbly recipe I like that's called Just Like Ritz Crackers that I got from another site (I think Alissa's forum at http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/index.php, or possibly the goneraw.com site). The same recipe was posted here (I think by AMA), but with a different name. I think the ingredients include walnuts, flax, and zucchini. Let me know if you can't find any of those.

I'm glad your vote is for Alissa's marinara sauce. I've found the recipe here (I'll add mushrooms), and will probably be eating it this Saturday. I'm sure looking forward to that!

[mtmouse]

Cohen's marinara is my fave, too. But I'm absolutely not interested in it as a "first food", LOL! Guess I must have had my fill at other times.

I like the idea of "ritz" crackers. I wonder if they actually do simulate a regular Ritz cracker? If anyone tries them, I'd like to know how they turn out!

And now for my first sip of OJ ...

[rain]

Kathy, you still haven't had any OJ?? I'm impressed!

Thanks for the added vote for Cohen's marinara. I've only had zugghetti once so far, so it's still special to me!

I'll post that Just Like Ritz Crackers later today (gotta make my food shopping list now! ). I've made them and like them.