*After The Cleanse*

[mtmouse]

Mtmouse, I ordered mine from Alissa Cohen's site. Still waiting. Hoping by Friday. Geez I hope it satisfies my craving for pasta. with pesto, with red sauce, anything!! I think it was $24.95 or something.

OMG, I looked at that site. Offhand, I'd say I could drop $125 and get about an hour's worth of snack food!

It sure is tempting, though. Is there anyone else on here who uses the spiralizer regularly? I don't know if I can wait for yours to arrive to find out how you like it!

[AMA]

good morning rawbies,

MTMOUSE - i have one (saladacco), but have yet to use it. 'trying' to ease myself back to eating. all that i've read, it's well worth the money. and i personally know about dropping a few $$$$ on alissa cohen's site, my first was over $200. EVERYONE MUST GET THE RAW CRUNCH BARS they taste like a PAYDAY candy bar without the sticky caramel part. i got the Blueberry - a little sticker shock of $30 though. heck, we deserve it! Obviously i'm eating a bit soon after a lengthy fast - but so far, so good.

hey TEEPEE - i'm going into the kitchen to make the corn chips and Matt's taco 'meat'. I'm such a COPYCAT!

oh and thanks for the ringing endorsement on the Breville juicer - now i have to buy one. i have a large kitchen and I'M running out of space. the Excalibur is obnoxiously hugh. i took off two folding doors that were holding all the baking things, mixers, scales, breadmaker, etc. and put all my new stuff there. mind you, i have 4 other appliance garages (with roll top fronts) in my kitchen. sorry to hear about both your divorce (maybe not?!?!) and about your limited kitchen counter space. Sounds like you've got it ALL under control though

I'm so close to returning my Breville Juice Fountain and getting an Omega. i'd get the Green Star - but it's white. (a little anal, huh?)

SIM - where are you? have a great day everyone

[steakeater]

I've seen alot of information about what to do after the cleanse. I think i am a pretty toxic person, (frequent marijuana and alcohol use) and I am planning on starting the MC in 10 days. I have stopped my bad habits due to health concerns and I am a bit worried about the detox effects. Is there anything I can do in the lead up to my 1st MC to reduce the toxins currently in my body and lessen detox symptoms?

[Sim]

Okay you crazy kids, I'm back!!!!
I've had such an adventure...while using my OXO mandoline, I sliced off part of my thumb!!!! (Don't worry, I made sure no one ate it. EEEWWW) So after a little trip to the hospital and a couple of days of throbbing pain, I'm bandaged and investing in all the right discs (small and medium shredders, graters, and slicers) for my 11-cup Cuisinart (God, I love that thing!) instead of using the mandoline. I still can't believe I did that! I'm sooooooo careful with this stuff and yet...just goes to show. I got so excited about what I was doing that I wasn't paying enough attention.
Now I'm really jealous...I absolutely love my Omega and the cleanup is not time consuming at all! I use it twice or more every day. But the Breville sounds so easy! Yes they do say that the Omega preserves all the enzymes because it doesn't heat up at all and it does do citrus (but I peel my oranges and grapefruits because those rinds are toxic; lemons and limes aren't) but you have to cut the veggies and fruits up because the feed tube is much smaller than the the Breville. Hmm. I'm a copycat too, ladies!! Nah, we're just learning from one another and that's the best! I feel like you're my friends and it's just so much fun. So, on to the toys: I absolutely ADORE my spiral cutter! I know it's called a Saladacco, but the brand I was sent was called "Metro" and it's exactly the same as the Saladacca picture. In fact, the website I ordered it from (happyjuicer.com) said they might send different brands because they're all the same. I've been making raw pasta out of zucchini since I got it two weeks ago and my whole family---and friends---are totally in love with the result! I've made all the sauces, including an arrabiata (hot, hot, hot!) that was to die for! Get the spiral cutter! It adds another dimension to the repertoire that you just can't get otherwise.
I've been using that demon dehydrator every day and love everything that comes out of it. I can't keep enough stuff in my house for the fam, either, and they're not little kids! Eggplant, yellow and white sweet potatoes, beets, apples, bananas...never enough! And all the veggie burgers and crackers! Yum! Who knew that this way of eating even existed??? And if I don't have anything ready, there's always some awesome salad that appears on a plate. I try to balance colors: lot of red (cabbage, peppers, radishes, tomatoes), lots of deep green (kale, rabe, spinach), shredded carrots, sprouts, pumpkin seeds or any other soaked nut I happen to have, enoki mushrooms (because they look so cool and funky) and some great salad dressing (try any of Matt Amsden's--they're unbelievable--I make one per week and it sits in a container and everyone in my house fights over it!) Now, I'm the only raw person here, but suddenly all my stuff disappears! It gives me such a giggle. I have four mostly-grown up kids and a new husband (well, six years into that) who is a doll for never saying anything about the expense of my new toys so I too know about that "other" life...and I lost my former Cuisinart too! That's okay...it was definitely worth it Anyway, counter space? What's that??? No matter, we're all surviving quite nicely I'd say.
On the subject of "what do you eat when you're just having a meal?" I'd have to say that I eat a lot of patés rolled up in collard greens or cabbage or kale or nori. That and salad, when I haven't had time for anything else. How about you, ladies? What's the standard when you're starved and are short on time?
Vita Mix blender...I'm saving up for it. About $400, yes? For now, my ridiculously weak Hamilton Beach will have to do, but the VitaMix is on my wish list (is my family listening?). And I purchased a Cuisinart Citrus Reamer when I started the cleanse, so when I just need a little citrus, I use that instead of the Omega. It does a nice job, it's easy to clean...it's okay, but if I had the $25 bucks back, I'd probably get some other kind of citrus press because it walks on the counter when I'm juicing.
I cannot tell you how much fun it is to talk to y'all. Okay, on to the day and some new recipe for dinner. I'll let you know what I come up with. Glad to be back among the living!!!

[Sim]

One more thing...
After really examining the Green Star and what it does and how hard it is to clean and how much it costs (astronomical!), I chose the Omega 8005 and as you know, I'm loving it. AND it's bright and shiny chrome and looks awesome on the counter (yes, I've even given it a spotlight on the premium counterspace because it's beautiful). Don't know if that helps, but don't feel badly about not getting the Green Star.
Have a great day!

[TeePee]

SIM!! You silly girl!! I have to admit, I 've had a few run ins with the madoline, but nothing dr. worthy!! Glad you are back!! Oh, I am getting ready to sit down to pasta two ways!!! alfredo, and my own red sauce!! Yep spiral slicer came today....more later!!

[mtmouse]

Okay, now I want to know (details, please!!!) what you guys are eating on this spiralized zucchini. Like, what's the Alfredo? The marinara? Are you eating raw?

Tonight I made spelt pasta and did a carrot-onion sauce in the food processor with broccoli bits that was certainly tasty. However, it doesn't come close to raw. And I'd like to get closer to raw, without feeling like I'm eating cold leftovers!

Started marinating eggplant pieces tonight, though, to dry tomorrow.

[TeePee]

mtmouse-
alfredo was (this is the halved reciped and there was still much left -2 people)
1/2 cup macadamian nuts
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup cashews
1-2 tbls lemon juice
1-2 teas braggs liquid amino
2 or so tbl water (i think i used much more while blending)
salt, pepper

Blend all in blender, adding water as needed to liquify. I used yellow squash b/c that's what i had here and I just couldn't wait to use the silly spiral slicer!!

red sauce:

3 tomatoes
handfuls basil
clove garlic
5-6 dates
1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomoatoes
salt
2 inches of a long hot pepper.
1/4 cup olive oil

processed dates and sun drieds first. add other stuff. yum..I just made this up as I went along. I am trying to remember what I did as I type.

anybody know about parsnips?? I bought them last week as I remembered seeing them on some recipe somewhere. Now i can't find it. Can you "pasta-size" them?? Never ate them in my life. NOw I'm going to try to turn them into spaghetti!!!!

[mtmouse]

Ooh, those do sound good.

Another question: for beet chips, yam chips, etc. - do you use a marinade or just slice and dry?

I'm getting closer to ordering mine! I'd been thinking about the mandoline, but after hearing Sim's story I think I'll stick to my knife! (Although, I will admit I'm missing part of my left thumb because of a knife many years ago!) I've got the Cuisinart slicing attachments but I don't like them. Too hard to control, and the pieces come out all cattywampus.

But can't the spiralizer make a thin wafer? Could you use that for beet chips and the like?

[Sim]

TeePee~
Dinner sounds delish...can I come over?
Tonight I made Matt Amsden's Soft Tacos AND THEY WERE INCREDIBLE!
I am never going back to cooked food!
Sesame Butternut noodles tomorrow...I'm already hungry

Mtmouse: the raw pasta never tastes like cold leftovers! It's really fresh...the tomato sauce I made was from tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic and cayenne. The alfredo sauce is coconut water, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pine nuts or cashews, and nutmeg. You stick all that stuff in a blender and it goes over zucchini pasta, made with a spiral cutter. The pesto pasta is coconut water, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pine nuts basil, and olive oil. With just a few changes, you have great sauces! C'mon...you'll love it!

Hey all~ I've decided I love RAWvolution's recipes, but I also love the Complete Book of Raw Food and the easiest one of all is Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet. If you have any other favorites, let me know, okay?
OOohhh, it's so good to be back, even without my entire thumb!