Rawtastic Find: Two Moms in the Raw!

So, we happened to swing by Starbucks this morning for a spot of tea and a piece of fruit (random impromptu pitstop). One of the great things about Starbucks and really any coffee shop (local or national) is that there’s always so much to look at. Naturally, we stay away from the pastries and baked goods and breakfast sandwiches, and you know all the reasons why! So imagine our surprise when nestled in between some trail-mix like snacks we found a live granola bar by Two Moms in the Raw! The word “RAW” stuck out the most, which is exactly why our eyes were drawn to it and we wanted to learn more.

“Could this be a yummy raw snack?” we thought, “and in Starbucks of all places?!?!” Too good to be true? We weren’t dreaming. In fact, we purchased and sampled the live granola bar today and we were totally impressed.

Here’s the low down on Two Moms in the Raw.

Meet Shari
Title: Owner/Founder of Two Moms in the Raw and mother of three children
Her Story: In 2004, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After exploring all options, I found a natural approach to healing worked best for me. Food in its natural state without all the additives and pesticides is what the body needs to heal and feel good. As I continue on my personal journey to wellness I feel better each day and I know my diet has a lot to do with it. While exploring the raw lifestyle, I couldn’t find a tasty, satisfying treat to have on the run. After lots of experiments in the kitchen with other moms, I came up with these delicious Granolas and fantastic Sea Crackers.  Pretty soon all of my friends and family were ordering more than I could afford to give away.  As a result, I decided to start charging….and here we are today. From these wonderful beginnings we have benefited greatly and look forward to the future and sharing our Raw and Organic treats with you…the ones that we have already available and the many more we have yet to come up with.

Shari’s take on Raw Food: We’re not running around the kitchen rolling in buckwheat, if that’s what you’re thinking. We are, however, choosing a lifestyle based on nourishing the body with what it needs to be healthy and active: the enzymes and nutrients found in raw foods.

We believe, based on significant investigation and proven research, food cooked to an internal temperature above 105 degrees loses most of its nutritional benefit. The body just doesn’t get what it needs for optimum well being and works harder to extract what it can from heavily processed or cooked foods.

Although we strive to maintain a 95% raw foods diet, this is not always realistic for all members of the household. We are moms with children who, at times, like to resist what is good for them. Raw foods don’t always have the most variety. Prepared raw foods take a lot of time and energy and aren’t always what you’re looking for. Two Moms found a way to bring extraordinary taste and texture to raw foods. Many of our customers have commented that “our foods are so tasty their families did not know how good it is for them.”

Where You Can Find Two Moms in the Raw Products: Click here to view a list of their current product offerings, which include sea crackers and granola. And although we don’t see Starbucks on the list (maybe they are the newest retailer), they do have a list available of locations that sell their products. Click here to view the list, and they also feature a way to contact them to suggest other locations for their products. If they are not physically in your area, you can always order online!

By admin Tags: raw granola, two moms in the raw
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Red Cabbage Tacos

Oh my goodness! One of the reasons we love raw foods so much is the colors! So bright! So bold! So full of life and energy! So I am sure you can see from the picture above why we were so excited about this recipe. It’s so beautiful! And amazingly delicious too so we think you should give it a try.

This recipe comes from a blog called The Kitchen Dispensary. Here’s what the author had to say:

Red cabbage is one of my favourite leaves to use as a wrap. It looks amazing, it’s crunchy and you can fit a lot into one leaf. It’s really one of the things we raw foodies use as a bread substitute. The ingredients below are pretty much what I had in the fridge today. You could just as easily use things like cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts or leftover salad. Whatever takes your fancy.

Red Cabbage Tacos

Makes 5

Ingredients

5 smallish red cabbage leaves

2 medium sized carrots

1/4 avocado

1-2 tsp lemon juice

about 8 stalks of fresh chives

Greens of your choice  (I used a mix of spinach, chard and lettuces)

Dulse flakes (Karengo Seaweed) for saltiness

Preparation

Finely grate the carrot. If you have a fine grater like one usually used for parmesean you will get more juicy flavour from the carrot.

Mash in the avocado, lemon juice and finely chopped chives. Add a little himalayan or sea salt if you wish.

Take a red cabbage leaf and fill with a few green leaves of your choice and top with some of the carrot avocado mixture.

Top with some dulse (karengo) and a few chopped chives.

By admin Tags: avocado, carrots, chives, dulse, lemon juice, red cabbage tacos
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Breakfast Recipe: Raw Muesli

If you think that fresh fruit for breakfast might be a bit too light for you, or if you feel especially hungry one day, this raw food recipe is guaranteed to fill you up and it tastes delicious.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, sliced into rings
• 1 apple, cubed
• ½ handful brazil nuts, sliced into small pieces
• 1 handful almonds or other type of nuts, whole or sliced
• 1 handful dates, fresh or dried, chopped into small pieces
• 1 handful of raisins (presoaked)
• 1 handful of prunes
• 1 handful of goji berries
• 1 handful of coconut chips
• Almond milk (How to make almond milk?)

Equipment:

All you need is a bowl and spoon for mixing!

Preparation:

1. Prepare all ingredients as above
2. Mix all ingredients well
3. Pour on milk
4. Top with prunes/strawberries/blueberries and coconut chips

Enjoy!

This recipe was provided by Marat, who resides in Leeds, UK. Marat is the raw enthusiast behind the website RawPublic, where he features daily raw food recipes and tips for a healthier lifestyle. Marat’s favorite thing about about raw foods is eating 100% raw; he says he is full of energy and passion for life!

By admin Tags: almond milk, almonds, apple, banana, brazil buts, coconut, dates, gogi berries, prunes, raisins, raw breakfast, recipe
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments » |

Learning to Love and Accept Yourself

Happy Valentines Day to our raw food and holistic health family! To continue with our celebration of our Love Your Body Month, we would like to talk about learning to love and accept yourself. You are all beautiful. magnificent beings and we are so happy to have you be a part of our family. Often times we associate love with other people (such as family members, friends, or a significant other), animals (your pet) and experiences (how you felt when…..). When we say “I love you,” we’re always saying it to another person. How often do we express our love for ourselves?

Let’s take a look within for a moment. Many of us have lifelong goals and aspirations that we hope to acquire, maybe it’s finding your true soul mate, getting a new job that excites you, or taking an adventurous vacation. No matter what it is, in the end, it all comes down to the basic need to be happy, being accepted and feeling loved. We all achieve this state through different paths (new career, new partner, new beginning, new adventures). But one way to catapult yourself onto the path of happiness, being accepted and feeling loved is to love yourself.

In order to truly love yourself (and in return share that love with others) you have to accept and love yourself unconditionally. Even if there are parts about you (physically, mentally, spiritually) that you are still working on, love those parts anyway. They are apart of you, a forever changing and evolving being. We would like to share with you 5 tips to help you love and accept you, for the person you are right now, and the person you are going to be.

5 Tips to Love and Accept Yourself

1. Show The Mirror Love. Often times when we look at ourselves in the mirror, our eyes are immediately drawn to what we consider to be our flaws or things we would like to change. Some of us get up in the mirror, not to gaze into our eyes, but to examine the size of our pores (yes ladies, we said it!). We think about “I wish my [fill in the blank] was [fill in the blank].” Well, if all you look for are flaws, then that is all you will see. So instead look for beauty. Next time you look in the mirror, give yourself a compliment (“hey there good lookin’!” “wow you’re looking great today!” “I love those bright eyes of yours!” etc). Say it out loud and with a smile. It may seem silly, but its guaranteed to put you in a good mood and stir up some positive energy. Remember too, as you gaze at yourself, see your whole self (the whole amazing package of everything that you are); this really puts love and acceptance into perspective.

2. Make A List. What do you LOVE about yourself? I mean absolutely LOVE!!! Make a list of 10 things that you absolutely adore about yourself. This list can be a combination of physical and personality traits! And be sure to write this down as we believe there is power and energy in the written word. This can be a really fun and positive exercise for yourself, a chance for you to brag about what makes you so awesome! You can put this list a couple different places. It can be a post-it note on your bathroom mirror or a journal entry in your diary. Or, you can hide a couple copies in a book, binder, wallet or purse, so you’ll find the sweet surprise later. What an excellent way to continuously send love your way.

3. Say “I LOVE YOU.” How often do we look into the eyes of someone (a romantic partner, spouse, friend, family member) and say “I love you.” We say it, we mean it, and we look into their eyes. We see that person for exactly who they are, and we LOVE them for it. Why not treat yourself to that same love? Let’s go back to the mirror. Let’s look into your own eyes, call out your name, and genuinely say “I love you.” It may be a gentle whisper at first but we guarantee that you will get louder and more convicted each time you do it! You’ll probably incorporate a little dance and maybe a wink after a couple weeks of this. Have fun! You are so worth it!

4. Beauty Is A State of Mind. If you are happy with yourself. If you think of yourself as beautiful and sexy, then others people will think that way about you too. It’s about confidence. What can you do to be m ore confident? Aside from these fabulous tips, wear clothes that make you feel good. That’s right, clothes carry energy too. If you love it, and it looks great on you, you will exude that confidence and others will notice. Take care of yourself physically. Working out in any shape or form releases endorphins and good energy. You feel awesome because you accomplished something and you are working towards a goal. Eat right! Eating the right foods that give you proper nutrients is another way to heighten the level of positive energy you have in your life. When you eat right, trust us, it shows. Be kind and compassionate with yourself, through taking care of your mind, body and spirit, you are showing yourself love and acceptance.

5. See The Whole Person. We live in a society that is way to judgmental. We see someone and based on their appearance we make judgments. We make preconceived notions about who a person is, based on how they look. Change the way you think, change the way you see the world around you, and ultimately you will change yourself and bring more love into your life. Next time you are out and about, or even if you are in the office, try to remove your blindfold of just seeing a physical person, and instead see the whole person. See what makes them so unique, see what their amazing traits are. What makes them who they are, unlike anyone else? What makes them so special? You don’t want to be judged by superficial standards, so shift your mindset to not view others in this light.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Love is in the air. Whether or not you’re celebrating with someone else, make sure you show some love to yourself, for our Love Your Body Month, and beyond.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

By admin Tags: accept yourself, acceptance, love, love your body, love your body month, self acceptance, self love
Posted in Lifestyle Tips, Wellness Weds | No Comments » |

Raw Chocolate Recipe Round Up!

Serve up something sweet, smooth and delicious for your love this Valentine’s Day. We’ve searched around for the most magnificent recipes for you to try. Treat yourself or treat the ones you love! Either way they are sure to go over well. Enjoy some delicious raw chocolate!

Raw Chocolate Cake

Let’s eat cake! While we’re at it, let’s make it healthy but still taste fabulous! This is a recipe you must try. You’ll find all the ingredients and directions here: Raw Chocolate Cake.

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Real Chocolate Ice Cream

Karen Knowler just perfected her raw chocolate ice cream just in time for the holiday weekend. The ingredients list is simple and the taste is magnificent. Check out the full recipe here: Real Chocolate Ice Cream.

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Super Easy Raw Chocolate Recipe

This looks so delicious! Super easy creation to make, then place in your fridge for a couple hours for it to set. Check out the full recipe here: Super Easy Raw Chocolate Recipe.

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Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies

Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownie Balls – Sinfully Delicious! Mmmmmm. Yes they are THAT good! Tiffany, over at Nature Moms Bog, has a fabulous recipe for you. Check it out here: Raw Vegan Chocolate Brownies.

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Raw Chocolate Mousse

So smooth and creamy and delicious, and good for you too! Check out the full recipe here: Raw Chocolate Mousse.

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Raw Chocolate Truffles

This recipe for Raw Chocolate Truffles really lets you get creative with how you garnish them (see the picture below). Check out the full recipe here: Raw Chocolate Truffles.

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Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Kristen (from Kristen’s Raw) has a super amazing recipe for a raw cheesecake. Check out the full recipe here: Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake.

By admin Tags: raw chocolate, raw chocolate brownies, raw chocolate cake, raw chocolate cheesecake, raw chocolate ice cream, raw chocolate mousse, raw chocolate recipes, raw chocolate truffles
Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments » |

Inspirational Quotes on Love

Looking for that perfect quote to put in a card? Or perhaps some inspirational words to get you in the mood? Let us inspire you with some wonderful words of love. Enjoy! If you have a quote you would like to share, leave a comment.

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“Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds.”
-Shakespeare

“If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you’ve made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.”
-Unknown

“You don’t marry someone you can live with – you marry the person who you cannot live without.”
-Unknown

“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
-Saint-Exupery

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”
-Ingrid Bergman

“True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.”
-La Rochefoucauld

“Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.”
-Alexander Smith

“The richest love is that which submits to the arbitration of time.”
-Lawrence Durrell

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”
-Thoreau

“Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.”
-Dr. Karl Menninger

“To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best.”
-William M. Thackeray

“Who says love never lives? Maybe we’ve never lived.”
-Unknown

“Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever.”
-Unknown

“If love is great, and there are no greater things, then what I feel for you must be the greatest.”
-Unknown

“The Eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love!”
-Margaret Atwood

“Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart.”
-Unknown

“Within you, I lose myself. Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again.”
-Unknown

By admin Tags: inspirational quotes, love
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Black Eyed Salad

Not all salads start out with Romaine lettuce or baby cabbage! Why not try a salad that offers a different mix of ingredients and a bold flavor? We promise you, this salad is as delicious as it is colorful. And not only that, but it is super easy to make!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• black-eye beans (soaked overnight in cold water)
• sliced carrot
• beansprouts
• sliced red pepper
• sliced cabbage
• 1 teaspoon of cold pressed hemp oil
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Equipment:

All you need is a mixing bowl!

Preparation:

Mix all the vegetables together in a bowl. Then, add in the sea salt, lemon juice and season with the hemp oil. That’s it!

Enjoy!

This recipe was provided by Marat, who resides in Leeds, UK. Marat is the raw enthusiast behind the website RawPublic, where he features daily raw food recipes and tips for a healthier lifestyle. Marat’s favorite thing about about raw foods is eating 100% raw; he says he is full of energy and passion for life!

By admin Tags: beansprouts, black eye beans, cabbage, carrot, hemp oil, lemon juice, red pepper, salad, sea salt
Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment » |

How To Love Your Body Raw

This month we are going to LOVE our body RAW.  What better time to do this than during the month of Valentines… the month of Love. Whether you are all raw, eat partially raw or trying to go all or more raw, these tips will help you to show more love to yourself for the month of February and beyond.

1. Eat More Chocolate. What is a better way to start these tips that to say that this month we can use the excuse to eat more chocolate…Raw Cacao.   Chocolate in its raw form is high extremely high in anti-oxidants, magnesium (why do you women think you crave chocolate before that time of the month) and helps suppress and satisfy those cravings.  What makes this a perfect food for loving our body raw this month is that it contains the neuron-peptides that are similar to those we produce when we are in Love.  How many of you LOVE chocolate…there is something to it.

2. Add More Maca. In addition to the Chocolate, how about adding in some MACA, the root that acts as an aphrodisiac So now you are having the love producing cacao and the libido increasing Maca and what do you have… an amazing and extremely tasty combination that’s high in nutrients.  Maca great for rebuilding the adrenals, strength, stamina, endurance, is loaded in vitamins and minerals and is a great source of Protein containing over 20 amino acids.

3. Eat More Red Foods. And then third, let’s add more red foods in this month.  How about some amazing Goji Berries that are known for longevity.  These berries are also very high in anti-oxidant, …  February is a cold month for many of us, soaking goji’s in some warm water can make a wonderful tea.  To top it off there is nothing better than the combination of the Goji’s with Maca and Cacao.  So before we continue, let me give you a recipe.

Let the Goji Berries steep in some hot (not boiling) water for 20 min, then use the Goji water, add a TBSP of Maca, a TBSP of Cacao, a handful of cashews some agave and blend well.  You will have an amazing and highly nutritious Raw Hot Chocolate that will have a malty flavor from the Maca and a hint of berry with all kinds of health benefits.

4. Love Your Skin Too! Get on-line, or look around, there are some companies that carry skin care that is completely chemical free and contain many ingredients that will really help nourish your skin.  My favorite is Simply Divine Botanicals. You will notice a huge difference over the conventional soaps.  Not to mention our skin is a huge absorber of toxins and chemicals, we may be trying to avoid eating them but try not putting them on your skin either and see the difference.  I personally like using products that contain MSM.  Taking pure MSM internally will do amazing things for your skin also.  And try rubbing yourself down in coconut oil, it completely absorbs and your skin will feel amazing and softJ  Maybe on Valentine’s Day, have a jar of coconut oil by the bed…

5. Make Time For You. Most people are living high paced and high stress lifestyles.  The continued excuse “I don’t have time” for anything that involves taking time for ourselves…  Taking time for you is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do.  Without thinking, there IS something that would come immediately to mind that you would love to do for yourself…maybe it’s get a massage or acupuncture treatment, go for a hike or bike ride, read that book that has been sitting on your night stand for months.  All you have to do is just do it.  ‘Ask yourself’ for a little time this month to do some things you want to do and see what happens.  All you have to do is ‘’ask”.  It is actually really simple and there is always time, it’s just whether you chose to do it or not.

6. Eat More Raw. By eating more raw foods and especially greens, we keep our bodies in balance.  When I say balance I am also talking from a pH standpoint and the internal biological terrain of our entire system.  When we chose to eat more raw foods, it eliminates the foods that turn our internal biological terrain into an environment for all the unwanted bacteria’s, viruses, yeasts, fungus, mold, dis-ease causing agents, etc.  We want to love our body, not waste it, which is what we do when we eat process, refined, pasteurized, homogenized, pesticide, genetically modified, hormone induced food. Think of your body as a garden, would you dump trash in it and expect it to flourish or would you love it and tend to it, watering it regularly so that it grows into beautiful plants that are going to nourish.   Would you water your garden with soda and other drinks…do you think the plants would grow or would they die?   Would you put bread in your soil or veggies to help nourish the soil and fertilize it? Think about your internal body as that garden and the more you care for it with natural and raw sources, the more it will flourish into that beautiful garden that will nourish you from the inside out.   The more alive the food you eat, the more vibrant you will feel!  I always like to say, what color is our planet, GREEN, so what do you think are the best foods to eat to live a healthy life…

7. Eat Healthy Snacks. Try substituting raw flax crackers for your regular processed crackers, eat more greens and sea veggies, add some avocados and raw Olives (yum).  Snack on more nuts and seeds, some Goji berries mixed with Cacao nibs, is a great snack!!  And just keep drinking more smoothies.   This is the best way to get all those nutrients in and it tastes great!

Kendell Reichhart is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Integrative Nutritional Consultant.  Specializing in healing through raw and whole foods.  Nutritional Microscopy.  Towson, MD.   443-250-9335  www.naturalvibranthealth.net

“When the body is properly nourished, it then has the ability to function optimally.”

By admin Tags: chocolate, eat more raw, gogi berries, healthy snacks, Kendell Reichhart, love your body raw, maca, me time, raw hot chocolate, simply divine botanicals, valentine's day
Posted in Lifestyle Tips | No Comments » |

Raw Banana Split

Want a deliciously different dessert? Something that is fun for you to eat but also an excellent recipe for when you have friends and family over? Let’s take your raw dessert experience to the next level. Try this Raw Banana Split and after one bite, your tastebuds will be begging for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana (fresh or frozen)
• ½ C Organic Frozen Cherries
• 2 T Coconut Crème
• 1 T Chia Seeds
• 1 T Honey/Agave Nectar
• ½ T Vanilla Powder
• 1 T Sundried Coconut
• 1 T Wild Jungle Peanuts or Mac Nuts
• 1 T Bee Pollen (optional depending on your dietary choices)

Equipment:
High-powered blender

Directions:
1. Slice banana in half long ways and place open on a plate.

2. In a high-powered blender, blend the cherries, Vanilla Coconut Crème, chia seeds, honey and vanilla powder.  Pour over banana.

3. Top with sundried coconut, chopped nuts and bee pollen.

This is a fast and easy desert that is a big hit with kids and unexpected company.  And it is great comfort food when you have a craving for something sweet.

Source: Vivapura’s Easy Recipes that include Superfoods

By admin Tags: agave nectar, banana, cherries, chia, coconut, coconut creme, vanilla
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2 Delicious Potluck Salads

Angeline from Singapore sent over these fabulous potluck salad recipes and wanted us to share them with you. We think they are full of color and texture, making them magically delicious.

potluck salad n° 1

• 3 oz mixed leaves (mine were organic mixed baby greens from earthbound farm but any mix would do)
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 kiwi
• blueberries
• walnuts
• almonds

1. Simply layer leaves with chunks of grapefruit & diced kiwi.

2. The final top layer had scattered blueberries, walnuts and almonds. some grapes would greatly improve this mix, as grapes are definitely sweet, whereas grapefruits, kiwis & blueberries may not necessarily be. cherries, if they are in season, would also be great, especially white cherries.

Angeline says she personally doesn’t use salad dressing, only the occasional dash of balsamic vinegar if the salad is very plain (like a single leaf + a single fruit & no nuts).

By admin Tags: almonds, apple, blueberries, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon juice, pear, walnuts
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