Archive for August, 2009

Raw Banana Soft Serve

This recipe is from Gena Hamshaw (her details are at the bottom). It’s the best soft serve ice cream you’ll ever taste, but it’s 100% raw, 100% vegan, 100% unprocessed, and 100% delicious. It’s also kid-friendly and ridiculously simple to make. That’s right. Who knew that frozen bananas could, if given a spin in the food processor, rival the best fro-yo in town? Well believe me, they do. Once you try this recipe, I guarantee you’ll crave it instead of your usual ice cream—at least some of the time.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 frozen bananas

Equipment:

• Food processor

Directions:

1. The morning of (or the evening before) making this recipe, slice up your 2 – 3 bananas, and then place them into a freezer bag or Tupperware container. Put them into the freezer until they are nice and frozen.

2. When the bananas are frozen, remove them from the freezer and place them into the food processor. Then turn the processor on and let it run for about five minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape it down. The bananas should get increasingly light, fluffy, and smooth. By the time you’re done, they’ll resemble a creamy bowl of soft serve.

3. Scoop them into a bowl and marvel your friends with this delicious, healthy, raw dessert.

BONUS: If you’re really feeling decadent, make some raw chocolate “syrup” by combining 2 tablespoons of agave nectar with 1 tablespoon raw or dark cocoa powder. Drizzle it on top of the frozen bananas, and voila:

It’s a dessert or afternoon treat to rival the best sundaes and scoops out there. Think about it: dairy and soy and preservative free ice cream! Who could ask for anything more? So what are you waiting for? Stop reading, and start freezing those bananas you’ve got sitting on the counter.

This recipe was submitted by Gena Hamshaw is a nutritional counselor with an emphasis on raw foods, digestive health, and detoxification. Based in Manhattan, she works with men and women around the country to find lasting means towards better health. She is also the author of the popular blog, Choosing Raw, where she shares recipes, tips, and musings on the raw lifestyle. Among her favorite recipes is the uber-simple raw banana soft-serve, which can be found here: http://www.choosingraw.com/this-post-will-change-your-life/.

If you have a fabulous raw food recipe, visit our submissions page for how to submit it to our site.

Wellness Weds: The Dream Team

This Wellness Wednesday post is from the mind of Jessica, the visionary behind Raw Food Nation:

I was surfing around the many facets of cyberspace when I happened upon a really great quote by Naomi Watson, a DC based model-to-be on the rise, shooting for the moon and landing amongst the stars. She says “if I say it’s my dream to live on the moon, I want my true friends to suggest fashionable spacesuits!” WOW! Immediately I knew I loved these words, so simple, with a twist of humor; so practical, and yet the underlying message is quite clear. You are the company that you keep. Are you surrounded by people who mutually support and uplift each other in their endeavors? When you tell your friends about your hopes and dreams or what you would like to accomplish, do they provide words of encouragement, or do they tell you the many reasons why it might not work out and can’t be done?

In a world full of challenges, obstacles and adversity, it is more important now than ever before to have your friends behind you and supporting your endeavors. Positive people help your self confidence because they tend to see the potential in you, even when you might not see it in yourself. Those with negative view points, on the other hand, will hinder your self confidence because they tend to reinforce your self doubt and any negative thoughts you may have.

Surround yourself with positive people and you’ll become more positive and self confident. The good vibes and energy that is exchanged between you will stay with you and help you to carry out your personal goals and aspirations. Surround yourself also with people who will hold you accountable for what you want to do. For example, if you say “I would really like to buy a house in a year,” you need to have someone you trust who can gently or firmly remind you to start researching local real estate agents in your area.

When I think about the people that I have or want to have in my corner, I immediately think of creating my own dream team, my own posse, or for our readers who are into sports, my own fantasy football team. Take a moment to contemplate and ask yourself: if I could choose the people I want in my inner circle who will motivate me, inspire me, and hold me accountable, who would they be? If I could choose people where there would be a constant, mutual exchange of positive energy and reinforcement, who would those people be? If you do not have these people in your life in one form or another already, seek them out. If you do have them in your life, bring them closer into your circle of trust. You want people who will accept you for who you are, but are willing to challenge you, in a positive and constructive manner, to excel and to become successful.

Then make it your responsibility to create those situations that will foster that special dose of positive energy that you need. By that I mean, perhaps once a month (or more) meet up with a couple of those people over dinner for conversation and catching up with each others lives. Be proactive about making plans to hang out with these people, not always for serious conversation but just for the sheer joy of enjoying their company. Remember your mood and attitude are your responsibility, just as last week we said your happiness is your responsibility. With that in mind, what steps can you take to make sure you get ample exposure to good energy?

And then the more challenging question is: are you love people with negative outlooks any less? No, in fact some of them maybe in your immediate circle of friends or in your immediate family. However, we must acknowledge the roles that people play in our lives and then be proactive about what we do with that knowledge. For example, you should take note of how you feel after interacting with certain people. As you start out with this self evaluation technique, you should consider setting boundaries and limiting your time around negative people. You should also consider what you say around people with negative outlooks (for example, you wouldn’t tell a person with a negative outlook that your dream is to one day own your own business, they will certainly tell you how it cannot be done). In several instances, they are thinking about their own personal experiences and situations and not yours.

Others may tell you to end these relationships immediately, but we have a more compassionate approach. In the long run, as you bring more positive people into your circle and you become more positive, you will surely attract positive people into your life. Good energy attracts good energy, and the further along the path of enlightenment you go, you’ll find just the right people crossing paths with you.

Now it’s your turn. What steps can you take to be a positive person who radiates good energy throughout her/his aura, and then what steps can you take to develop your own dream team? We send out good vibes all the time on Twitter, and would be more than happy to be a part of your crew. Be sure to join our nation.

Resources:
Surround Yourself With Positive People in 2009 http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/bud-bilanich/success-common-sense/surround-yourself-positive-people-2009

Celery: Crunch on This!

Introduction:
Celery is a vegetable with quite a reputation, as it can be used in a variety of dishes. Its crunchy texture and distinctive flavor makes it a popular addition to salads and many cooked dishes. Although it is available throughout the year, you will enjoy the best taste and quality of celery during the summer months when it is in season and locally grown varieties can be easily found in the markets.

Celery grows to a height of 12 to 16 inches and is composed of leaf-topped stalks arranged in a conical shape that are joined at a common base. It is a biennial vegetable plant that belongs to the Umbelliferae family whose other members include carrots, fennel, parsley and dill. While most people associate celery with its prized stalks, the leaves, roots and seeds can also be used as a food and seasoning as well as a natural medicinal remedy.

Nutritional Value:

• One cup of celery contains 15% of your daily value (DV) for vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to support the immune system. Vitamin C-rich foods like celery may help reduce cold symptoms or severity of cold symptoms.
• One cup of celery also contains about 40% of your DV for vitamin K. Vitamin K is commonly known to aid in blood clotting. When the body is injured, vitamin K initiates the process of healing by slowing and stopping the bleeding. Vitamin K also helps the body absorb the beneficial mineral calcium.
• Celery’s potential for reducing high blood pressure has long been recognized by Chinese medicine practitioners. Celery contains active compounds called phthalides, which can help relax the muscles around arteries and allow those vessels to dilate. With more space inside the arteries, the blood can flow at a lower pressure. Phthalides also reduce stress hormones, one of whose effects is to cause blood vessels to constrict.
• Celery is a diuretic. It is rich in both potassium and sodium, the minerals most important for regulating fluid balance, stimulates urine production, thus helping to rid the body of excess fluid.
• Celery contains compounds called coumarins that help prevent free radicals from damaging cells, thus decreasing the mutations that increase the potential for cells to become cancerous. Coumarins also enhance the activity of certain white blood cells, immune defenders that target and eliminate potentially harmful cells, including cancer cells.

Select and Store:
Choose celery that looks crisp and snaps easily when pulled apart. It should be relatively tight and compact and not have stalks that splay out. The leaves should be pale to bright green in color and free from yellow or brown patches. Sometimes celery can have a condition called “blackheart,” which is caused by insects. To check for damage, separate the stalks and look for brown or black discoloration. In addition, evaluate the celery to ensure that it does not have a seedstem-the presence of a round stem in the place of the smaller tender stalks that should reside in the center of the celery. Celery with seedstems are often more bitter in flavor.

To store celery, place it in a sealed container or wrap it in a plastic bag or damp cloth and store it in the refrigerator. If you are storing cut or peeled celery, ensure that it is dry and free from water residue, as this can drain some of its nutrients. Freezing will make celery wilt and should be avoided unless you will be using it in a future cooked recipe.

Cleaning and Eating:
To clean celery, cut off the base and leaves, then wash the leaves and stalks under running water. Cut the stalks into pieces of desired length. If the outside of the celery stalk has fibrous strings, remove them by making a thin cut into one end of the stalk and peeling away the fibers. Be sure to use the leaves-they contain the most vitamin C, calcium and potassium-but use them within a day or two as they do not store very well.

Celery should not be kept at room temperature for too long since, because of its high water content, it has a tendency to wilt quickly. If you have celery that has wilted, sprinkle it with a little water and place it in the refrigerator for several hours where it will regain its crispness.

Celery is so amazingly delicious, you can easily add it to your favorite salad and juice, or simply crunch on it with any raw nut butter or hummus. We do feature celery in our delicious raw almond pate recipe, and also in our article on 20 simple juice recipes. Enjoy!

Resources:
World’s Healthiest Foods: Celery http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=14

Wellness Wednsday: Happiness

This Wellness Wednesday post is from the mind of Jessica, the visionary behind Raw Food Nation:

hap-pi-ness [hap-ee-nis] noun
1.     the quality or state of being happy.
2.     good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

What will it take to make you happy? If someone were to ask you right now, “{insert your name here}, I want you to be happy, what will that take?” How would you answer? Would you have an answer? Would it come quickly or would you have to get back to that person later, after carefully thinking about the question.  We are all on individual paths of enlightenment as we unfold the mysteries of this life, as we experience the ups, the downs, and everything in between. But when it comes to happiness, to true bliss and contentment, when it comes to that inner protected light in which no man or thing can extinguish, how do we obtain that?

I was enjoying a warm summer day with a good friend, under a shaded tree laying on a blanket, discussing life, literature and everything in between, when she recommended that I read the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I had initially thought this book was about dieting given its location in the bookstore and proximity to other nutrition/lifestyle books. But little did I know that within the pages of this masterpiece was the definition of happiness that agreed with me the most, so clearly articulated and written with good choice of words. I would like to share this definition with you, which to me goes far beyond the dictionary definition above, and makes more sense too.

“…people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you are fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’s easy enough to pray [to whomever you choose] when you’re in distress; but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.”

Suddenly the notion of happiness is much more than awaiting for something or someone to fall upon you, directly into your path. And it’s also something that you must not only work to obtain, but also work to keep. Happiness becomes something that you can have in this lifetime, instead of spending a lifetime searching for it, it becomes obtainable and within reach. No longer being a stroke of luck, consider this: your happiness is your responsibility. Just as is your health and wellness, and just as it is your responsibility to rise each morning and carry out your mission on earth. So your daily “to do” list should read something like this: “take shower, prepare lunch, get presentation ready for meeting, work on obtaining/maintaining my happiness….” and so forth and so on.

I close with article with yet another excerpt from the book, on the same page nonetheless, “…all sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people… The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. Cleaning out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people… When you set out in the world to help yourself, you inevitably end up helping everyone.”

And it is with these final words that I encourage everyone to get up, go out, and get happy!

After reading this article, feel free to comment below and let us know your personal definition of happiness for your life.

The Key Ideas of Successful Detoxification

Introduction:

Mike Perrine is a detoxification consultant, certified colon hydro therapist and the co-owner of Gravity East Village, a cleansing and detoxification consulting office in New York City. We asked him to write an article for the members of our nation that touched on an aspect of the raw food journey. Here is what he had to say:

Hello Raw Food Nation!

I’ve thought long and hard about the best way I can contribute to this amazing website. It’s challenging to touch on some of these subjects and not write an entire book. For the sake of space I’m going to keep these powerful (and I really mean it, you keep this up consistently and results will show) concepts as simple and no nonsense as possible. We’re trimming all of the fat today. You’ll notice that many of these concepts are very simple. It’s in the consistency where all the magic happens.

The Key Ideas of Successful Detoxification (aka raw food diet, aka vegan diet, aka cleansing program – they all work on the same principles):

1. Almost everyone starts out eating foods that challenge the body. It’s just a matter of degree. A bacon cheeseburger is a massive stress to the body. It costs enzymes, minerals and energy to deal with it essentially leaving you at a loss. Raw foods are amazing because they challenge the body far less. The moment we start consistently leaving out highly challenging foods our bodies will immediately begin to deep clean. (This key concept was taught to me by my good friend and mentor Dr. Fred Bisci) This is basic detox. “Bad food” leaves us at a loss. It’s something to deal with and recover from rather than something that elevates us physically and mentally. Raw food allows the body the energy it needs to go deep. And fasting is the ultimate elimination of challenges giving the body a full rest and ability to go deep in cleaning and rebuilding. When transitioning into a cleaner program and trying to decide what to eat, there are three things to consider. This is what qualifies a health food to be healthy:

1) What A food delivers: We all know this one. Almost every book on health covers this. We want good things from our food. Vitamins, enzymes, trace minerals… I think we get this one.

2) What a food removes: This is big! Very important. An apple a day keeps the doctor away because it’s loaded with raw fiber that sweeps the intestines clean. Health has more to do with elimination than input. (This point was was really emphasized by my great friend and teacher Gil Jacobs who works in NYC as a colonic therapist)

3) What a food doesn’t leave behind: The other side of the coin. If a food is leaving anything behind in your tissues or along your intestinal wall (see Dr. Shinya’s video at www.yourguidetodetox.com) it’s going to pollute your body. Plain and simple.

2. Raw food is not always easier on the body or more cleansing than cooked foods. This is really important because we see people shun a steamed vegetable, but they go to town on raw ice cream. Steamed asparagus is always going to be easier to digest and eliminate than heavy nut desserts like raw ice cream. What makes raw ice cream better than traditional ice cream is that it’s vegan, raw and less refined. (Now don’t take this the wrong way, I love raw ice cream!) I bring this up simply to put things in perspective.

“But what about the enzymes lost in the steaming process?!?!” – Yo chill… It’s minimal. We lose more enzymes stressing out about the enzymes. Steamed veggies are the easiest on the body, but for many people baked yams or squash and sometimes whole grains are extremely cleansing during their transition. Remember, there are 3 things that make a food healthy.

3. The rate at which your body releases toxins is determined by the rate that you leave challenging elements out of your lifestyle based on where you start from. When I first got into a vegan diet I remember eating an abundance of cooked foods and I still cleansed heavily and lost over 60 lbs. That’s how challenging my previous lifestyle was to my body. Eliminating stress alone allows some people to go into a state of cleansing.

There’s a big difference between the cleansing reactions of a 50 year old recovering drug addict and a 15 year old athlete. It has to do with the amount of exposure and accumulation over a lifetime and the strength of the person’s organs of elimination when they start the transition. This is important to understand: The success of any cleansing program is determined by 3 things (there’s that 3 again):

1) Consistency: Many people aren’t getting the results they want because they are inconsistent. “Oh I went on that trip and we had some BBQ, but when I got back I juiced a lot…” That’s great, it’s better than nothing, and there’s definitely no need to beat ourselves up about food, but to get dramatic results we need to be consistent.

2. Understanding Loosening vs. Releasing: The success of any cleansing program is determined by the strength of our detoxification organs. If we have liver problems or a sluggish bowel, the process may be more challenging. Here’s why, The great wisdom of the body gets a little foolish from time to time. The detox process is one of those areas. Every cell in our bodies begins to release the pressure of built up waste and gas when we consistently remove challenges. However, the cells don’t seem to “know” that the colon or other organs are not able to handle the request. So what happens? Lots of circulating toxins with nowhere to go. The end result can range from us feeling terrible (those notorious detox symptoms or “cleansing responses”) to very serious consequences. I don’t want to be negative about this process. I think it is the most amazing journey of transformation we can embark on. However, we have seen over the years people go too fast and get into serious trouble that could have been avoided by transition and bodywork.

3. Willingness:

Willingness to transition

Sometimes less than ideal foods are part of the program. I currently work with someone who fluctuates between 400 and even made it to 500 lbs. He has a massive drug history and binge eats daily. I put him on a diet of water, raw juice, raw salad, steamed vegetables, and BBQ chicken wings (and most of this food was not organic). It was the first time since going over 400 lbs. he went below 400. At the time he went from 465 to 395 in 5 weeks. That’s some deep cleansing! And we can see how quickly it happens. A completely raw diet has the potential to devastate him at this point.
The more quickly one transitions the more bodywork may be necessary to make it a smooth journey.

Willingness to assist the body

A few things to realize here
Many of the substances we find in our tissues today are stuck there for a reason. Our bodies never anticipated their arrival. I’m talking mostly industrial pollution/medical residues, over consumption of animal foods and processed foods and an overabundance of stress chemicals from modern living. This is the simple reason why we can’t always rely on our natural functions to take care of business. The colon is designed to pass a chemical free, plant based diet and in the process removing natural metabolic wastes. That’s it. So when the training is the same, but the job description changes we run into trouble. Plain and simple: Get a series of colonics. Get the sludge out (see Dr. Shinya’s video at www.yourguidetodetox.com) and decompress the gasses. The effect it has on your body is absolutely amazing. I could write a book on this alone. In addition to colonics, infra red saunas, uninterrupted rest and massage therapy make an excellent success formula.

The process of detoxification is our opportunity for transformation and self-discovery. It is a sacred and powerful journey. There is more than just physical transformation that occurs during this process.

I hope this serves you well.  I look forward to meeting all of you on the path!

Best,
Mike Perrine
www.yourguidetodetox.com
www.gravityeastvillage.com

Raw Tacos

Craving something more than a salad? No worries, try these delicious, easy to make, raw tacos, and your tastebuds will be delightfully satisfied. The recipe below is to make 8 tacos so double up if you would like to make more.

Ingredients:

• 4 collard leaves (each leaf makes two taco wraps)
• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds*
• 1 cups raw slivered almonds*
• 2 avocados (or 1 1/2 cups fresh guacamole)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin organic olive oil
• ground pepper, cumin
• 2 cups of your favorite salsa

*You can pre-soak the nuts and seeds for 12 hours before making this dish, but it is not required.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Cutting board & knives
• Food processor

Directions:

1. Pour the sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds and olive oil into a food processor and pulse.

2. Add the seasonings of ground pepper and cumin to taste. We recommend a few dashes on top for eash seasoning. Then pulse your food processor a few more times to mix everything together.

3. Rinse and dry your collard leaves. Then on a cutting board, lay down one leaf. Cut the leaf in half as close to the spine as possible. Remove the spin (if you do not wish to discard it, set it aside for juicing/smoothie making later).

4. Also chop up your avocado and your red pepper, julienne style.

5. With the collard leaf half facing you horizontally, pick a spot to vertically place your ingredients. Use a spoon to scoop out the nutmeat you just made and lay it straight up and down. Remember, you’ll be wrapping these up, so a little goes a long way.

6. Top the nut meat with a couple slices of avocado (or guacamole if that’s what you chose) and red pepper.

7. Gently use your fingers to roll the taco up. If any ingredients slide out, just use your spoon to place them back inside. Then place the finished taco on a separate plate for serving.

8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for the remaining ingredients.

9. Serve on a plate and garnish with your favorite salsa. Then serve with a smile!

BONUS: You can also place the salsa inside the taco wrap with the avocado, red peppers and nut meat for a unique flavor combination.

Wellness Weds: Mismatched Socks

This Wellness Wednesday post is from the mind of Jessica, the visionary behind Raw Food Nation:

Join the Mismatched Socks Revolution!

One morning many sunrises ago I was getting ready for my office job. Although I was running a little behind schedule, there were neatly pressed clothes awaiting me in my bedroom, and a green smoothie going in the blender. My morning routines had gotten so planned and organized so that I could maximize my time and get out of the door to make it into the office. Even though on this particular morning I was running late, I am baffled that I halted my routine in an attempt to locate the mate to a sock  I was planning to wear.

Of all the things to worry about, my attention was fixed on finding this lost sock. I searched frantically through the sock drawer and my hamper. Is there really a sock monster that comes and steals the innocent socks from their owners?! Where the heck is my other sock? Five or ten minutes into it, I gave up, but not with the intent of picking out a new pair of socks. Instead, I grabbed a completely different sock all together that seemed to be without a mate and decided to have mismatched socks for the day. Was I a little late to work? Yes. But how cool was it to have people ask about my socks and if had I mismatched them on purpose.

Now, normally I do not give much thought to the socks that I wear, but after this incident, a question came to mind: why do we put so much emphasis on matching our socks? My goodness, half of the time they are hidden by worn jeans or dress trousers. And even when they are fully visible, does anyone really pay attention to them? And aren’t mismatched socks more fun? Think about it, no longer will you worry about pairing socks or how to go about pleasing the sock monster. Now your sock drawer can be free to let its contents mix and mingle however they choose.

If you are not too shy or you are looking for something different to do, next time you need to grab a pair of socks, go mismatched and see how it feels. Challenge yourself to carry out this small task. I can almost guarantee that you’ll smile and maybe even chuckle every time you get the opportunity to glance down at your feet. Something as simple as mismatched socks can brighten your day and give you a dose of good energy. Not to mention they are just plain fun. Let a little bit of your creativity shine through. It’s very liberating, and follows the same notion as coloring outside of the lines and thinking outside of the box.

Join me, in the mismatched socks revolution.

Peace & Veggies,
Jessica

Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs

A few months back we met Orren Fox through Twitter. Immediately we were fascinated with this 12 year old chicken farmer and animal rights activist. Orren Fox is the creator of Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs, a blog that talks about the importance of free range chickens, and shopping for locally raised happy chickens if you choose to eat meat. Orren loves animals and is a committed vegetarian. He is a walking example of the notion that no matter your age, you can make a difference and you can change the world. By starting small, where you are and with what you have, you can generate ripples that will reach far beyond where your eyes can see. Check out what Orren has to say in our exclusive interview.

RFN: Tell us a little about yourself.
Orren: Hi. I’m 12 and going in to 7th grade. I live North of Boston and go to a school where we have a big greenhouse. We grow veggies there for our local food pantry (http://happychickenslayhealthyeggs.blogspot.com/search/label/School) I love animals. I am a committed vegetarian, but understand when someone else wants to eat meat. I’m just not going to. If you do please consider eating locally raised, happy chickens. Just this spring I became really interested in honey bees, so now we have a hive at school! I plan on going to Bee School this winter. I have 24 chickens and 3 call ducks.

RFN: How long have you loved animals and why?
Orren: I think I was just born that way. I feel like I can understand what animals are saying.

RFN: Is there any reason in particular why you love chickens?
Orren: I’m not sure really. I visited some friends when I was 81/2 and they had chickens. I instantly became really interested in them, so we found all the books we could about chickens and I read them, then my good friend Dorothy who lives across the street introduced me to Julie who has a barn about a mile from my house. She had chickens.  I volunteered with Julie for about a year, then one spring she said she thought I should get my own hens. It was one of my favorite days of my life. We went to our local farm store and picked out my new hens. I couldn’t stop looking at them, and hugging them. That’s when I started to blog about chickens. My mom loves technology and wanted me to learn how to use it.

RFN: Can you give us some quick facts about happy chickens?
Orren: Happy Chickens are allowed to do natural chicken things – perch, be in the sunlight, dust bathe, eat bugs. Happy chickens could be call Pastured Eggs. A study done by Mother Earth News and Gourmet Magazine in 2007 found:

• 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs
• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

RFN: What is a typical day like for you?
Orren: I leave for my school at about 7:30 and get home from school around 5, then I go to the barn. The barn is always so alive. The hens are talking, the roosters are so proud they come right up to me to tell me what they did that day and my Call ducks are very busy. The Call ducks seem to want to keep everyone in order.  I think if they could they would be organizing classes in the coop, actually maybe they are.

RFN: How can people find out more about Happy Chickens and everything you do?
Orren: On twitter @happychickens and @happyhoneybees and my blog Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs

RFN: What’s next on the horizon for you? (we hear you’re getting into bees..what’s the plan with that?)
Orren: YES Bees. I am reading several bee books for my summer reading. I was able to get a beehive on campus and I plan to go to Bee School this winter. I find bees so interesting. I think they are natures engineers. Did you know that when the hive gets really hot in the summer the bees will carry a bit of water back into the coop and hover about and flutter their wings to cool it off!

RFN: If you could say one thing about the importance of eating locally raised foods, what would that be?
Orren: I think eating locally is really important because you will get the most nutrition from your food, supporting your local farmers is the only way to keep them in business, and it is the environmentally responsible thing to do. I also think equally important is ethical eating. If the animals you choose to eat weren’t raised ethically I don’t think people should eat it.

Most eggs in the supermarket are from hens that were truly tortured. I’m not into that. I think we can change the supermarket though, we can vote with our forks. Please see the movie Food, Inc. I took my parents and want to see if I can show it at school.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: O’s Free Range Kid T-shirts
Support Orren’s cause. ALL of the money goes towards his goal to raise $500 for Heifer International flocks of chickens. “With gifts of livestock and training, Heifer International has helped more than 7 million families move closer to self-reliance. Chickens boost family income and nutrition worldwide, providing a steady supply of protein-rich eggs. A single egg provides the daily requirement for a 3 year old child”

Presently in stock he has adult mediums in red, kids mediums in green, and two long sleeve large shirts in navy blue. They are $20/each plus $5 for shipping. It’s the perfect gift that is unique to give and supports a great cause. To purchase a shirt, contact Orren directly via email: thehappychickens@gmail.com

Vincent’s Kale Salad 3.0

Ingredients:

• 1 large or two small bunches kale
• juice of one lime
• 2 Pinches of Celtic Sea salt
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons of Gold’s Horseradish
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 carrot
• 2 teaspoons of ginger powder
• 1/4 cup of Raw Organic Agave
• 1 Red Onion
• 1 Tomato

Directions:
1. Wash and tear the kale into bite-sizes pieces (consider pulsing briefly in your food processor for really small pieces)

2. Slice up the carrot into smaller pieces. Place the garlic cloves and carrot pieces into the food processor until they are finely chopped.

3. Pour lime juice, ¼ cup of Olive Oil, ¼ cup of Agave, Slice 1 Red Onion, 2 teaspoons of horseradish and toss sea salt on Kale in the bowl.

4. Add ginger, chopped carrots, garlic to the Kale in the bowl and massage until kale wilts. Add one sliced Tomato and serve.

This recipe was submitted by Vincent Shelton, of Baltimore, Maryland. Vincent is the organizer behind the Baltimore Raw Food Tribe, a Meetup.com group that gets together to explore raw foods through informal potluck dinners and various social events. Learn how to submit your recipe here.

Kale, Carrot & Flax Fruit Smoothie

Kale, Carrot, and Flax Fruit Smoothie

This is a recipe for a delicious smoothie that anyone can enjoy (no matter how young or young at heart)

• 1 cup homemade almond milk*
• 1 cup water
• 2 medium Kale leaves
• A handful of carrots
• 8 fresh strawberries
• 1 cup frozen berries (blueberry, raspberry, and marionberry)
• 1/4 cranberries
• One half of a banana
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground flax seeds**

*If you don’t want to make the almond milk yourself, you can purchase it from your local health food store. It will not be 100% raw, but it will still be 100% delicious!

**Just in case you don’t have the equipment to ground your own flax seeds, you can also purchase them finely ground at your local health food store.

Mix up in a blender and it makes enough for the whole family (or for you to store in your fridge for the next 2-3 days and have on the go). The smoothie is a muddy orange color with flecks of green from the kale and flecks of red from the cranberries. You can sweeten if needed with agave nectar. Homemade almond milk is used to ensure that this recipe is completely raw but store bought almond milk will work too. Enjoy!

This recipe was provided by Tiffany Washko,  a mom trying to live a more natural family life, for health and for the planet. In addition to her website (click her name), you should also visit Nature Moms Blog.