Raw Food: Day 7 – humble beginnings, and a descent into darkness…

Today started off really well.

We made oatmeal out of raw oat groats (that’s what oatmeal is made out of before it’s steamed and flattened). We soaked them overnight, and then food-processed them with dates (a super-common raw sweetener), agave nectar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The family says I could have pulped it a little more, and maybe added some more water, but I thought it was right on. I had it with fresh fruit and a touch of coconut milk. A great breakfast. Can’t wait to have it again on Thursday!

 

oat groats (before)

 

Oat-MEAL (after)

and, at last!

So, off to work full and satisfied, I tried not to think of dinner tonight. I tried so hard. I had my regular salad and fruit for lunch. good, filling, done. Now, there was nothing left to stop the thoughts of dinner from entering my brain holes. Tonight was a recipe meant to be a sushi-imitator, but my childish outlook was that it was a bunch of sliced raw vegetables.

Up to this point, we had been doing really well. The existence of other (real) food had been a constant yet bearable nuisance, and through the power of positive thinking (wine), thoughts of healthier bodies (wine again), and each other (babe, could you get the wine?), we were powering through. About an hour before I came home from work (fifteen minutes after my politely turning down of some free Rally’s), my wife emailed me with the news that she was not coping well with the raw food lifestyle, that she was tired and she wanted food. I countered with an (mostly kidding…mostly) offer to run to Cracker Barrel on the way home.

I came home to cucumber rolls. A beautifully-prepared dish. @Shannon10Marie did a great job.

Cucumber Roll

Everyone was grumpy. We were in a hurry, as we had someplace to be. No one wanted to eat the meal. We did. I ate two roll-ups, even though they were nothing more than a bunch of raw sliced up vegetables. My daughter, who hates nearly everything, ate one, I think to appease us. My son ate most of one. The wife had a bite or two.

Then, we went to a meeting that had been catered by Concettas Italian Restaurant.  WE sat in the room for over an hour, watching people eat red and white pastas, bread, and cupcakes.

Today was not a happy day.

Oh, is that some wine? Sure, I’ll have some…

 

Tags: 63303, Breakfast, Crash Test Family, Experiment, frustration, Healthy, Homemade, Oatmeal, Raw Food, Vegetarian

Raw Food Project: Day 2 – Avocado Salsa / Pesto Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups with Red Pepper Bruschetta

So here we are. Day two of almost 60. I’ve got to say, I’m feeling pretty good. Not that I can actually notice a change in my physiology or anything, but I am proud of myself for sticking it out so far. I have kind of a reputation as a “Mikey” at my work, so I’m often offered leftovers and whatnot. There are also random Cheez-Its and donuts and other snacks readily available most of the time. I also haven’t (yet) noticed a smug tone creeping into my voice as I explain that my family is doing an experiment by eating a raw food diet until the end of March.

Anyway, today went well. I forgot my lunch, but my loving wife brought it by. I had a salad like last night’s (smaller, and minus the avocados),a banana with peanut butter, and a mixed fruit smoothie made with mixed fruit and coconut milk. I finished lunch feeling satisfied, but also sad, because I was offered some chicken and some blueberry muffin flavored pudding, and I had to turn them both down.

Tonight, @Shannon10Marie un-cooked our first experimental meal (the salads of last night were–after all–just salads). We had Pesto-Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups with Red Pepper Bruchetta, and Avocado Salsa over Spinach.

Dinner Time!

I loved the pesto. I wanted to eat the rest of it out of the bowl. I’m not a huge pepper fan, but I’m learning, and the Red-Pepper Bruschetta was a good topping for the sushi-looking entree. The Avocado Salsa should have been delicious, but we believe that we put in waaaaaaaaaay too much cilantro. It’s all I could taste. Overall, the flavors in everything were really green and bright, and I’m not discouraged yet.

At the end of the meal, I feel, again, satisfied. I’m not hungry, and I’m looking forward to another banana with peanut butter as a snack later while I watch some DVR’d telly

 

Recipes (both of these–text and all because I’m lazy–came straight from GoneRaw.com, but the pictures are mine):

Avocado Salsa

Servings:

About 4 cups

One of the things i missed about being raw vegan was my mom’s avocado salsa. All her ingredients were boiled and then put in a blender (except the avocado) and then i decided that maybe it would taste just the same without being cooked. It tastes better! This is one of the most wonderful salsas ever! and it’s something you can make for your non-raw vegan friends or guests and they won’t be able to tell the difference. P.S.- In my opinion tomatillos don’t taste very pleasant by themselves but they work wonders for this recipe.

You can eat this dish right after it’s done or you can fridge it. I like it after it’s been in the fridge and it has set for a couple hours at least.
This makes a great dressing on salads. I like this with homemade corn chips or enjoy as a cold soup.
Eat however suits you. : D

Ingredients:

1 small green basket of tomatillos (or about 6-7 medium tomatillos).
2 ripe hass avocados
1 bunch of cilantro
1 Cipollini onion
Himalayan sea salt (or celtic sea salt works fine too, i just like the benefits of the himalayan)
Pepper

Ingredients for Avocado Salsa

Preparation:

I peel the little leaves off of the tomatillos and throw them in the blender and let them do it’s thing. Then with the blender running I add the avocado (pitted and I just spoon the meat out of the skin) and the onion. I add the salt and pepper (to taste). Lastly I add the cilantro and after about 30 seconds stop blending. Voila!

And my favorite of the evening:

Pesto Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups with Red Pepper Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini
For Pesto:
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt & pepper
For Red Pepper Bruschetta:
1/2 red pepper
1 T onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove
pinch of salt & pepper

Ingredients for Pesto Sutffed Zucchini Roll-Ups with Red-Pepper Bruschetta

Preparation:

To Assemble:

One) Pulse Ingredients for pesto in food processor until a creamy consistency is reached. Place pesto in a bowl and set aside. Rinse food processor.

Two) Use a carrot peeler to create thin slices of Zucchini, lay flat and spread an even coating of pesto on zucchini slice. Roll up, and place one rolled side up on a plate.

Three) Pulse Ingredients for Red Pepper Bruschetta in Food processor, consistency should be chunky. Pour over Zucchini rolls.

Enjoy!

 

Tags: 63303, Avocado, Crash Test Family, Experiment, Family, Pesto, Raw Food, Zucchini

Raw Food Project: Day 1

At the @WeLove2Eat household, we’re embarking on a two-month journey. A journey that will take us beyond our comfort level, and will challenge our ideas of what food is, and what food can be. If you couldn’t tell by the post title, we’re calling it “The Raw Food Project.”

@Shannon10Marie, my lovely bride, is the lead on this experiment. It’s a part of a larger series of family projects that we will be doing over the course of 2011 called “Crash Test Family.” Last month, it was manners and etiquette… I’m not saying that it was a total failure, but here’s to hoping this one turns out a bit better.

Doing virtually no research of my own, here is what I’ve learned and retained about raw foods from the wife.

• No animal products or by products. Completely vegan.
• Supposed to be super healthy, with tangible benefits in weight, skin tone, hair energy level, and mood. Sketchier claims of super powers and cancer curing exist.
  

  Superman showing off his Vegan side

• No cooking(!). Nothing ever gets above 118°. This is to preserve vital nutrients of some sort.The concept–as I understand it–is that our evolutionary ancestors at some point learned to cook food, and traded their physical prowess for a life of lesiure and growing big brains. Now, I’m pro big brains…but I’m doing this anyway, as I spent the last six months using my big brain to help me get unhealthy (also yummy) food into my mouth and belly, essentially throwing away all of my benefits that I bragged about when I started this blog (read: you can stop looking for it, because I found all the pounds that I thought I lost).
• Despite what I you might think, there are many delicious and varied recipes for a Raw Foodie to enjoy.
• Wine is allowed.

We started today because my birthday was yesterday, and she’s not a monster. Due to poor planning, I had two bananas for all day. Plus, after a long day at work, I was dreading coming home to have a nice big salad. No creamy dressing? No chicken or shrimp? No cheese? No thanks! I’m starving and cranky, and I need some FOOD!

Raw Food Salad

I relented, and had the salad. Not only that, but the salad had raw onions and peppers on it. I don’t eat those items raw. And not only that, I put CELERY in my salad! Yup, when I commit to something, I really get in there. Celery is pretty much the enemy of my mouth. But I did it. My salad, from the ground up:

• spinach
• carrots
• celery
• tomato
• red onion
• green pepper
• cucumber
• avocado
• chopped cashews and almonds with basil
• balsamic vinaigrette

Quite a salad, especially for me. I am bragging. And ultimately, I won. That salad was DELICIOUS! And filling. I had an orange for dessert, and I am totally satisfied. For real (Oh, there was also some Sauvignon Blanc)!

Stay tuned to this station for further update, and I’ll also let you know with Dear Wife updates the Crash Test Family blog.

Tags: Crash Test Family, Experiment, Family, Raw, Vegan

Thanks!

What a great holiday! It celebrates all of the things that I love! Family and Gluttony!

We at the @welove2eat household have been trying very hard to get back on the “food as fuel” train. It’s been a rough go since before the wedding, as our time and budget were seemingly just dropping out from under us. Now, just as we seem to be spying a light at the end of the tunnel, the holidays set upon us. It is going to be quite a struggle to start working out again when I have so many thousands of calories begging to be ingested. Likewise, it will be hard to keep from eating everything in sight while I’m busy staying warm by NOT going running.  I’m not saying that the war is lost…but I am saying that I might concede a few more battles over the course of the next month or so.

Take yesterday for example. Thanksgiving 2010. What was originally going to be a quiet day at home for @Shannon10Marie and myself ended up being two, count ‘em TWO Thanksgiving feasts.

The first was at the kids’ grandparents’ house. With about 20 people in attendance, I was afraid that there might not be enough food. My fears were put to rest finally after my third plate of food and my second plate of pie. Ah, moderation! Connie and Tom are ever the gracious hosts, and everyone had a ton of fun and a ton of food, with a Martha Stewart-esque backdrop.

The turkey was great, and it was nice to be in the dark-meat minority, as it meant I got my choice of whatever Turkey parts I wanted. Connie was justifiably proud of her potatoes, which were delicious. Also, lots of great bakes and casseroles, sides and sauces. The only thing I missed was candied yams, or marshmallowed sweet potatoes, however you look at it.

Highlights included:

• rooting like jackals through the carved turkey pan, looking for the most succulent scraps
• Shannon’s cranberry sauce
• Pasta casserole with spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and onions, where I got to be one of the few folks to eat it, as one ingredient or another turned off many of the other diners.
• after-dinner-pre-dessert Thanksgiving trivia testing

From there, Shannon and I took flight into the city, Where our friends Thatcher, Katie, and Ariel were preparing a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast. I’ll admit, I was a bit leery of something that seems so sacrilegious, but I’m game for trying anything, so off we went. First off, the company was great. From directly after we arrived until we were driving away, I don’t think we ever stopped laughing. Everything was still in various stages of preparation as we got there, so the kitchen was very crowded and manic. It was great! Secondly, the food was wonderful!

There was green bean casserole, which is—despite what my beautiful wife thinks—a staple at any holiday meal. I also finally (after a slight “over-browning” incident) got to have some candied yams. And then there was the main dish.

I have had mixed experiences with faux/soy meats. There are some that I like a lot (most of Morningstar Farms’ offerings), and some that I could really do without (any NotDogs or Fakon). Until last night, I had never had occasion to try Tofurkey. I’ll go on record as saying that I prefer the Tofurkey texture and flavor to much of the white turkey meat I’ve had in the past. It was stuffed with some sort of rice pilaf-y stuffing that was pretty good. There was also, amazxingly enough, “giblet” gravy! And it tasted like real turkey gravy! I am consistently amazed at what processed, formed soy can become. I also secretly hope for a day when there is some sort of Soylent Green revelation where we find out a horrible reality about the nature of our soy-meats. …but I digress.

For dessert, there were (after a slight “over-browning” incident) banana upside-down muffins. There were every bit as delicious and gooey as they sound.

…And then we returned home. The food coma had been impending since first-dinner, and it finally overtook us. We rolled off to sleep to the gentle sound of our overloaded bedsprings creaking beneath us.

Hooray gluttony!!!

Tags: Family, Friends, Holiday, Poultry, Thanksgiving

Ravioli

11-16-10 – Homemade
Four-Cheese Ravioli and Rotini with olive oil and feta
Chef: Shannon

Tags: 63303, Healthy, Homemade, Shannon, Vegetarian

Nu-Way Drive-In

While visiting my family and friends in Kansas, I was instructed to try Nu-Way Drive-In, in Leavenworth. As it turns out, Chris, the owner, is a guy that I went to school with when I was younger! It’s nice to sit and talk to the owner of a restaurant about their vision and about the history of their establishment, knowing that they’re not doing it out of some obligation to sell you something, but rather out of a proprietary and even civic pride.

I had already ordered when Chris showed up with his young daughter, and he sat down to talk for a bit. Chris took over the Nu-Way about a year ago. Their main claim to fame is the “Nu-Way” sandwich, which is a loose meat beef sandwich with its roots in Kansas. Nu-Way has been a Leavenworth fixture since 1934, but in recent years, it had really been going downhill. Chris decided to change that particular course of events. He bought the classically outfitted, cozy little place, and has been working (successfully) to bring back the business and to engage a new generation of Nu-Way fans.

I mention that the place is small, but Chris told me that when it started, the building was even smaller. We were sitting at the lunch counter, directly in front of the original steam table (still in use) where they prepare the sandwiches. Apparently, the stools that we were sitting on didn’t even use to be part of the inside of the building. It had more of the feeling of a permanent lunch-truck, with the customers just walking up to an open front window to order the food. Of course, over the years, additions were made to expand the inside seating. Unfortunately, Chris laments, the kitchen hasn’t grown.

With a long culinary history in several Midwestern restaurants of all types, one of the only drawbacks to the Nu-Way is space, both for working and for storage. But that hasn’t stopped the folks at Nu-Way from putting together a great little menu. I had trouble picking what I wanted, but I settled (with recommendations from my friend Levi) on a large Nu-Way, onion rings, and home fries (fresh cut, and not always available).

The Nu-Way was great. Crumbled beef—think “dry sloppy joe”—seasoned just right on a steamed bun, wrapped in wax paper to make the five-foot trip over to the bar. I’m no aficionado (I’ve only had a sandwich like this once before, at the now-closed Made-Rite in Atchison, KS), but I have to assume that that’s about as good as they get. The fries were also very good, although Chris jokingly gave the chef (his wife and Nu-Way’s co-owner, Jennifer) a hard time about them, as he didn’t know that they were offering them that day. The onion rings, though, deserve a special mention.

They use cracker meal instead of flour for their breading, as well as a few other trade secrets that were not revealed to this writer. Though they were, indeed, battered and deep fried, these rings were as light as air, and without a hint of greasiness. After biting through the delicately crunchy outer crust, the onion inside seemed to melt away on my tongue. There were no onions that came all the way out of their shell. Each bite was as consistently good as the one before, and each bite was equal part onion and crust. These were, with no hyperbole, possibly the best onion rings that I’ve ever had.

Of course, as I was almost done eating, Chris told me that I should have ordered the Tenderloin sandwich, which he is very proud of. And Levi recommends the Fish and Chips, if for no other reason than to try the homemade tartar sauce. Rather than overdo a good thing, I promised to come back the next time I was in Leavenworth. And that’s a promise that I definitely intend on keeping.

Tags: 66048, Meat, Restaurant, Restaurant Review

BFD at the Spurgeons!

While my wife was in New York City, enjoying some of the best that our country has to offer, I found myself at home, underfunded and with a pretty bare cupboard. Luckily, I asked my friend Jason if I could come over to play video games, and his wife (my other friend, Rachael) fed me! Breakfast for dinner! What better way to fuel a night of cutting stormtroopers in half with your double-edged lightsaber?

Thanks, Spurgeons!

Tags: BFD, Friends