I no longer eat a 100% raw diet but will always love my raw desserts. As I’m sure you can tell from my previous post, I’m on a bit of an ice cream kick lately. Nearly all of the desserts I did at the restaurant involved one key component- ice cream or sorbet. I’ve been doing this for a while now but it still amazes me that you can create something so rich and luxurious from such simple, healthy ingredients. Yes, it’s still a treat (I wouldn’t sit down to eat a pint of this in one go) but to me, raw ice cream is the essence of healthy indulgence…ok, maybe raw chocolate too but more on that later

For this recipe, I took a pure classic- vanilla ice cream- and dressed it up a bit. It’s the kind of ice cream I would’ve done for that restaurant in New York and would be equally impressive at any dinner pary…whether a party for many or just for one

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Gingered Cherries

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:

1 c water

3/4 c raw cashews

1/4 c raw honey

1 T xylitol powder* or lucuma powder

4 drops vanilla stevia

4 drops Medicine Flower vanilla essence (or use alcohol-free vanilla flavoring)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

1/4 c melted coconut creme

1 T melted coocnut oil

Gingered Cherries:

1/2 c dried golden cherries

1/2 c water

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

1/4 tsp ginger powder

Blend all ingredients except coconut creme and coconut oil in a high speed blender until smooth. Add the melted creme and oil and blend again. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions or freeze in ice cube trays and blend just before serving. For the cherries, mix all ingredients in a bowl and place in the dehyrator at 115 degrees for 1 hour (best to do 1 hour before serving so the cherries are a bit warm). If you don’t have a dehydrator, simply mix in a bowl and place on the counter to sit for 1-2 hours. The cherries will still absorb the liquid, they just won’t be warm. Serve the ice cream topped with the cherries and enjoy

*Xylitol powder is simply xylitol (widely available online and at Whole Foods) ground down in a coffee grinder, spice grinder or Magic Bullet. Lucuma powder is delicious as well, the ice cream just won’t be quite as white.

Butter Pecan Heaven

Endless Summer Butter Pecan Ice Cream
(makes approximately 1 qt, serves 4-8)

2 c pecan milk (see below)

1 c pecans, soaked 4 hours

1 c cahew butter

1 tsp vanilla powder

1/2 c coconut palm syrup or coconut nectar (can substitute yacon syrup)

3-4 T raw honey (I usecd 4 but you can use less)

2 T coconut oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 c pecans, plus additional for topping

For Pecan Milk: Soak 1/2 c pecans for 4 hours in filtered water. Rinse well in strainer with filtered water…

Rinsing Pecans

Add pecans to blender with 2 c filtered water and blend well. Pour milk through a nut milk bag, squeezing gently and thoroughly to extract all of the milk from the pulp. Rinse blender and pour milk back into the blender to make the ice cream, measuring to make sure you have 2 c (could have slightly more).
Note: I like to save all of my nut milk pulp to make raw cookies or bread….hmmm, I feel another recipe coming on

For Ice Cream: Blend pecan milk, soaked pecans and cashew butter in high speed blender until pecans are completely broken down. Add remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. Taste test for smoothness and sweetness (should taste very sweet as the sweetness mellows slightly when freezing)….try not to guzzle all of it, it’s that good! Pour mixture into a large bowl or quart container and chill in fridge for 30 mins or longer or the freezer for 15-30 mins (this is optional but helps with chilling time in the ice cream maker). Pour into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Almost Done

Add remaining pecans towards the end so they don’t settle to the bottom. Alternatively, pour into ice cube trays and blend once frozen, stirring in the pecans after blending. Top with additional pecans and enjoy with your family and friends
Options: dust with cinnamon or top with raw chocolate sauce or cacao nibs.

Ready, Set...Yum!

This past weekend we did another Whole Foods demo…which meant another simple, delicious recipe to share with everyone and lots of smiles and oooh and ahhhs at our demo table. I love it. This recipe is such a winner! I was originally going to do a simple chocolate chia pudding but kicked it up a notch (thanks Emeril) and made the most luxurious chocolate mousse. It’s kinda like the perfect black dress- you can dress it up for your fanciest dinner party or just have it for a casual dessert or  snack…and it’s so healthy with all of those good fats from the chia and coconut oil…you could even have it for breakfast! Hello lazy Sunday mornings

Ok, so I’ll stop raving and get right to it

Chocolate Chia Mousse

Chocolate Chia Mousse
[serves 1 or 2- 2 for an elegant dessert]

2 T chia seeds

1 c water

1.5 oz cacao paste, melted*

2 T coconut oil

1.5 T raw honey or more to taste

4-6 drops Vanilla Creme stevia (I used Wisdom Naturals brand)

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

1/8 tsp salt

First, soak and stir the chia in the water until the chia expands and becomes gelatinous (about 5 minutes). Pour the soaked chia into your blender and add everything but the cacao paste. Blend well until smooth and the chia is broken down. Add the melted cacao paste and blend again to incorporate. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary. Feel free to add some cool spices or seasonings as well and blend again. This is amazing as is but would be great with cinnamon, ginger, maca, almond extract, or any other flavor essence you love. Try a different combination every time! After blending, pour into your serving dishes and chill for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight (would be great to make the night before a dinner party, just multiply the recipe). Top with raspberries and cacao nibs or topping of choice and be prepared for compliments

*This recipe produces a sweet milky chocolate mousse. For a darker, more intense chocolate flavor, increase the amount of paste.

Today, I have a bonus recipe for you!

This raw food recipe was yet ANOTHER hit here at the VP warehouse.
I wanted to share with you how one recipe can be used for MANY things!
So, here’s another way to use that yummy cashew cheeze we made last time….

Watch the video here:

There are many variations of this recipe, so get creative, experiment and HAVE FUN!!!

Ingredients for the base:
6 oz – Acorn Squash or alternative (i.e. sweet potatoes)
3 oz – Chia Seeds (soaked for an hour/ overnight): http://vivapura.net/Chia-Seeds-raw-organic-1-lb
3 oz – Hemp seed meal: http://vivapura.net/Green-Hemp-Seed-Meal-raw-naturally-gr…
1 handful Fresh Basil
Pinch of pink salt

Directions for the base:
Soak the chia overnight in purified water (3 tbsp chia to 14oz water)
Peel & dice the squash
Use the food processor to combine/blend the chia, hemp seed meal and squash
Blend in basil and salt to taste
Take a dehydrator tray lined with wax paper or a Teflon sheet
Use a cake tin (12″ for this recipe) as a guide for the shape, pour the mixture on to the tray, then take the cake tin away to be left with a perfect pizza shape!
Dehydrate at 110 for as long as required (we ended up doing ours for 20 hours, 4 hours on one side then flip to finish for the last 16 hours)

Ingredients for the Tomato Sauce:
6 large tomatoes
1 big bunch of basil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp Really Raw Honey

Directions for the sauce:
Simply combine it all together using a Vitamix/any kind of blender.
Spread the sauce over the pizza base
finish off with cashew cheeze and your favorite pizza garnish…

For the cashew cheeze…
Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTEg4HbM254&feature=ch…

To Garnish…
Whatever you desire!
(We used Red Botija Olives: http://vivapura.net/Sundried-Red-Botija-Olives-low-sea-sa…)

So, enjoy this recipe with all your friends, we’re sure they won’t be disappointed…

Hmmm… it’s been a while since I played with chocolate… too long in fact!
OK, watch this space, it’s time for some cacao creations!

xxx Susu xxx

I promised you Kale Chips…
And here they are!

Oh my goodness these were soooo good!
Find out how to make these munch-a-licious ‘chip’ substitutes here:

Following on from a popular Cashew Cheeze recipe

(watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTEg4HbM254)

…learn how to take this cheeze to the next level!
Create your own Kale Chips!
Why waste your money on Kale Chips from the store when you can make your own at home easily?

Ingredients:
Big bunch of Kale
Cashew Cheeze

Directions:
Simply massage the kale chips with cheeze and love (cheezy love )
Place into dehydrator for as long as is needed to make them crispy
(Or you can use the oven, simply set it on to the lowest setting (no more than 110°F) and leave the door open a bit for air flow)
EAT!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe… check out the next blog for yet another use for that amazingly del-ish, Cashew Nut Cheeze!

♥

xxx Susu xxx

Well a snow cake actually!!

Being from Scotland, I am well used to a lot of snow!
So, being here in Arizona I am LOVING the sun shine!

This weekend I decided to celebrate by making one of my favorite recipes…
I got playing with lots of different coconut ingredients and couldn’t wait to share this with you…
I am always amazed at the hundreds of different uses for our friend the coconut!

As you know, Vivapura prizes itself for…
…the finest cold pressed coconut oil…
…the smoothest stone ground coconut creme and
…the creamiest coconut chips!
We are the coconut gurus!

If you haven’t tried our plethora of coconut treats then now is your chance!
Check out this recipe video to learn how to make a smooth, rich, creamy and delicious coconut Snow Cake!

Enjoy!

WHERE TO BUY YOUR SUPPLIES:
Vivapura Coconut Creme ~ Original – http://vivapura.net/Coconut-Creme
Vivapura Coconut Chips – http://vivapura.net/Coconut-Chips-raw-organic-12-lb
Vivapura Vanilla Powder – http://vivapura.net/Vanilla-Powder-raw-organic-fair-trade-4-oz
Vivapura Lucuma Powder – http://vivapura.net/Vanilla-Powder-raw-organic-fair-trade-4-oz
Coconut Secrets ~ Coconut Nectar – http://www.coconutsecret.com/nectar2.html
Body Ecology Coconut Meat – http://bodyecology.com/coconut/Young_Thai_Coconut_Meat_5_35.html

Healthy and Unhealthy Liver

I was drinking a glass of “turmeric-lime aid” with a woman I met at the Tree Of Life Café (see video), and we began a discussion about the secrets of becoming/staying healthy. As I told her, in my experience health is factored by your body’s response to:

1. Your thoughts
2. How you move your body
3. Your nutrient intake
4. How efficiently you remove your accumulated toxicity

Being a busy person, she then asked me the best way to remove toxicity. Although there are many ways to do so, I feel that the biggest return on your investment of time and personal energy is by doing a Liver (& Gallbladder) Flush. That is why my partner Elaina Love and I choose to incorporate a Liver flush as a regular part of our life. They can be done once a month for a dramatic increase in overall wellbeing, and in fact some people have done several in a row with our program.

How often do we change the oil in our car? How often do we clean our bathroom? How often do we wash the outside of our bodies? How often do we clean the INSIDE of our bodies?

This is a concept that has been all but completely lost in our society. When we look at the older traditions and religions, we find that just about every one of them includes a period of “spiritual” fasting, usually at least once a year. This gives the body an opportunity to cleanse, detoxify, and rejuvenate itself. These cycles are important to maintain, and for reasons I don’t really understand (fast food?, soda? pop tarts?), we have moved away from those traditions.

So what do we do? We can take the wisdom of the ancients and combine them with modern science and technology, and as a result we have the protocol for our Liver/Gallbladder flush. The system is unique to Vivapura/Pure Joy Planet, ie, myself and Elaina, although we have incorporated many elements of other successful protocols. Together, Elaina and I have done 26 Liver flushes (her 18 and me 8).

We feel so strongly that this is the #1 best way to detoxify the body, we started an online tele-course that we use to coach others. Our next flush is Sunday, March 13, to Sunday, March 20, 2011. If you are interested or know someone who is, please send them to http://vivapura.net/Liver-Flush-Teleclass-March-2011

Jeff and Chris at Chakra4 in Phoenix

Many of you know my story. After spending 15 years in corporate America in the greater Philadelphia/New York/Baltimore area, I basically withdrew from my competition in the “rat race”. My family sold just about everything we owned, and moved to Patagonia.

As a recovering consultant for other companies, I continued to maintain my passion about business in the US while at the same time pursuing a more spiritual path. What I came to realize is that the two need not be different.

I read many books on the link between business and spirituality, and embraced the concept of “Sacred Commerce”. It was that spirit from which Vivapura was born. She came not from us, but through us, and I work with her for our mutual growth. It was while running Vivapura that I personally discovered what it means to run a business “from the heart”.
While we have certainly had our share of challenges (ie, opportunities), we have always endeavored to maintain our perspective, that our business is also a path for personal evolution.

Not long ago, I met someone who is also passionate about redefining what it means to have a “spiritual” business. He is Jeff Goodman, the creator of Career Hearted™, a class that I took in January, and thoroughly enjoyed. In the three day seminar, Jeff invites you to look at your business as a unique “energetic being”. He then helps you examine it from the perspective of the 7 chakras. From your financials (1^st chakra) to your marketing (5^th chakra) to each of the others, you see your company from a new perspective, and can begin to discover what’s missing. If you would like participate, tell them you heard about it from me and you will receive a 20% discount. I don’t receive anything from this, I am simply passing on what I think is an excellent opportunity and experience. http://careerhearted.com/ (Click on the Friends tab and use the password FRIENDS to get the discount)

Whatever you are in your career, I feel it is important to recognize the lessons that are being taught to us in each moment, and that our business can indeed be a path for spiritual transformation.

“In my last shipment, I ordered, among lots of other things, the White Mulberries.  AMAZING! I truly don’t know how I have lived without them! I have been having so much fun in my test kitchen experimenting and adding them to just about everything!  I have made a Mulberry Tapioca that is a major hit with my family and friends.  I’ve been so anxious to share this recipe with you and your readers… Its so so easy to make; the hardest part is just waiting for the Vivapura Chia seeds to absorb the flavored liquid!”

So here it is, another gorgeous way to use our subtly sweet Superfruit gems- mulberries!

Raw Mulberry Tapioca

Raw Mulberry Tapioca By Raw Chef Siegren Johnson of TRU Cuisine

1/4 cup Vivapura Chia Seeds

1 cup of  raw almond mylk, cold

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon date paste

1/4 cup Vivapura White Mulberries (reserve 1 Tablespoon.)

Add cinnamon and vanilla powder to chia seeds, gently mix.  Add date paste, white mulberries, and almond mylk, stir well.  Continue to stir every few minutes for 20 minutes, or until mylk is thoroughly saturated into seeds and forms a pudding.  Sprinkle the remaining mulberries on top of the tapioca pudding and serve. (Serves 2)

Thank you Siegren

Probably one of the most personal issues in our lives is deciding what to eat on a regular basis. There is so much conflicting information and confusing advice out there. Many health experts are touting their recommendations for healthy living and out of that can come judgment and guilt. I have many friends how are dealing with weight issues and health issues, and while I believe in my heart that one’s diet is a primary factor, I also realize that our personal history, beliefs and addictions (both conscious and unconscious) all play a very important factor.

IMHO, there are too many “should” and “shouldn’ts”, which at its worst form turns into dogma. When our food choices become fanatical, I feel that we have lost our way a bit.
Every person has a unique physiological and metabolic system. We all have our own person journey of health and wellness, or lack thereof. We have our stories and beliefs, and all of our past choices are mostly the best we could do given the things we believed at that time.

So when it comes time for me to advise people, I choose to honor the journey that they have been on, and realize that what works for me will not work for everyone, and the highest outcome for each person depends on meeting that person where they are and where they choose to be.

Peace.