Dehydrator Getting A Workout

Dehydrator has been working overtime! Since I will be away for the next couple of weeks now is the time to prepare some food. 

Restocking the pantry can be fun, once you finally make the decision to do it! As soon as you start and set things in motion, there is a momentum that builds and carries you forward. You may even turn you into your own version of the energizer bunny.
 
A section of my pantry. From top right 2 jars of sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, almond flour, 2 jars of Sesame seed flour, buckwheat groats (left side of pantry with jar of buckwheat groats, and jars of crackers). Bottom right dried chili peppers, baking soda, adzuki beans, sprouting seeds, 2 jars of peas for sprouting, orange lentils for sprouting:

Preparing for the trip I made Buckwheaties (stored in glass jar in the fridge), Pizza crusts (ready for the freezer), and Sweet Potato chips (glass jars in the pantry):

Added 5 trays of Seedy Crackers to the dehydrator. Large glass jars are standing by ready to store the crackers in the pantry:

2 trays of Crunchy Chewy Chunks went into the dehydrator, that will be cut into bite-sized chunks and stored in the fridge when they are done:

Fermenting produce fresh from the garden! Fermented Kimchi, Fermented Green Beans, and Pickled Carrot Sticks. I'll be checking out the Farmers Market hoping to pick up more produce that can be fermented and pickled for the winter months.

Didn't Forget Dessert! Key Lime Tart is in the freezer

Day 7 of 7-Day GSC

For the final day of this 7-Day GSC, I decided to make a detoxifying Green Smoothie.

The coconut water, pear, and Romaine lettuce are a nice balance to the more intense flavour of Cilantro.

GS #2 - Cilantro Coconut GS
2 cups young Thai coconut water
3 Kiwi fruit, peeled
1 pear, stem removed
1 bunch Cilantro, stems removed
1 cup Romaine lettuce

• Add all ingredients  to blender and mix until smooth

Nutri-Tips:  

• Cilantro, well known for its anti-inflammatory and detoxification power, has long been used for digestive disorders.
• Cilantro also the ability to bind with toxic heavy metals, which can accumulate in tissues, and remove them from the body. 
• It can bring a metallic taste to your mouth when removing heavy metals from the body. I did experience this metallic taste once a long time ago.

Raw Tip:

• Save that coconut meat! Using a heavy spoon, remove the white meat from inside the coconut and either use it right away or store in a bag in the freezer for future use.

Day 6 of 7-Day GSC

One more Green Smoothie recipe from the Joy for Life Retreat for you to try!

This is my variation of the recipe - instead of a banana, I added blueberries (which darken the colour).

Green Kale-doscope GS

Yield: 1 quart

1-1/2 cups kale, rib removed (combo of Red Russian kale, Curly kale, Dinosaur kale)

1 cup fresh pineapple

1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
3/4 cup pears, frozen or fresh
3/4 cup mango, frozen or fresh

2 cups water

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy

Nutri-Tip:

• Kale is well-known for its risk-lowering benefits for cancer
• Kale can help regulate the body's detoxification system at a genetic level
• The flavonoids in kale combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits
  
  

Follow Up:

• This is Day 6 - and my weight is down another pound. My energy is still up (I was hiking all day yesterday) and I'm feeling really good.
• In the past two weeks my weight is down 10 pounds. Beginning to anticipate my first meal, but I know that it will be small portions at first. 

Day 5 of 7-day GSC

Here is another Green Smoothie recipe from the Joy for Life Retreat that you may want to try!

Green Glory GS

Yield: 1 quart

2 cups Chard, rib removed

1/4 fresh pineapple (approximately 1 cup)

1 cup strawberries, frozen or fresh
1 banana, peeled

2 cups water

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy
• My GS was a bit frothy, so I added about 1/4 cup frozen pears for soluble fibre

Nutri-Tip:

• Chard can provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
• Chard contains a flavonoid called syringic acid that is receiving attention in recent research for its blood sugar regulating properties
  
  

Follow Up:

• This is Day 5 - and my weight is down another pound. I have lots of energy and am feeling really good.

Day 4 of 7-Day GSC

This new combination is a good one. Both mango and pear have soluble fibre to keep your GS from separating (like when you add an apple).

Insoluble fibre passes through our intestines largely intact - while soluble fibre prolongs stomach emptying time and may affect blood sugar levels as sugar is released and absorbed more slowly.

Mello Collards GS

Yield: 1 quart

1 cup Collard greens, rib removed

1 cup Ataulfo mango, fresh or frozen

1 pear, fresh

2 cups water

 

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy
• Mango and pear mellow out the stronger taste of Collard greens in this GS 
• A perfect example of the simplicity of Green Smoothies - no additives required!

Nutri-Tip:

• Collard greens are packed with nutrition and provide anti-cancer properties
• An excellent source of vitamins B6 and C, carotenes, chlorophyll, and manganese, one cup of Collard greens provides more than 70% of the daily requirement for vitamin C.

Follow Up:

• This is Day 4 - and when I borrowed a scale to weigh myself I discovered my weight is down 8 pounds (but this is my second week of Green Smoothies). Snacks - Kelp fronds, Mango pudding (1 banana, 1 mango, 1 date)

Day 3 of 7-day GSC

We seem to have a retreat green smoothie theme going here - so let's continue with one more GS from the retreat for you to try.

Creamy Parsley Soup GS

Yield: 1 quart

1 bunch Italian parsley

2 celery stalks, green tops attached

1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and seeded
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup mango, fresh or frozen
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 cups water
Garnish with Dulse flakes

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy
• I used cherry tomatoes and frozen mango (and added a small handful of pea shoots to my blender)
• Scoop 1 or 2 Tbsp Dulse flakes over top and mix through
• This GS soup will be a bit thicker with more of a savoury flavour

Nutri-Tip:

• Parsley has been called a chemoprotective food because it can help neutralize certain types of carcinogens like benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke

Follow Up:

• On day 1 (which for me was actually day 9) I have become accustomed to eating very little. And although my energy was not as high as on the retreat, overall I was feeling good. Snacks - berries, mango pudding, kelp fronds
• On day 2 (since I am also reducing my dependency on thyroid pills) my body is adjusting and I noticed a little dip in my energy mid day but it came back up later in the day. Snacks - peach, kelp fronds
• On day 3 everything feels normal and there are absolutely no cravings for anything. My weight is probably down around 5 pounds, but that is just a guess since I do not have a weigh scale.
• I have company visiting me this week and day 3 we toured around Qualicum Beach and did some ocean swimming. My food intake changed when we stopped in a restaurant for lunch. I had a very small bowl of Vegetarian Minestrone soup without the pasta, and (after this small detour) returning to my Green Smoothies felt like coming home. Snacks - peach, kelp fronds
• If you noticed that I've been snacking on kelp fronds, it's not only that I am thoroughly enjoying them but also because they are good for my thyroid. The name on the package is Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), and luckily the company is very close to me in Cumberland. I am ordering a one pound bag. 

Day 2 of 7-Day GSC

Here is another Green Smoothie (GS) from the retreat that I am sharing with you.

Minty Green Cantaloupe GS

Yield: 1 quart

2 cups green lettuce

Mint, small handful

2 cups chopped cantaloupe
1 mango peeled and seeded (or 1 cup frozen)
1 apple, chopped
1 Banana, peeled
2 cups water

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy

Nutri-Tip:

• Cantaloupe is another excellent source of Vitamin A for vision (including cataracts)as well as beta-carotene to aid in the conversion of Vitamin A in the body

Day 1 of 7-Day GSC

Welcome to this 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!

After returning energized from Victoria Boutenko's Joy for Life Retreat, I was inspired to continue drinking Green Smoothies for one more week - you are welcome to join me!

For this GSC I will be consuming one blender full of Green Smoothie in a different way. Usually I drink the full blender in the morning, but for this week I am having one glass of GS around these times:  8 am, 12 noon, 4 pm, 7 pm. And eating fresh fruit as needed.
_______________________________________________________________________

This Green Smoothie was one we enjoyed on the retreat and I would like to share it with you.
 

Ginger Health GS

Yield: 1 quart

Red leaf lettuce, very large handful

1 mango, peeled and seeded

Ginger, large chunk
1 banana, peeled
2 cups purified water
1 Medjool date

• In a blender, mix together until thick and creamy
• To this recipe I added a date to sweeten it a bit more

Nutri-Tip:

• Red Leaf Lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A for maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin, and is essential for vision
• And the beta-carotene in Red Leaf Lettuce aids in the conversion of Vitamin A in the body

7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge - Aug 12-18, 2013

Monday Aug 12 through Sunday Aug 18
If you are looking for abundant health, increased energy, regulated weight, and reduced cravings - you are invited to join me and experience first-hand the benefits of drinking Green Smoothies that you mix in a blender at home!

I am drinking only a blender full of Green Smoothie and eating fresh fruit for the whole week!

Some tips to get you started and get the most out of this online GSC:

• A basic Green Smoothie is usually 60% organic fruit, 40% organic dark leafy greens (no starchy vegetables or additives), and 2 cups water mixed together in your blender
• Combining starchy root vegetables with fruits can cause gas in the intestines
• Dark leafy greens are the only food group that helps digest other foods through stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes - so greens can be combined with any other foods - from Victoria Boutenko
• OPTION 1 - drink as many blenders full of Green Smoothie as you want as well as fresh fruit - and trust me you will not feel deprived
• OPTION 2 - drink a blender full of green smoothie - in addition to your regular diet
• Disconnect from cable TV, newspapers, radio, outside opinions, and material things
• Get outside and connect with nature, notice the movement of energy around you and within your body, sit quietly and tap into your inner thoughts and intuition
• Because drinking a blended drink requires much less energy - you are giving your digestive system a well deserved rest
• Each morning I will post my Green Smoothie recipe, let you know how I am feeling, and share new awarenesses as they come
• For FREE online support (while you transition to this simple nutrient-dense blended drink) contact me at  ezrawliving@gmail.com  with your questions!

Having just returned from Victoria Boutenko's Joy for Life Retreat (Aug 4-10)
I must share how I feel - ALIVE and ENERGIZED!
 

This was an easy decision for me to continue drinking only Green Smoothies
and fruit for one more week. I hope you will join me!