But here’s the hard part: how can I truly convey the amazingness of this book? Because if you’re like me, maybe you’re used to “healthy” deserts and maybe you’re familiar with raw foods, and maybe you know that things can taste totally wonderful and fantastic in their own right, but maybe not *actually* like the thing they’re supposed to be modeled after. Do you know what I mean? Maybe?

Like, a raw burger is great and a raw taco is delicious, but . . . you’re not fooling anyone, really. Y know?

Except, then there are these cupcakes. THESE CUPCAKES! And I know you’re like, “But really, cupcakes? No way, of all the things that wouldn’t work raw, there’s just no way . . . ” And friends, I know. Except, YES!

Miniature lemon cupcakes with raspberry jam and lemon cream frosting.

Let me tell you about my friend Katie. She’s a foodie just like me, and we often share our treats and test recipes with one another. A few weeks back she came over for a walk, and as she left I gave her a couple of raw lemon poppyseed cupcakes I’d whipped up.

A few hours later I got a text: “OMG Those cupcakes are amazing!” The next day, she ordered the book, and the next time I saw her she brought some mini cupcakes of her own (pictured above). She’s made multiple recipes from the book and everybody she gives them to just can’t believe that they’re raw. They ALWAYS get rave reviews.

And of course, I’ve had just the same experience.

Blueberry cupcakes with cinnamon crumble, a huge hit at a toddler b-day party.

Guys, this book is seriously fantastic. It’s colorful and adorable and obviously crafted with love. It boasts 25 fun and creative cupcake recipes – everything from the classic chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate frosting, to the exotic vanilla orange cupcakes with goji cream frosting. No dehydrator required! Everything I’ve tried has been spot on. And of course, it’s all gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

Natalia is a great writer and is nice enough to include a thorough introduction, with kitchen tips and a shopping list. Every single recipe includes a gorgeous photo, and if I’m going to be perfectly honest, I’d say the investment is worth it for the food porn alone! But best of all, Natalia is a wonderful woman who is forging her own path, following her own truth, and doing things her own way. She is self published and self funded and incredibly inspiring. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with her on more than one occasion, and I’m always left wishing I could pick her brain just a little bit longer.

In other words, she’s super rad and deserves your support!

Dark chocolate mimi cupcakes with chocolate almond frosting. My favorites!

Cupcake Heaven would make an awesome gift for any aspiring raw foodist or health-conscious chef. You can buy it on Amazon or directly through Natalia’s site (ebook available). I just can’t recommend it enough, and I’m sure you’ll love it too.

Anyone out there tried these recipes? I’d love to hear from you!

• Recipes! That tahini dip I’m addicted to? yup. Those pulp crackers I’m always on about. Uh-huh. xGFx sugar-free pumpkin muffins??? err, not yet . . .
• Photos from the Farmer’s Market (done and done)
• Photos from my garden & the 2011 micro-farm (check!)
• A series of essays explaining the food experiments I’ve been conducting on myself this year, as well as a discussion of self-experimentation in general, and potentially touching on disordered eating/orthorexia in the food blogging world. (off to a great start, and excited to continue!)
• Answering your questions – so please ask them! Are you curious about anything vegan- or raw-related? Lay it on me, and I may just feature it in a post! (This didn’t really go as planned; no “question posts”)
• Pictures of vegan kids enjoying vegan eats. (yes, lots and lots and birthdays even!)

Plus there was so much more! So now I’d love to hear from YOU! What did you think of MoFo? Which topics did you like best, and which were not your cup of tea? Did you enjoy the daily posting, or too much? Any complaints? Suggestions? Lay it on me!

I’m going to take it reeeal easy on blogging this week, as I try to catch my breath and work to tame this mountain of email. Oof . . . wish me luck!

The recipe itself is super easy – a “one pot”, er, one food processor, project. Like so:


Raw Pulp Crackers (adapted from Gena’s recipe)

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups juice pulp (packed)
nut pulp from one batch of milk
½ cup water
½ cup flax meal (use a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle)
¼ cup nama shoyu (for raw) or tamari (for gluten-free)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper



Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix thoroughly. You want it good and broken down, otherwise you’ll end up with long tough fibers in your crackers! Add more water to thin, if needed.



Turn half of the “dough” out onto a lined dehydrator tray. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can use your oven on the lowest heat, though the final crackers will not “technically” be raw (whatevs, they’ll still be tasty and nutritious!). Just use a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or some wax paper.



Use a spatula to spread the dough evenly over the sheet, then score it into the desired shape/size. Repeat with the second half, on another sheet.

Dehydrate the crackers at 145º for 2 hours, then turn the temperature down to 115º and continue to dehydrate for another 8-10 hours. It helps speed the process along if you flip them after 4-5 hours, removing the non-stick liner. However, this is not necessary and you can totally just dry them overnight.

If you use an oven they’ll take significantly less time, but I’m not sure how much, so you’ll just have to experiment. Keep an eye on them!


And that, my friends, is that. Once they’re dry they’ll keep for a few weeks in an airtight container in the pantry. And the best part about these crackers?



Kid approved!

So obviously, all these things can be veganized very easily. And for a while that’s just exactly what I did. But over time, as I moved away from processed products and transitioned to a primarily whole foods diet, I sort of left the ranch behind. And for a long time I just did without. I ate my raw veggies with hummus like a good vegan (ha!), but I never replaced that cravable, always-applicable, easy “go-to” dip.
Until . . .



Tahini. Dear, sweet, slightly bitter but oh-so-delectable, nutrient-rich and totally unique, tahini from the heavens. I heart thee!

Tahini has filled the void where ranch once resided. Tahini, with its tang and bite, with its high protein and exceptional calcium count, with the sort of ubiquitous zest that will accompany any flavor profile. Tahini is like the “jeans” of the food world!

And this dip, just a little bit different every time I make it (which is why it’s so dang wonderful), is the “perfect pair”. It goes. with. everything.



I slather it on raw crackers. I use it as a salad dressing. I pour it over roasted root veggies and baked potatoes. It’s a great for dunking sandwiches and it’s equally divine as a mayo replacer/bread spread. And of course, it’s my ultimate, go-to raw veggie dip.

The following recipe is written in approximations, because that’s how I roll with it. That’s why it’s fun! You can work with what you have on hand and you can adjust to suit your tastes. Get creative with it and play around!


Ingredients:
1 cup tahini (raw, made from unhulled sesame seeds)
2-4 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or any combination of the two
2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1-4 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari/nama shoyu, depending on how salty you like it
1-4 cloves garlic OR 1/2 – 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 – 1 teaspoon cumin
water to thin, as needed

Optional:
- use less soy sauce and add fancy salt, like smoked salt
- add liquid smoke (I almost always do this – SO GOOD)
- add diced jalapeño OR jalapeño powder OR red pepper flakes
- add curry powder
- add diced red onion, or onion powder
- use less soy sauce and add some miso paste



Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend! Add water to thin to desired consistency (runnier for dressing, thicker for dip) (also, it will thicken up some after being refrigerated). This will store for up to two weeks in the fridge.

And that’s all there is to it! The best part about tahini? Totally kid approved:


Enjoy!

This year I’m going with a general theme, the playful and not-to-be-taken-so-seriously RAWK-toberfest. Yes, there will be lots of raw food! Also some cooked. Also some text-heavy articles. Probably lots of adorable baby pictures. Here’s an idea of what you can look forward to in October:

• Recipes! Raw and cooked, but mostly raw. That tahini dip I’m addicted to? Yup. Those pulp crackers I’m always on about. You betchya. xGFx sugar-free pumpkin muffins??? Ohhhh yes.
• Photos from the Farmer’s Market (such abundance this time of year!)
• Photos from my garden & the 2011 micro-farm
• A series of essays explaining the food experiments I’ve been conducting on myself this year, as well as a discussion of self-experimentation in general, and potentially touching on disordered eating/orthorexia in the food blogging world.
• Answering your questions – so please ask them! Are you curious about anything vegan- or raw-related? Lay it on me, and I may just feature it in a post!
• Pictures of vegan kids enjoying vegan eats. Because come on, who doesn’t love the little veg cuties?
• Plus all the normal Bonzai stuff, like the Book Club, “What I” Wednesdays, and Friday’s Le Love List.

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait! As for now, I leave you with a picture of my breakfast this morning: RAW chocolate-chili cheesecake from Divine Pie at the Portland Farmer’s Market. Word.

A few years back coconut water hit the scene with a big splash (oh HA right?!), and propelled coconut further into the mainstream. As America has warmed to this amazing tropical fruit, new and exciting products have been hitting the shelves. And I recently had the opportunity to sample a number of these products, gifted to me by an awesome little company called Coconut Secret.

So here’s the deal: I love these products. LOVE THEM! They are all vegan, gluten-free, and RAW! As a collection, the entire line offers unique flavors and textures that open up an entirely new world of raw (and non-raw) cooking techniques. For example, I never dreamed a raw pastry crust could be so buttery-flakey until I stumbled onto coconut flour. And that’s just the beginning!

~~~

But before we jump into reviewing each product individually, I do have one single criticism. Perhaps it’s just my personal preference, but I was quite put off by the manner in which some of the products are presented on the website. Namely, via bashing their [perceived] competitors. I just don’t think it’s necessary (or savvy) to attack an ancient health tonic like apple cider vinegar, and I feel like there’s a way of highlighting the product’s “selling points” in a less aggressive way. And maybe that’s the problem – it feels like selling, and it made me feel sold to, and that makes me skeptical and distrustful. I don’t want to hear that apple cider vinegar is actually bad for me because, well, I know that’s just. not. true. Or the odd implication that if you manually add a culturing agent when ferment a food, that it’s somehow inferior to a “naturally aged” product. What??! And I understand that agave is contentious, but you know what? Mercola is a snake oil salesman who’s even more contentious than agave! And soy – oh god. Don’t get me started. Look, I avoid it for the most part and I’m no soy proponent, not by a long shot. But the ridiculous old “soy-formula-is-like-babies-on-birth-control” line is essentially the equivalent of “soy will make your son gay.” (veiled homophobia?) It’s ludicrous and it’s just sort of weird but most of all, it’s NOT a conclusion that’s supported by the science.

All that’s to say, the whole “on the attack” marketing approach is just not my cup of tea. I’d rather just hear why YOUR product rocks, yeah?
/end rant

~~~

Alrighty! So on to the reviews. Venting aside, please remember – I adore these products. Get ready for a rave!




Coconut Flour
Coconut flour changed my life. No joke.

This all-raw, gluten-free flour is high in fiber, is unbleached/unrefined, and of course, it’s organic. And it’s just amazing. It’s got a totally unique flavor (just a little bit sweet, not very “coconut-y” at all), and a powdery texture that will work in a recipe much like traditional flour. You can use it in baking or as a thickener in sauces or smoothies. But where it’s really changed my life, is in my raw diet.

Exhibit A

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! From sweet treats to savory pastry and everything in between, coconut four is totally revolutionizing the way that people approach uncooking. Recently, I even got my paws on a brand new uncookbook, all about raw cupcakes, that’s pretty much centered around coconut flour. SERIOUSLY GAME-CHANGING.


Coconut Crystals
This is another product that’s totally changed my kitchen. Coconut crystals taste almost identicle to brown sugar, except of course that they’re RAW, organic, unrefined, and low glycemic. Hooray!

No blood sugar spike, and it’s a good thing too, because my absolute favorite dessert in the world is a frozen banana cut into slices, with raw almond butter, dunked in coconut crystals . . . which I usually eat very late at night. But it doesn’t keep me up, because coconut crystals have a glycemic index of 35!

You can use coconut crystals in traditional baking, like I did in this cherry crisp, or you can keep it nice and raw. Brown sugar is such a distinct flavor, and having access to it in raw form opens up so many amazing new possibilities.


Coconut Nectar
Coconut Nectar is a liquid sweetener made from the sap collected from coconut flowers. It’s also RAW, and organic, and best of all it’s low-glycemic (GI of 35). This is a another great alternative sweetener for those who are opposed to honey and looking for something that won’t spike their sugars.

Coconut nectar does have it’s own unique flavor, almost flowery, which can take some adjusting to. I’ve grown to enjoy it very much, but it hasn’t replaced my other sweeteners altogether. Instead it’s simply helped round out my pantry – there are places where coconut nectar works wonderfully, and there are places where I prefer something more neutral (or something more specific, such as real maple syrup). But if you could only buy one liquid sweetener, coconut nectar would certainly fill all your needs. It can stand in for any liquid sweetener, in any recipe, cooked or uncooked.

Empty bottles = proof of love, right?

Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos are meant to take the place of soy sauce, and this is the one product of the whole line that didn’t totally blow me away. However, if you have a soy allergy or a thyroid condition or something else that requires you to avoid soy entirely, you’re in luck: coconut aminos totally get the job done.

This condiment is RAW, gluten-free, and soy-free. It’s nice to have another raw umami option, and it’s great that soy-free folks can get back into their Asian cooking groove. Personally, I prefer the taste of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or nama shoyu (raw soy sauce), but I’ll also be keeping coconut aminos on hand for when I want to mix things up.


Coconut Vinegar
LOVE! Finally, a raw vinegar besides apple cider! Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some ACV. But let’s be honest, it can be a little . . . strong. And really, when you only have one (bottled) acid to work with, you run the risk of getting a little bored. Enter coconut vinegar!

Coconut vinegar is RAW and organic. The flavor is gentler than ACV, and it has a certain sweetness to it. The first time I sampled it, I thought it tasted distinctly reminiscent of rice wine vinegar. Well, that pretty much kicked off an entire week of culinary creativity in my kitchen! I use coconut vinegar in “stir-fry” (or stir-dry) marinades, in my raw sushi rice, in Asian-inspired salad dressings, and on and on. I love it so much, it’s featured prominently throughout in my raw uncookbook (though you can always sub out ACV, no problem).

~~~

In sum, I think it’s safe to say that I’m stupendously excited by these products. They will all continue to play a big part in my foodie adventures, and if you’re looking to expand your own pantry and breath some new inspiration into your kitchen, I just can’t recommend them enough.

For those of you who have already tried them, what do you think? Please share!

Raw Lasagne from Vegan Mario’s in Santa Barbara, California, in early June.

I’ve been eating very well. Oh yes, very well.

This month’s mission was a continuation of last month’s mission, with a twist (we’ll get to that in a sec). We all challenged ourselves to eat a more healthy, whole-foods plant-based diet. Some people added daily juicing; others incorporated green smoothies. Some readers chose to go vegetarian for a week, and some even tried out veganism!

Me? Well of course, I’ve been raw. And aside from a very select few deviations, I’ve been entirely raw for the past two months.

Um, I feel fantastic.

Even though this has literally been the most cumbersome work load I’ve ever been under, I’ve managed my stress remarkably well. Not that I haven’t been a total mess, because I have, but it was actually Damian who brought to my attention how my diet is probably influencing my ability to make it through this. Seriously, I’ve been staying up well past midnight (WELL past) for weeks, taking care of my poor miserable teething baby all day, exercising plus going on two 30-60 minute walks each day, creating and testing over a hundred new raw recipes, and writing like a madwoman every single second that I can eke out to sit down alone with my computer. I’ve been overtaxed to the max and I should have crashed and burned out weeks ago.

Instead, I have *so* *much* energy. It’s kind of crazy when I think about it! I’m also prone to emotional instability when I get really stressed out, and I’ve been able to maintain a much more even keel throughout this process – actually much more than either Damian or I expected, haha. I only cried like a dozen times!

But joking aside, it’s a bit difficult to judge the efficacy of diet under such extreme circumstances. Who knows what has influenced what, and where the credit can be lain. All I know is, I made it through a beastly 7 weeks relatively unscathed. I even lost some weight and gained some muscle, and got that super spectacular raw-foods “skin glow”. I love that glow!

So ultimately, this mission has been a huge success for me. I’ll be continuing to eat high-raw, well, indefinitely. At least through summer. What I like about where I’m at right now, is that I don’t feel any sense of restriction. I eat raw foods because they make me feel amazing, not because I feel like I “should” or because I’m trying to prove a point. And if I want a little bit of cooked food, I’ll have it, without any worry or weirdness. Eating for what makes me feel good instead of just what tastes good, has been a huge paradigm shift for me over the past year or so. Luckily, what feels good also tastes friggin’ great! But then again, that took some adjustment, like it will for anyone (you too, if you give it time!)

Raw cheesecake quartet: delicious no matter who you are or what you’re used to.

Last month we extended the mission, and added an additional challenge: to read a book relating to our health goal. I chose Becoming Raw, by the authors of my “bible”, Becoming Vegan. I made good progress early on in the month, but got too busy for reading these last few weeks. No problem, I’m picking it right back up and I’ll be finishing soon. It’s a *really* great book, a truly honestly approach that presents the most balanced raw information I’ve ever read. There’s no dogma. The authors are straightforward and they’re not invested in the results, which means they review the literature with an open mind. The scope is exhaustive; they cover every study that’s been done on raw foods/foodists. They offer the pros and the cons, the benefits and the red flags, with tons and tons of science to back it all up. There’s also a great chapter in the beginning that details the history of the raw foods movement, which I found fascinating. All in all I recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in raw living. *Highly* recommend.

And what about you, my dears? How did your mission go? Do you feel the results of your healthy changes? And did you read anything that you found inspiring? Please, tell me all about it!

~~~

This was our twentieth mission (!!), and I’m considering taking a pause here for a while. Or, I’ve thought about doing a Bonzai Book Club instead, where we all read a book a month, and discuss. Would you be interested in a book club? Do you like the MMMs, and do you participate in them? Would you miss them if they were gone, or would you appreciate my time/energy and posting space being devoted to other endeavors? I’d love to hear your thoughts here!

Also, if you do like the MMM, do you have any ideas? I know I’ve asked this in the past, but I’m looking for more. Monday is right around the corner – if we do a MMM, what would YOU want it to be?

~~~

K, lay it on me!

I’ve spent the past month working furiously in my raw kitchen, whipping up creations for the upcoming uncook book. And I’ve been taking pictures along the way, chronicling my successes. And a few of my failures as well! I thought it would be fun to share some of my photography – a virtual taste test, if you will. It’s been such fun so far and these pictures inspire me to keep up my steam as I continue on in this project. I hope that you enjoy them!

A cilantro pumpkin seed pesto that knocks my socks off. I can’t stop making this!

Sprouted lentil pesto stacks on heirloom tomatoes.

The guacamole was good, but the raw tortilla chips stole the show!

This adorable little iced sugar cookie was actually a major fail in the flavor department. She sure is cute to look at, though.

More failures. Chocolate frosting on sugar cookies, neither of which worked.

As an aside – how many times do you attempt a dish before you give up and move on? I’ve attempted three batches of sugar cookies in three recipe iterations, with three total losers. Is it time to give up on my raw sugar cookie dreams?

Delicious sugar snap pea soup.

Savory herbed quinoa crust, this was such an exciting breakthrough!

You’ve already seen this sorrel and sun dried tomato quiche, in the quinoa crust.

Lovely perfectly pale smoothie, the flavor is just as subtle as the hue.

Homemade DIY wheat grass shot without a wheat grass juicer.

This is another one of my absolute favorites, un-tuna salad in lettuce wraps. Best un-tuna I’ve ever had – raw or cooked – since going vegan. Hands down!

Sprouted lentil minestrone, so hearty and delicious.

Um, this was spectacular! California benedict with raw hollandaise.

Warmed wilted lemon and thyme asparagus drizzled with hollandaise.

Pretty juice!

This barely begins to cover what I’ve been up to in my kitchen. Many more pictures to come!

Did you wonder where the wrap up was last Thursday?!

Well, it’s like this. I’m still working like mad on this uncook book, so I’ll continue spending my days in raw-raw land (ahaha, I crack myself up). And from the feedback I’ve gotten from most of you, this mission has been met with both enthusiasm and difficulty.

In other words, you guys are really into it, but hasn’t been easy. Whether it’s been adding more juice to your life, or trying “raw till dinner” or going vegetarian – which are just a few examples of personal commitments that readers took on for this “get healthy” mission – we’ve all seemed to face some challenges along the way.

Which is why I want to give us another month! To re-commit, to try again, to finish off strong. For our better health!

And, I’m adding a challenge. I want you to read a book that relates to your own personal goal. So for example, if you’ve gone vegan this month, why not read The China Study? Or if you’re adding a daily smoothie, you could pick up The Green Smoothie Revolution. There’s so many books on health, the possibilities are truly endless. If you have any questions I’m happy to offer my recommendations!

Me, I’ll be reading this one:

Aw, Photo Booth is so OG blogger/camwhore, haha.

Becoming Raw by the same amaaaaaazing women who wrote my bible. I’m so excited to read this!


So my dears, do you accept this extended mission? And which book will you be reading this month?

However, most raw desserts are centered entirely around nuts: crumbly walnut crusts and chewy almond cookies and silky cashew cheesecake, and on, and on. They’re delicious and they’re nutritious, but nuts carry a few of their own issues. For one, they’re quite high in calories. But more importantly, they can be rough on digestion. I find that too many nuts will disagree with me, especially in combination with fruit. It’s a common phenomenon and many people experience it – Damian calls it “nut belly”. Or more like, “nut belly, groooooan”.

So recently I’ve focused creating amazing raw desserts that are totally nut-free. And I’ve had some awesome success! This recipe, for example, brought to my palate a sensation I hadn’t thought possible to experience while raw: perfectly buttery, perfectly flakey, perfectly perfect pastry crust. It’s magical.



The secret ingredient is coconut flour, my new favorite ingredient. My particular coconut flour was sent to me by Coconut Secret, and not to sound like an ad or something but man, this stuff is revolutionary! It’s completely changed my ideas of what’s possible in the world of unbaking. Seriously life changing! Coconut Secret is a great company and they have an awesome little line of raw products (which I’ll talk about another time), but you can get coconut four from many sources. I’ve seen it in a bunch of different bulk bins. (As a note, not all coconut flour is raw, so double check if that’s important to you).

Strange new ingredient aside, these treats come together quickly and easily.


Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup alt milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (more for greasing)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Filling:
2 cups dried apricot halves, soaked at least 4 hours
2 cups water

Instructions:
Use coconut oil to grease an 8″ baking tray. Combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and completely combine. If you need to melt the coconut oil, you can float it in a small bowl within a larger bowl of hot water. Once the batter is mixed, press it into the bottom of the baking tray.

Place all soaked apricots in a blender or food processor. Add enough of the soak water to form a thick but smooth paste – probably just over a cup. When the apricots are fully blended, spread them evenly on top of the crust.

Refrigerate to set for a few hours.



Perfect for tea time. Enjoy!