How I Shop and Prepare Food For My Family

A fruit smoothie my son prepared

Before I begin this post I would like to share some information regarding gluten free diets.  Not all gluten free products are beneficial.  Some just aren't good for you.  How on earth do you navigate through all the products and find what's healthful?  In response to this question, nutritionist Michelle Ross has shared two great sites with me to pass along to you.  Check them out when you can!  The Gluten Free Mall is a good site as well as Shiloh Farms.  There are many companies that label their foods as healthful which really aren't.  Eating raw is the easiest way to avoid harmful food products because there is zero to minimal processing.  But most of us have families who don't want to go completely or mostly raw.  This is a simple guideline I use when I shop and prepare food for my family.

1. Cook from scratch.

I know this is a challenge in such a busy day and age.  However, try to find quick and simple recipes like one dish meals to prepare.   This is the best way to avoid harmful chemicals and products that are oxidized from long storage time.  I prepare a salad every evening for dinner.  I always have fresh sprouts on hand and toss them into my salads.  Find organic salads that are already cut up like broccoli slaw.  It makes the process a whole lot faster.

2. Think whole grain.

Look for 100% whole grain.  Gluten free products are not always whole grain.  Nothing constipates faster than flours that have been stripped of their fiber.  It's like having glue paste pass through your gut.  I look for whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, etc.

3. Read labels.

I am not a chemist!  I look for words that are understandable.  If there are ingredients that I just don't understand, I avoid them.  I love it when I find products like Larabar that have just a few ingredients like dates, nuts, fruit, done!  I am wary of the term "natural flavors."  Huh?!  Can't they list what the natural flavors are?  So many bad ingredients are masked and passed on to unsuspecting customers this way. The red flag also goes up when I read "All Natural."  Never trust the manufacturers unless they have proven to you that they are committed to making healthful products.  Always, always, always read labels! Here is an article that goes into further detail about what we should be looking for when reading labels.

4. Buy organic and GMO free.

I buy nacho chips for my family to enjoy with guacamole, salsa or hummus dips.  I don't make absolutely everything from scratch (like pastas and chips). But when I do buy prepared foods, I safeguard my family from garbage like GMO's when I buy organic.  I'm still amazed at how our government has facilitated the spread of GMO's with businesses like Monsanto.  It is horribly despicable in my opinion!

5. Eat as much raw food as possible.

Ever since my kids were little and they would refuse to eat my salads, I would require them to take at least two bites.  After they had two bites, I would let them move on to the rest of their meal.  Over time, because of the little bit I would require them to eat, they got used to the raw foods I offered them.  Although I still have to prod them along, they do eat their salads.  Shockingly enough, they also eat sprouts without me asking them to!

6. Skip the sweets and junk food and make your own treats!

I'm the wicked witch of the health food world!  It busts me up laughing ,when my kids' friend comes over to play and he looks suspiciously at the food or juice I prepare.  GREEN SMOOTHIES!  VEGGIE JUICES!  Just watch me grow a wart on my nose and wring my bony hands!  I keep a basket full of fruit for my kids.  If they are hungry, they snack on fruit or toast with organic jam.  They munch on raw nuts or spread peanut butter on apples or bananas.  They still resist me completely cutting out peanut butter from their diet - I prefer almond butter.  Although I believe avoiding all animal products is absolute best, my son loves eggs on occasion, so I buy them for him - organic and cage free.  (Free range from a local farm is best.)  I encourage them to make their own smoothies - something they have taken to with much excitement.  I make raw desserts, fruit smoothies, chocolate smoothies, fresh popcorn (Avoid microwave popcorn like the plague! I know someone who works for a food plant and knows about the toxic stuff that goes in it!) and treats that are much better for them.  Although I do not drink orange juice, I buy it for my kids.  It helps them to down my brew, I mean veggie juices, when mixed in ...  I'll get you, my pretty!

7. Keep soy products to a minimum.

Soy milk and other soy products have been marketed as healthful.  I'm not so sure that they are.  Read this article if you have the time.  Although I do use some soy products, I try to keep them to a minimum.  We drink almond, coconut or organic rice milk.  However, I do like to use soy milk when I make potato soup because it is thicker. 

Does my family eat perfectly?  Absolutely not!  I give my kids free reign when we leave the house.  It is my biggest fear that my kids will resent this way of eating when they become adults and throw it all out the window. So when they go to a party, they make their own choices.  They can tell the difference in how they feel when they come home with a stuffy nose or when they get sick.   Lately, however, even when they eat foods at church potlucks or birthday parties, their immune systems have been pretty strong.  They haven't gotten sick in a long while.  I encourage my kids to watch health documentaries with me.  I want them to understand why this way of living and eating is so important to me.  Although my son may not be willing to admit it, I think the message may be sinking in.

Enjoy the Journey!

Free Screening of Forks Over Knives

You are invited to a free screening of Forks Over Knives which will be showing on Sunday, April 22 at 3:00 PM.  The screening will be hosted by the Olney Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 4100 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD 20832.  The film screening is sponsored in part by the Potomac Book and Health Food Store (Adventist Book Center) of Silver Spring, MD.  The representatives of the ABC will have vegan cookbooks and raw recipe books for sale after the screening. They will also host a Q & A session.  I have asked them if they could bring some chia seed to sell.  (You may remember how much I love chia pudding.)  The ABC carries chia seed at a very reasonable price!  Join us to watch a very informative film that documents the experiences and studies (the China Study in particular) of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. T. Colin Campbell.  You may remember Dr. Esselstyn as one of the physicians who advised former President Bill Clinton in his recent lifestyle changes. 

Go to olneyseminars.org for more information. 

I hope to see you there!

Gluten Free Pancakes

Have you taken the time to see nutritionist Michelle Ross' blog?  I have and I'm loving it.  After reading her posts I am feeling impelled to move my family towards a gluten free diet.  I honestly think that gluten probably affects everyone in a negative way to some degree.  I know when I was on whole wheat bread, It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to maintain my ideal body weight.  The bread I ate was Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread which is very hearty and wholesome, but not gluten free.  Since going raw and eating low on the glycemic index, maintaining my weight is a breeze.  I provide a lot of raw food for my family but I also cook for them.  I want to give them the best quality cooked food I can provide them.   I have picked up organic gluten free bread and organic brown rice pasta for my family from Trader Joe's.  I also picked up ingredients for vegan gluten free pancakes for breakfast this morning.  My kids were not disappointed and loved their fluffy pancakes.  Here is a recipe that I found from The Daily Dietribe:

(I wanted to use bananas and berries for the pancake photo but the kids got to them before I did.)

Vegan and Gluten Free Pancakes and Waffles

(I doubled this recipe.)

1 1/4 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour)

1/2 cup starch (I used cornstarch, you could also use tapioca or potato starch)

2 tsp baking powder (make sure it is aluminum free)

1/2 tsp sea salt (Celtic sea or pink Himalayan salt is good too)

2 tbsp granulated sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (I made my own with 2 peeled and cored apples and a little water - blended in the Vitamix)

2 tbsp of oil (I ran out of coconut oil so I used organic Earth Balance vegan spread)

1/2 to 1 3/4 cups liquid ( I used coconut milk.)

Mix dry ingredients separately and then mix wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mix.  The measurement given for liquid did not work for me.  I kept adding milk in slowly until I reached the desired consistency of pancake batter.  This recipe is excellent!  Here is the post and guidelines for this recipe.

Enjoy the Journey!

Raw Foods and Athletic Performance

One of my favorite sections of the book The pH Miracle (see previous post) is titled "Green Athletes" on pp. 66 and 67.  Dr. Young has had many impressive clients including a couple of bi-athletes for the 2002 Olympics, the top soccer team from Trinidad, and the West Point Gymnastics Team.  He even consulted Stu Middleman, an ultra-marathoner, who ran from San Diego to New York City in an astounding 56 days - powered by alkaline foods.

Brendan Brazier

Dr. Young performed a study while working with the West Point Gymnastics Team.  He made two groups from 11 gymnasts and supplemented one of the groups with concentrated greens, pH drops to alkalize their water and a pendant to deflect electro magnetic frequencies.  He did not implement the entire pH Miracle program.  In other words, they did not change their diet save the supplementation.  The results were astonishing.  The group that received the supplementation outperformed the non-supplemented group by almost 100 percent.  They increased in strength and endurance and had faster recovery times.  They also had better attitudes towards their training sessions.

Tim Van Orden

There are many athletes who have eschewed the conventional wisdom of obtaining their protein from meat and have made great gains because of it.  A couple of notable athletes in this category are Ironman tri-athlete Brendan Brazier and Tim Van Orden.  Both these athletes are mostly raw vegan and continually win races in their respective divisions.  I have heard testimonials from athletes that say that their bodies recover much more quickly from their training sessions on a plant based diet, meaning that they could train more frequently.  More frequent training sessions means faster and better competition times.  They most definitely have an advantage over other athletes who need more time to recover from their training sessions.  Tim Van Orden states that aging is no longer an issue in his performance.  He easily outperforms athletes that are much younger than him.  He has a very interesting YouTube clip in which he talks about where he gets his protein.  Brendan Brazier is featured in several articles by Natural News.   Check out this particular article!  (There is a typo in this article, Brendan mentions using ham protein.  I'm sure he meant hemp protein.)  Celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder also has an excellent post on plant based diets for fueling athletic performance.  In this post she tackles the issue of animal based protein and how it can actually hinder optimal performance.  I know I have just given you a lot of links to check out, but the information is so good and worth taking the time to look at.

Using Supplements

Dr. Young has a chapter in  The pH Miracle where he explains what the best supplements are.  This chapter is very informative!   (Please pick up a copy of this book for his extensive information on this topic.)  He highly recommends concentrated greens as well as an alkalizing diet.  The greens he is referring to are grasses such as barley grass, wheat grass, kamut grass and dog grass among others. (Sun Warrior, linked below, carries concentrated greens.)  Find a high quality supplement that is organic and dehydrated below 118 degrees so that it can retain all the beneficial live enzymes. He also recommends using pH drops.  You'll need to pick up the book for the rest of what he recommends!

Brendan Brazier mentions foregoing the highly processed energy gels that are available on the market and make your own.  He makes his by using agave nectar, dates and lemon juice.  If you want to stay away from agave, try coconut palm sugar, dates, lemon juice and enough water to blend or process this mix and make it into a gel. You could also use raw honey.

I can't stand those awful sport drinks.  You are far better off drinking coconut water.  Here is an excellent article on Natural News about the amazing benefits of coconut water and how it contains higher quality electrolytes than the toxic sport drinks that are available on the market.

Don't forget to use chia seed!  The Aztecs used chia seed as well as the Mayans.  The Aztec runners would fuel their bodies with chia and consequently did not dehydrate during their distance running.  Here is a blog post that covers this topic.

Lastly, if you are interested in a plant based protein, I highly recommend Sun Warrior.  As you probably would guess, I'm not a fan of most of the protein supplements available on the market - whether from whey or soy.  I don't like them.  I would much rather use something that grows from the earth rather than something manufactured in a chemistry lab.  Products that are entirely from plants, organic and dehydrated at low temperatures do not tax the liver with all the chemical byproducts found in manufactured protein supplements. Not only do natural plant based sources deliver high quality protein, they also have the added advantages of fighting disease (including cancer) and nourishing the body.  All organic foods that come from the earth have this attribute.  While they are known for their high nutritional value, they also boast a broad spectrum of other benefits.  Check out Sunwarrior's newest product, Sunwarrior Blend here. 

Coming up:  Body-building on a plant based diet.

Enjoy the Journey!

Pink Himalayan Salt

I have heard again and again how bad table salt is.  Since I had  already given up so many things in my diet, this is the one thing I dug my heels into the ground on for a while.  Eventually, I upgraded to sea salt and celtic sea salt. Recently, I started using pink Himalayan salt which I am totally jazzed about.  Here are some of the benefits of this salt:

It helps to regulate the water content in the body and doesn't dehydrate the body like table salt does.

It helps to promote alkalinity in the human body.

It helps to promote blood sugar health.

It helps to reduce signs of aging.

It aids in the absorption of nutrients.

It prevents muscle cramps.

It promotes bone strength.

It enhances sleep.

It supports libido.

It promotes vascular health.

I'm just scratching the surface with this incredible product of nature.  Pink Himalayan salt is also rich in minerals that  are essential to the human body, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, etc.  Pretty awesome, don't you think?  I picked some up at Trader Joe's; I just love that grocery store.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, you can find pink Himalayan salt on Amazon.

Enjoy the Journey!

The pH Miracle

This post has been a long time coming.  I apologize that it has taken me this long.  I was coming across conflicting information in regard to pH balance and I needed a reliable source.  I contacted my nutritionist friend from California, Michelle Ross (check out her site; link on side bar), and she referred me to The pH Miracle by Robert O. Young, PhD. and Shelley Redford Young. This book is excellent!  Get a hold of a copy when you get the chance.  I also recommend that you watch this clip by Dr. Young. It is 40 minutes long, but the information is incredibly good. Carve out some time to watch it! You can also click here for his website.  I want to touch upon some points  from the book that piqued my interest and may catch yours as well.

A Tale of Two Scientists

First, when it comes to disease, there is a school of thought that is pervasive in western medicine and stems from the teachings of Louis Pasteur.  The foundation of his teaching is that germs and illness begin by what's in the air.  This school of thought gave birth to the idea that to prevent sickness we need to fight it with handwashing and proper hygiene. I'm big on handwashing.  This isn't the point of contention I have with his philosophy since reading this book.  Because Pasteur had better connections and was able to sell his point of view, this is the idea that took hold.

Antoine Bechamp

However, there was another scientist, Antoine Bechamp, a contemporary of Pasteur, who also launched a separate school of thought.  His view was that we can alter the condition of our bodies to become susceptible to disease or resistant to it.  He stated that depending on what we do, we can create a body environment that is ripe for contracting sickness or one that will fight off infection. Bechamp was not as well connected as Pasteur, so his brilliant observations and ideas did not take root.

Even if both scientists had equal chances of selling their ideas, knowing human nature, which do you think people would buy into?  One that tells us that we are responsible for creating healthy bodies or one that tells us that health is a matter of chance and is as good as the luck of the draw?  In regard to health versus disease, it is easier to be a victim of circumstance and convince ourselves that we were just unlucky than to own up to our responsibility for our health.  There is a modern awakening in regard to this, however.  I believe that much of this has to do with the documentaries and availability of information found on the Internet.

Obviously, people today are concerned about catching disease from what they may be exposed to.  Movies such as Outbreak from the 90's and Contagion recently released on DVD are evidence of this fear. Plagues are a part of human history; the bubonic plague and several others have taken countless lives. However, with each plague there were survivors.  Why did they not succumb to disease when they were exposed to the same sickness?  The answer is that their immune system was stronger!  And the foundational key to a strong immune system has to do with pH balance.  Increased alkalinity in the body results in a stronger immune system.  The sooner you understand this, the more likely it is you will strive to become alkaline yourself.  In a nutshell, alkilinity equals life.

The Walking Dead 

When one dies microforms take over and perform the task of decomposing the body.  They thrive in acidic, anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions.  When our bodies are acidic while we are still alive, these microforms set up shop in our bodies before we die!  Of course, they create waste which is also very acidic, which invites more microforms to join the party.  The aches and pains people talk about as they get older, can be usually attributed to the acid build up in their bodies.  Acidic bodies are susceptible not only to what's in the air but also to the sickness that their own bodies create.  So what are we to do?  Eat more alkalizing foods!

But first, let's consider acidic foods.  All animal products are acidic, as well as sugar, cooked foods, processed foods, juices, sodas, coffee, etc. That is basically most everything Americans eat.  Now before you become overwhelmed with the thought of totally giving up everything you enjoy, remember something that I have mentioned before.  You do not have to eat a 100% raw diet to become alkaline.  According to Dr. Young, if you eat at least 75% percent alkalizing foods, you can  achieve alkalinity.  Alkalizing foods are vegetables, greens, sprouts - everything that contains chlorophyl.  (Do not count on fruit to alkalize.)  Once your body has attained alkalinity, you could be fed germs by the spoonful and you won't get sick. Your body's defenses will be so strong, that any invading bug won't stand a chance. 

The Healing Miracles

Healing miracles happen when people achieve alkalinity.  The first obvious change is the joy that is so clearly visible in the faces of the people who are becoming healthier.  All sorts of diseases reverse; heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, schizophrenia - the list goes on and on.  By now you should know the spiel - better skin tone, happier outlook, healthier hair, clearer thinking, etc.  People who achieve alkalinity are also a passionate bunch.  They want nothing more than to spread the message of health because of the tremendous benefits they have experienced themselves.  You'll see it again and again.

If you are eating 75% alkalizing foods, how should you fill the remaining 25% if you don't want to eat more raw food?  May I suggest 20% cooked vegan food?  Vegan food can be very tasty.  I recently entertained guests in my home.  The lady of the family was leery of eating vegan food. However, after tasting it, she couldn't believe that she liked everything I served her.  The last 5% is up for grabs, you can cheat with that portion.  I guarantee you, over time your taste will change and you won't go for the foods you have always craved.  

I have added a couple more food blogs to my list, Vegan Yum Yum is very good and also Chocolate Covered Katie.  The author of Vegan Yum Yum was quickly recruited for a cook book.  Chocolate Covered Katie has the most amazing vegan dessert recipes.  I tried the deep dish chocolate chip cookie and it tasted as delicious as the artery-clogging deep dish cookies you can get elsewhere with the worst ingredients.  Check out this post on ten great vegan food blogs.

Lastly, I want to let you know that you can test to see whether your body's pH is alkaline or acidic.  The best way to know is by testing your blood.  A simpler method which you can use at home is by testing your urine.  That's not as accurate as testing your blood, but is a more reliable method than testing your saliva.  You can find pH test strips on Amazon.  Honestly now, what don't they carry?  Coming up: Raw Food and Athletic Performance!

 Enjoy the Journey!

Growing Younger

I know I have done a post on the fountain of youth; I never tire of it, however.  I just received a newsletter from Green Smoothie Girl featuring a clip on 70-year-old Annette Larkins.  Wow!  She is unbelievable!  In the photo to the right, she is in her sixties, check out this clip which is more recent.  In the same newsletter there is also mention of 65-year-old Donna Gates, who has a program helping people transition to a raw, plant based diet.  The effects of raw food over a long period of time yield phenomenal results.  Check them out yourself!

Enjoy the Journey!

Free Screening of New Film" Hungry For Change"

James and Laurentine have done it again.  The creators of the hugely popular Food Matters Documentary have released the trailer to their newest film, Hungry for Change.  This film exposes all the falsehoods of the diet industry and the harm they pose to those seeking to lose weight.  Be sure to register here for the free online screening which will take place March 21-31.  This screening will be free for 10 days only.  They have some excellent guests such as the inspirational Kris Carr (Crazy, Sexy Cancer), Joe Cross (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead) as well as Mike Adams (Natural News), Dr. Joseph Mercola, David Wolfe among others.  Be sure to watch!

Enjoy the Journey!

Sprouting 101 - The Recipes

My mother is a good cook.  She took to it at a young age watching her mother.  My children say, "Mom, you're a good cook, but Abuelita (Grandmother) is better."  I don't mind that at all.  She doesn't use a lot of recipes but goes on memory and tastes as she prepares her food.  I have called her on various occasions trying to replicate Guatemalan dishes she has prepared with much frustration because I just couldn't make it quite like my mom does.  Well, the amazing thing is that after years of cooking for my family, I've found that I'm doing the same thing - prepping by memory and tasting as I go.  I'm by no means a great chef, but I like to make food that my family enjoys.  The new challenge for me is to find raw food recipes that my family likes.  I have tested these recipes on my family and they have given me the thumbs up.  With this in mind.  I consider these recipes guidelines and not hard and fast recipes.  Please adjust the ingredients according to your liking.

I love buckwheat!  It is highly mucilaginous (slimy), but the slipperiness can be rinsed off with water and a fine sieve.  I can easily have bowlfuls of buckwheat and almond milk when sprouted for about one or preferably two days for breakfast.  If you can't tolerate the idea of eating it straight, here is a recipe that is very tasty.  My son and husband like it.  I'm still working on my daughter.  She can be a little pickier.

Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal

Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal

1 cup sprouted buckwheat (sprout for 2 days)

1 cup nuts of choice soaked overnight (e.g., almonds, pecans, walnuts or a combination)  (I used almonds only in this recipe.)

1 cup combination of dates and/or raisins

a couple of drops extract of choice - like vanilla, almond or anise.  (experiment)

1/8 cup coconut flakes (optional)

a pinch of pink Himalayan salt ( or whatever salt you have on hand) 

Process nuts in food processor until granular.  Place in bowl.  Process dates and raisins until granular and also place in bowl.  Do not over process or you'll make an unappealing paste.  Add buckwheat, extract, coconut flakes and salt.  Mix all ingredients.  When I serve this cereal I add almond or coconut milk to the bowl.  If you own a dehydrator, you may also dehydrate buckwheat.  I hear that buckwheat has the consistency of rice crispies when dehydrated.  I fly high with this kind of a breakfast! Yum!

 
Strawberry Oat Groat Cereal
Another variation on the above recipe is to use oat groats.  (Oat groats will not sprout, but will become alkaline and increase in nutrition when soaked)
1 cup oat groats soaked overnight
1 cup nuts of choice soaked overnight ( I used almonds)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup or more of dates and raisins
a drop or two of vanilla
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Process ingredients in a food processor.  Process oats alone, then  nuts, strawberries and date/raisin combo.  If you don't process each ingredient alone, you may end up with a paste.  Add these to a bowl, mix in vanilla and salt.  I also have this with almond milk.  The milk turns pink!  (Do you remember having strawberry Quick! when you were a kid?  My mom gave us some for a very short time in my childhood.)

Sprouted sunflower seeds are great sweet or savory.  You can add them to either of the above recipes or in this pate spread. 

Walnut Sunflower Seed pate' wrapped in chard leaf

Walnut Sunflower Seed Pate'
1/2 cup walnuts ( soaked overnight)
1/2 cup sprouted sunflower seeds (soaked overnight)
1 stalk celery
1tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp or more of parsley
Juice of one lime or to taste
Himalayan pink salt to taste

Process onion, parsley and celery in a food processor.  Add walnut, sunflower seeds, lime juice and pink Himalayan salt.  For the photo, I spread the pate on a chard leaf and added broccoli slaw from Trader Joe's as well as mung bean sprouts.  Alfalfa sprouts would be good with this too.  Wrap it up and enjoy!  When I made the wrap with the walnut sunflower seed pate' and prepped it for the shot, it looked plain, so I added a salsa that I had left over in the fridge, just to give the plate some color.  I won't give you that recipe because it was just thrown together for one of my meals one evening.  Here is a recipe that I am not embarrassed to share with you.  I bring this salsa to parties for larger groups of people so feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller serving.

Pineapple Mango Salsa
1 pineapple diced
2 mangoes diced
1 cucumber diced with skin on
1/2 bunch of green onions chopped
1/4 - 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
juice of two limes or to taste
pink Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and adjust ingredients to your taste.

Although I haven't tried it, I think this salsa would be great with mung bean sprouts. 

Romaine leaves with peanut sauce, sprouts, cabbage and broccoli slaw

Peanut Sauce Without the Peanuts

I like to make dressings from scratch for my salads.  It just makes it more interesting to add a little variation to what I eat.  This is a recipe that I like.  Again, adjust to suit your taste.  For the photo I spread the sauce on romaine leaves and topped it with shredded red cabbage, carrots and mung bean sprouts.  I like to douse it with extra soy sauce.

1/2 cup tahini (preferably raw)
1/2 cup almond butter (preferably raw)
2 oranges peeled
2 green onions
1 tbsp miso paste
1/2 inch to 1 inch piece of peeled ginger
3 - 4 tbsp lime juice
2 - 3 tbsp soy sauce, Bragg's liquid aminos, or nama shoyu
1/2 - 1 small clove of garlic
1/2 cup water or enough to make this dressing turn in a Vitamix blender.
 Combine all ingredients in a blender.

I have a hard time with sprouted wheat.  It just makes me gag.  I remember going to Jamba Juice in California and trying to down wheat grass shots.  Yuck!  I still am not giving up on wheat grass.  I want to buy a wheat grass juicer at some point and try adding the juice to my smoothies.  The only way I can consume sprouted wheat berries is if I eat them when they are barely sprouted - when the tail just starts to poke out of the berry.  At this point I either put a small amount into my smoothie or I make these amazing treats!

Sprouted Wheat Freezer Fudge

Sprouted Wheat Freezer Fudge (makes about 20 balls)

1 cup sprouted wheat berry  soaked overnight (purchase soft wheat berries)
1/4 cup almond butter (preferably raw)
1 1/2 cup dates
3 heaping tbsp raw cacao powder (or roasted cocoa powder)
1 tbsp raw honey
extra cacao powder or coconut shreds

Process wheat berries in food processor until granular, add almond butter, dates, cacao powder and raw honey.  Make balls out of the paste and roll either in more cacao powder or coconut shreds.  These rarely make it to the freezer in my house.  You may want to double the recipe.  We go through these way too fast because they're so good and nutritious to boot!

I always am sprouting and have either mung bean sprouts or lentil sprouts on my kitchen counter.  I need to start sprouting alfalfa and broccoli sprouts and others I'm not yet familiar with.  I used to have enough just for myself, thinking that my family would not like them.  Ha!  Fat chance!  I started noticing that my sprouts would go missing and would catch my kids with a bowlful of them with their favorite dressing.  Something that would normally annoy me, makes me so happy because my kids are actually eating sprouts!  They haven't been sick at all this winter. Even though their friends are constantly going down with some bug, my kids have remained healthy.  Thanks to some awesome little sprouts!

 Enjoy the Journey!