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Miss Me?

Jun 28th, 2010 by admin

Here is an update for those that come across my blog lately, who wonder where I went and what I’m up to. After over a year, I am still 75% raw, mostly vegan, and have acquired a Vitamix and Dehydrator! I am moving back to Missouri in July, which is bittersweet because I will miss Vancouver so much. I am trying to find an opportunity in the field of architecture, since this is my background. I still love working in the kitchen creating delicious food, but it’s more of a hobby now for me. I have since discovered that my passion for buildings and design cannot be quieted, and my love of food cannot overcome my need to create with pen and paper.

If you would like to follow me these days, I have started a new blog focused on design and things I am creating lately: Amanda the Architect. I hope to see you there, dear readers!

Posted in Adventure | No Comments »

Hiking Raw

May 29th, 2009 by admin

My hubby and I went on a day trip up to Squamish, BC a few days ago. We decided to explore the beautiful wilderness of the Pacific Northwest and hike the Stawamus Chief trail. The top was about 700 meters, and the trail was about two hours of “stairs.” Whew! Talk about a workout… not to mention the climb down.

I wanted to share with you how we made the trip 100% raw. The night before I assisted a raw chef training class (remember Janice?). There was some leftover date nut torte (walnuts, dates, raisins, and lemon juice) which I froze that night for the trip. I also made a big green smoothie (32 oz.) to go in my brand new green smoothie jugs from The Raw Divas. I also put that in the freezer the night before. The morning we left, I also packed some celery sticks, blackberries, an apricot raw bar, as well as some water. We enjoyed the feast at the top of the third (highest) peak.

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Some chipmunk friends wanted to join us, which I wasn’t too happy about as they were very pesky. We tried to take a nap after our delicious meal, and our little furry friends climbed on our hands and feet looking for any remnants of the food. They were cute, but I wasn’t thrilled…

Chipmunk friend

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The view was gorgeous! We rested our legs for an hour catching some sun and getting ready for the hike down. The way down was harder because our legs were tired and we took the harder way down (we didn’t know until after we were already on the trail!).

dsc_1247 Yep. We were rock climbing. What an amazing experience, though! Quite a challenge for me as I am afraid of heights, too.

I am still sore… mostly in my arms and quads. Can’t wait for our next hiking adventure. The Grouse Grind is next ;)

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Posted in Adventure | 2 Comments »

I’m Baaaaack!

May 15th, 2009 by admin

When life starts to get busy, it sure means it! Geez, it seems like everything in my life just got prioritized. New job, graphic design, family, friends, food, yoga, and finally my blog. I am soooo sorry! I miss this little place of cyber space. I promise to save a little time at least once a week to come here and post. When I started this blog, I thought it would be a daily thing with certain “themes” on different days. Well, since Raw Living is a reflection of my life, the posts will be like my day and whatever inspires me at that moment.

Yesterday I finally bought a chefs knife! A few weeks ago I assisted Bruce Horowitz (Raw Spirit Festival head chef) and learned a bunch about how to set up a productive kitchen. #1 tool: a decent knife. My tomatoes before were mushy because my knifes wouldn’t cut through the skin easily. But now… there’s no stopping this tomato dicer!

As for food choices, let’s just say this is why I am still “transitioning” to raw living. I have tried all the vegan dishes at Sejuiced, and now at work I enjoy a fresh juice and salad when I need to eat. My weakness right now is soy lattes and breakfast items I will not mention here.

Finally, an update on my acne. I have tried a variety of things (most on the previous post), and just last night I researched some ointments to make. I mixed aloe vera, tea tree oil, and oil of oregano and put that on my face overnight. This morning there are no new blemishes and the bumps have gone down a bit. This is a healing process, so it will take time. So for the next week I will try to not touch my face, drink lots of water, and use the ointment. Oh, and I will be growing my bangs out, as I think they are to blame for my forehead acne. Stay posted for updates on my progress!

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Posted in Commitment | No Comments »

Juicy New Job

Apr 13th, 2009 by admin

The emails are coming in for new Positive Arts projects. Spring is bringing abundance in many ways.

One of my best friends came to visit me here in Canada all the way from Missouri! We toured the city and ate dinner at a fancy restaurant. Let’s just say we didn’t eat for optimal health, but the laughter and good conversation made up for it in many ways. I find that being obsessed about food is not healthy, so I won’t dwell on what I ate. Instead, as I drink liters of water I remember the gorgeous view of the city during the sunset. Can I say PRICELESS?!

Here is what I have been up to lately, besides the Vancouver tour and fancy dinner:

The “Swami-G” and “Pink Passion” are just a few menu items I am memorizing right now. Why?

I got a job!

A cool, healthy, juicy one at that! Sejuiced is a cute little vegetarian cafe with a juice bar. It is only a few blocks away from my Vancouver apartment and it has a mostly vegan menu with RAW options. OH! And the BEST part is the juice bar!!! The name says it all ;)

Tomorrow I go in for my training shift, learning all about the massive juice machine. It seems a bit intimidating, but very exciting at the same time. Hopefully I get a discount on the food, and maybe I will even be inspired to do a juice feast. One thing I am manifesting at the moment is a place to teach others about raw foods. This new opportunity will allow my healthy network to expand and I just might manifest the right people to start my raw food classes.

Now, Steve Pavlina fans and other independent spirits might not be celebrating with me here on my new juicy job. Let me explain my reasoning for why this job is an awesome opportunity for me:

Have I told you about my dream? If you have been following my blog, you may know that my background is in architecture. I wasn’t able to find a place to begin my architecture career, so I have used this down-time to renew my focus on what I want out of life. Rediscovering my love for the gracious movement of the human body, yoga is my new love (dance being my background). The more I learn and practice yoga, the more I find myself wanting to become a yoga teacher.

Also, on this raw foods journey I am becoming more knowledgeable about the subject and want to share my experience with others. This blog is one way to do this, but I want a more personal relationship. This is when I decided teaching raw food classes would be ideal, supplemented with support groups and individual coaching. So, as I gain more experience and start collecting resources, I have a plan. A plan to move back home (Missouri) and open a yoga studio and juice bar. This place will also be available for weekend events, retreats, workshops, lectures, and more. Right now there is not an organized group in my area for the raw food movement, so I hope to begin an organization as well. This will hopefully bring in some interest for the “celebrities” to come and visit to share their knowledge as well. The main goal for this place is to share the power of raw foods and help others to take control of their health! Most people in the Midwest have not heard of raw food, don’t know much about a vegan diet, and only know yoga as a new age way to exercise.

So, bring in Sejuiced… This will be a place for me to learn a BUNCH about how a small food establishment works, as well as learn the basics for making many kinds of juices and vegan dishes. Also, I don’t have much experience handling food which can help me as I begin organizing my raw food classes.

Feel free to comment about any thoughts, suggestions, concerns, ideas, support, or questions about my new job and DREAM LIFE! You are witnessing my dreams bloom right on this blog as I type and make my ideas become tangible and trackable. Now that my goals are documented, I have a place to come back and read what I was thinking at this time. I am sure certain things will change, but the general dream will always be there. Many more posts about my life dream will be here as I visualize more possibilities and begin designing the space in my head. Stay tuned, friends ;)

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Posted in beginnings | 3 Comments »

Have Detox Questions?

Apr 9th, 2009 by admin

I know I do (have you seen my last post on my acne problems?). Yeah, so I found a great, fantastic, bubbly, crazy, free teleseminar to jumpstart my fresh clear face free of acne!

Sign up for the call here

Tera’s got something cooking over there, but it’s not on the stove. If I know Tera, it’ll be a lot of fun, so I recommend you check it out for yourself to see what she’s got up her sleeves. Loving all the free goodies coming up! Here’s the link:

Click here to sign up

Let me know what you think. Maybe she’s just eaten one too many cacao beans lately. I can’t wait to see what surprises Tera came up with! Hope to hear you on the call!

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Posted in Commitment, Reviews | 3 Comments »

Acne Problems

Apr 9th, 2009 by admin

Coming home from a great day at the Vancouver Art Gallery, I felt inspired to write! I dunno if being surrounded by creative paintings, cultured people, or just getting out on the town and exploring. The day was fun and exhilarating, and I want to extend that feeling a bit more and bring it to Raw Living. So, there will be many blog posts coming up so stay tuned!

The past few weeks I have been discouraged by the unattractive acne breakout all over my face. I have never had bad skin, until I went raw. For a while, I just let it be, thinking it would pass. Well, I haven’t had a clear face since 2008, so I think it is time to step it up and get to the bottom of this acne problem.

I tweeted about my problem, Googled some remedies, and went to the library. After all of this research, here is what I am going to do about my acne-covered face:

  1. Begin oil pulling in the morning. Here is my logic: My skin is detoxing, right? Well, why not try and detox as much as possible in other ways. Oil pulling is a great way to detox (and it will make my teeth whiter and gums healthier). You can see tons more info on oil pulling here.
  2. Start dry brushing. Yep, also a good method to promote detoxification throughout the body. This practice stimulates the lymph nodes, and promotes circulation which is always a good thing. It also gets rid of dead skin cells, and helps cleanse the skin.
  3. Get a facial. Relaxing and beneficial by exfoliating my pores and cleansing the skin.
  4. Eat more cabbage and cucumbers. They help cleanse the body of toxins, and cukes are hydrating which helps clear the face!
  5. Drink more lemon water and cucumber juice. This tip I found everywhere!
  6. Stop eating nuts! I think this one is self-explanatory. Nuts are not a very cleansing food, and I am trying to flush out the bad so it stops showing up on my face!

So, my new commitment to my face. I hope by next week I have glowing skin so I can look as healthy as I feel! That is the most discouraging thing about this acne. I feel great! I keep telling people how great I feel, but my talk is not matching the look. My glowing smile is not going to cover up all the red bumps, so I need to take control of the health of my skin. After all, it is the largest organ of the body!

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Posted in Commitment | 6 Comments »

Wigglies, Detox, and Chocolate

Apr 5th, 2009 by admin

How the time flies! I have been so busy in the kitchen lately, that I haven’t had a chance to let you know what I have been up to. Well, finally I am here!

Yesterday I went to a worm composting class which was a lot of fun. I received a bin, 500 red wigglies, and some straw to get started. This is a very exciting adventure, and now I can utilize my raw food scraps instead of contributing to the garbage. I already fed my new wigglies their first weekly meal of banana peels, avocado skin, wilted spinach, apple core, lemon peel, and a few other things. In a few months, the food scraps will turn into compost that I can mix together with soil and make the best living environment for my container vegetable garden. I haven’t started the garden yet, because I am afraid I will kill the plants! For some reason, every house plant I bring into the apartment dies. :(  I am thinking of volunteering for the local community garden to learn more about growing healthy plants.

On another note, a few days ago The Raw Divas announced their 6-Week Deep Tissue Detox which I am very excited about. Lately, since I have been overeating on delicious gourmet raw food, bloating has become a major issue. As I gather the funds to sign up, I hope to learn a lot from Dr. Ritamarie as well as take control of my bloating issue. One of the best ways to cut the food cravings and start anew is to do a detox or cleanse, and I think this one is going to be fantastic. There are a few other programs out there that I was going to try, but there is no support system or connection with the program leaders to answer questions. That is why I love all of the programs that The Raw Divas do, as support is the #1 priority in their programs. Oh, and they are offering a free mini-course to introduce everyone to what the program will be like. It will be a chance for people who have questions about the program to get answers before signing up for the high-support detox. So, if you do anything, go here and sign up for the free, mini-course to just get a sneak peek of what the detox will be like. I hope to “see” you there!

There is so much more to tell you, but I must get back to my blender to make a chocolate pie for the potluck today! This pie is my proudest moment in the kitchen EVER and I can’t wait to share it with all of my raw food friends. Later this week, I have a cooked food dinner party and I will be making this pie for dessert. No one will know that it is not cooked, it’s that good. Do you want a bite? Well, if you sign up for the detox mini-course here, I will email you the recipe. Just let me know you signed up by commenting below! Hope to hear from you soon!

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Posted in beginnings | 3 Comments »

Window Wednesday: A Glowing Update

Mar 26th, 2009 by admin

Today (I know, reeeally late) I give a rave review of the raw food class I took over the past weekend. I also share other little tidbits about how I am doing 100% raw! Yep! Since last Friday I have been completely living on live foods! Very exciting. Very invigorating. Very fun. Very feel-good-wonderful.

Right now I may be breaking out due to detox or too many nuts, but I am having so much fun in the kitchen right now! I am trying all sorts of new recipes and gourmet raw dishes. I am definitely having too many nuts, and not combining my food properly, but I still feel wonderful and I am all raw. For right now, that is great. I give myself permission to eat what I want, when I want, as long as it is raw. Maybe next week I will focus more on salads and green smoothies, but I am having a blast right now! ;) Check out my excitement:

Oh, and the “Brownie Bites” that I mentioned are raw (just some walnuts, dates, cacao and vanilla processed together). I can’t get enough!

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Posted in Raw Living Video | 2 Comments »

Sprouted Quinoa Tabbouleh

Mar 24th, 2009 by admin

tabouleh21So, I said I was going to experiment a bit more in the kitchen. I am having so much fun! My creative side is coming out and I am super pumped to play with my food!

Today I made a deliciously filling lunch: Sprouted Quinoa Tabbouleh. So good.

Here’s how I made it: I soaked quinoa overnight in the fridge and then rinsed/drained on the counter most of the morning. About an hour before lunch, I added fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil to the rinsed quinoa. I also added some garlic powder, basil, and dried mint leaves. Then I added diced tomatoes and cucumber with fresh chopped parsley. To finish off the dish, I sprinkled dill and fresh basil leaves on top and let the flavors mingle for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

When it was ready to eat, I garnished the dish with cucumber, tomato and basil, with a few sprinkles of dill. Delicious and beautiful!

I made enoughtabouleh for leftovers tomorrow. I bet it will be even better then, allowing the grain to absorb the flavors.

There it is! My first original creation in the kitchen, with many more to come! This was fun! Now that I’ve shared mine, what is your favorite tabbouleh recipe?

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Posted in Recipes | 5 Comments »

Living on Life Foods Certification Class

Mar 24th, 2009 by admin

This past week has been one of the most amazing living foods week EVER! Let me just share a little bit with you, because the experience was beyond what I could sum up in a blog post.

So, I decided to take Alissa Cohen’s Living on Life Foods Raw Chef Certification class to dip my toe into the world of teaching others about living foods. Well, this was really fun and informative and delicious and I-could-say-so-many-other-wonderful-things. Miss Janice, the glowing teacher showed us a bunch of recipes and we filled up on living foods. The three hour class turned into four hours because the people were so engaged and we all connected very well. It was hard saying goodbye that evening, and as I walked home I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.janice1

After that great evening, I couldn’t sleep. I don’t know if it was the energy from the food or just the general excitement I had about raw foods. I knew I wanted to take the next step and sign up for the weekend course to teach others the joy of living foods. I was up until 3am just brainstorming ideas about classes I could teach, videos I could make, blog posts I could write, and people that I could impact. Well, what a great decision I made!

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The Living on Life Food Instructor Training was an experience I will never forget. I reconnected with the glowing people fromt the first class, and two others joined us. What a fabulous group.

The space was really warm, inviting, and sleek. As I walked in, I was greeted with a hug by Janice and the other students. We were all smiling the whole weekend!

amanda1On the second day, each student gave a demonstration of their favorite recipe from the first class, Raw Chef Certification. I chose fettuccine alfredo: yummy!!!

amanda2This was the first time I had used a spirooli, and I was immediatly convinced I needed this tool in my kitchen. I recommend it. ;) If you don’t have the funds for this gadget, you can also just use a vegetable peeler to make zuccini noodles.

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Now I am experimenting in my kitchen and actually preparing food, which before this weekend only consisted of smoothies and salads. I can’t wait to share my kitchen creations with you, and begin teaching classes of my own. Once I attain a high-powered blender I am going to have a green smoothie class all about green smoothies and how to make them. I am emersing myself into reading, studying and experimenting all I can about green smoothies to better prepare myself to teach others. amanda4

I have a few other ideas as well, but you will just have to wait and see what I come up with next when the time comes. ;)

So basically since last Thursday, I have had a permanent grin on my face and a joyful glow. I am flying right past Cloud 9 to something beyond what I ever imagined. Everyday I wake up feeling more blessed and happy than the day before, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Nothing can stop me now!

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Posted in Reviews, beginnings | 3 Comments »

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