Kristen's Raw 4th Awesome Giveaway - Raw Holiday Book!

It's that time again... my monthly giveaway. This month's gift? A copy of my newly published book in print, Kristen Suzanne's Easy Raw Vegan Holidays. And, GREAT NEWS - This month's contest is not limited to people living in the continental United States, because if someone wins who lives outside the continental U.S., I will send you the ebook version instead.

A little info about the gift:
This great little book gives you fabulous Raw recipes, tips and tricks for navigating the fall and winter holidays. On one hand, holidays are very social occasions that usually focus around food, which can raise issues for Raw food enthusiasts, such as how to explain your food preferences to family, hosts, and visitors, and how to deal with temptations to stray from healthful habits.

On the other hand, again, the holidays are about FOOD. This presents a fantastic opportunity to try some super fun and delicious, seasonal recipes! There is perhaps no better way to start dabbling in Raw or to introduce the cuisine to others... the sheer novelty of Raw holiday food is certain to stimulate conversation. You'd be amazed how some people's ears perk up when they hear how great, fun, delicious and cool the Raw vegan lifestyle is.

Excited? Want the chance to win? Simply answer the following question in the comment section for this post. At the end of three days (Wednesday night, Dec. 3rd @ 11:59pm) I'll enter everyone's name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winner on my blog Thursday.

Question:
From the following "types" of Raw vegan foods, which is your favorite to eat?

a) Beverages (smoothies, juice, elixirs)
b) Soups
c) Salads
d) Desserts
e) Entree-like foods (pate, lasagna, burritos, quiche, etc)
f) Sides/Snacks (cheese dip, hummus, veggie crudite, etc)

Raw Vegan - Crazed For Fuyu Persimmons

One of my happiest times of the year is when persimmons become available. They are a delicious fruit that is slightly sweet, with a little crunch. I love them.

After working out the other night, we took a trip to Whole Foods where they were "singing me to them" (a line from the movie, Australia - loved that movie, it took my breath away!). Anyway... I bought a bunch of them and could clearly not wait until I got home to eat one. I dove right into the bag my husband was carrying before we even got to the car. I pulled one out, smelled it, adored it, and basically worshiped it right then and there. Crazy, I know. But, when you're hungry and one of your favorite treats is in your hands - well, I just couldn't help myself. I started chowing down, moaning, no napkin to wipe the juice dripping down my face and hands, just using my sleeve and pants.

I was finished in seconds, literally. And, after a moment of sadness that it was already gone I glanced over at my husband with a dazed look in my eyes (by now, we're in the car driving to another store in the next complex). He was cracking up at my behavior. Crazed as I was, like a vampire after having only a little taste (huge Twilight fan girl here), I threw off my seat belt and was diving into the back seat of the car after another persimmon. Ahhhh... persimmons.

WE WON! NO VILSACK FOR SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE!

Last week I blogged about President-Elect Obama considering Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture. Well...

WE WON!
WE WON!
WE WON!

CHECK IT OUT!!! Here is what Organic Consumers Association reported:

In last week's Organic Bytes, the OCA alerted readers that President-elect Obama was considering former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack for USDA Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack has been an ardent supporter of Monsanto, genetically engineered crops, and corn and soy-based biofuels. Thanks to vocal opposition from thousands of you in the OCA network, Vilksack's nomination has now been withdrawn. Although Vilsack told the Des Moines Register he didn't want to comment on why he had been sacked, sources at the Obama transition headquarters reported "a flood of calls and emails" from organic consumers opposing Vilsack's nomination. Thanks to your participation, the OCA office in Washington, DC is submitting a petition with 8,000 signatures to Obama's transition team this week, urging Obama to take a strong stand in support of organic food and farming.

Weight Loss Tips & Fruit Fly Death Trap

Fruit Fly Death Trap
As Raw vegans, we have lots of fresh produce in our kitchen and I'm sure you do, too. Thankfully, we don't have a problem with fruit flies, but I've been asked on more than one occasion about how to deal with them. So, for all of you out there battling fruit flies ---> no more! Check this link out for a fruit fly death trap. I know, I know, vegans shouldn't harm anything that can run, swim, fly, or hop away from us. (That didn't really include fruit flies, did it?)

Weight Loss Tips
1) Some studies show that drinking a V8 about 20 minutes before you eat your main course can help you cut the calories you'd normally consume in one sitting. Makes sense - you feel more "full" as a result, so you eat less of your main meal. Sounds good to me! The only change I recommend is bypassing the V8 and making a Green Smoothie (here is a recipe to try) or a glass of fresh Plant Blood instead.

2) Here's an interesting tip... according to the author of The Body Clock Guide to Better Health: dimming the lights in the evening can help snack cravings go away, because "darkness can act as an off switch to your body clock (sending messages to your brain to stop eating)." Hey, whether you try this tip, or you put Vicks Vapor rub under your nose when you're at the movie theater so you can walk by the popcorn stand without smelling it (my mom does this) - nothing is off limits when it comes to fast and easy tips for losing weight!

Kristen's Raw: Exciting News! Paper Books!

I am in the process of having all of my ebooks published in print format through Amazon. I currently have two available with two more on the way next week.



Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Holidays







Kristen's Raw - The EASY Way to Get Started & Succeed at the Raw Food Vegan Diet and Lifestyle




We are also creating a photo gallery to showcase photos of recipes from the books/ebooks. Check it out here. I'm taking a survey... which photo do you like best?

IMPORTANT: Tell President-Elect Obama "NO Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture!"

According to the Organic Consumers Association:
It has been widely reported that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is being considered for the Secretary of Agriculture position in the Obama Administration. (WTF???) Vilsack is no friend of organic food and farming and his appointment would represent a major disappointment for the organic movement.

But there is still time to make your voice heard.

Speak your mind! If you agree that Vilsack would be a bad choice for secretary of agriculture, then sign the petition here right away. Or, you can tell President-Elect Obama your views on his website here. Heck, while you're at it, give him a call at (202) 540-3000!

Take this another step beyond signing the petition and pass it on! I posted this on the Crazy Sexy Cancer forum and it's getting a lot of play, so if you know of somewhere else to post (including your own blogs), then let's do it!

Raw Vegan Dessert: Cherry Chocolate Brownies

Aahhh! Here it is. I found the recipe - thank goodness. I was so elated that I found it that I had to make another batch on Saturday afternoon. Yum!!!

We went to a birthday party that night and I used a little round cookie cutter to cut mini Cherry Chocolate Brownie Bites. Then, I put them in a little plastic bag from a craft store (I use bags like that for Raw goodie-gift-giving), tied a little ribbon around the top and gave them to the birthday guy. He was so excited that he immediately started sharing them around the table.

Confession: Later that night after we arrived home, I ate half of the 8X8 glass-baking dish worth of them. Goodness, they're so freakin' good.

Cherry Chocolate Brownies
Yield 8X8 glass baking dish

1 1/2 cups dehydrated almond pulp, ground
1 1/2 tablespoons Navitas Naturals lucuma powder
3 tablespoons raw chocolate powder
dash Himalayan crystal salt
1/4 cup Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cherry extract
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup dried cherries, packed

Using your food processor, fitted with the "S" blade, pulse to briefly mix the ground almond pulp with the lucuma, chocolate, salt, and hemp seeds. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture sticks together when gently pressed between two of your fingers. Press the delicious mixture firmly into a glass 8X8 dish. Cut into squares (or whatever shapes you'd like) and serve plain or topped with Raw vegan ice cream for extra indulgence.

Vitamineral Green Loading Update
All is well with my experimental loading of Vitamineral Green. I'll admit... it's pretty icky the way I take it, but when you're loading it like I am, I just want to plug-n-chug it, get it over with, basically don't breathe while drinking it (you get the point) haha. I take a glass mason jar, add a couple heaping tablespoons of Vitamineral Green Powder, add 1 cup of water, and often times I add a tablespoon of Fruits of the Earth Powder, too. Shake it up and drink it down. (Ick!) Then, I chase it with a cup of plain water. On some days, I toss down another heaping tablespoon later in the afternoon.

10 Healthiest Supermarkets & Vitamineral Green Loading Experiment

10 Healthiest Supermarkets in the U.S.
Living in Arizona, we have 5 of them near us - gotta love that - with Whole Foods being my favorite, of course. We also have some excellent farmer's markets (with many of them year round) so I can score some locally grown goods. You may be surprised to learn that Safeway's "O Organics" brand is the largest organic brand in the country. That's an excellent sign of things to come.


Vitamineral Green Loading (experiment)
Back in my bodybuilding days, we used to do a thing called "loading" with certain supplements (it was usually in reference to loading up with creatine - an OTC supplement popular amongst athletes). When we loaded up on a supplement, it usually involved a set period of days, say 7 days, in which you consumed a lot of the supplement in that period of time. Some people would gradually increase the amount each day of loading and some people did the same amount each day. Then, the process usually involved taking a few days off from the supplement and then getting back on a loading phase.

Well, the holiday season is around the corner which means that many people (family, friends, co-workers, etc) will likely fall prey to the flu and disease begins to run rampant. This is something that my husband and I want no part of. So, we're eager to consume more greens (lots more) and fight back with super power alkaline immune systems. My plan of attack for us to easily do this is with "Vitamineral Green Loading." We're going to double our daily doses, and in some cases triple - starting this week and going through the holidays. Every Sunday we'll take a break from it. This will be a fun experiment. I'll keep you posted as to our progress and how we're feeling as a result.

Unusual Diet Tips From World's Longest Living Person

I thought this story was neat... chocolate, red wine, laughing, and well... bike riding. I think the first three definitely belong together - it's easy to do all three at the same time. After reading about this person I will make a stronger effort to have more of those in my life. HAHA! Like that will be hard! (I'll keep my chocolate organic, raw & vegan for extra super powers - and the same goes for my wine - organic and vegan). Oh, and of course, I'll keep exercising - one of the biggest keys to her success I'm sure :) Read more here.

Related post
My Goal: Become A Centenarian

A FUN Testimonial - Monkey Play Date

I've been dying to post this super cute testimonial I received recently, where monkeys loved one of my recipes. Here is the story...

"I made those delicious hazelnut chocolate snowballs and omg!! They were AWESOME! I'm goin tomorrow to get more ingredients! I brought em to a monkey 'play date' and the monkeys were allowed to eat them cuz they were raw - They were all LOVIN em- pretty funny!"

When I asked for permission to post the testimonial, here is what she added...

"ABSOLUTELY!! I actually made them as my 'covered dish' I had to bring - well, the monkeys ate them ALL. The people in our monkey group are pretty careful about what they feed the monks so when I told them about the raw, natural ingredients... it was all a go - I took a couple of pictures because they were going so fast..."





"This is Lorraine (first 2 pictures) - when I offered her a bite, she grabbed the whole thing and spun around and ate it as fast as she could to keep from getting it taken away - (it was so good, she was sure she wasn't supposed to have it)









Lali (3rd picture) ate one and her dad didn't want her to spoil her dinner, so here she is BEGGIN for another with that sweet face..."



Want the recipe that the monkeys are so crazy about? Here it is!

Holidays - Our Tree Is Up!!!

It's been a terrifically FUN week! I wrapped up Kristen's Raw 3rd Awesome Giveaway. I finished part of another major project for Kristen's Raw. And, we put up our Christmas tree :) To top it all off, tonight, we bought our first presents to go under it - one gift for my mom and one gift for my mom-in-law. This is such a lovely time of year.

I haven't posted lately about my Raw food intake. It seems that with my schedule lately, I've been eating the same thing almost every day this week! That's one of the reasons Raw vegan is so easy for me... I will make big batches of things and just eat them all week long (thankfully my husband is the same way - we're true soul mates). I've been throwin' down lots of guacamole, salsa, sprouted quinoa and washing it all down with plenty of nut milk. I plan on changing it up starting tomorrow (after I load up with goodies from Whole Foods Market).

Well, I'm off to the midnight showing of the new James Bond film - YEEEEEAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!

The Winner of My 3rd Awesome Giveaway - DEANNA

Congratulations Deanna!!! Your name was drawn from the big bowl of names for participating in my 3rd Awesome Giveaway. As you know, you've won a jar of Fruits of the Earth Powder. Simply send me an email (or respond on this post) with your address so I can get it out to you right away.

Here is what Deanna had to say when asked, "What one (or many) things are you doing to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle?"
I eat a vegan and mostly raw diet. We recycle in our household, use clothe shopping bags, eco friecdly cleaners, compost, carpool to work and I sometimes ride my bike (weather permitting). That's what I can think of for now!

My next Awesome Giveaway is right around the corner in December. Check back for details! Thanks to all of you who participated. I was inspired and motivated after reading all of your answers. You ROCK!

Kristen's Raw 3rd AWESOME GIVEAWAY - FRUITS OF THE EARTH POWDER

YIPPEE! YAY! It's such a gorgeous day today in Arizona (it usually is... who am I kidding?). I'm extra happy today though because it's that time again... my third awesome giveaway is here. The prize if your name is drawn? I'm sending you a jar of Fruits of the Earth Powder™(360 grams; $48.95 value). This stuff is amazing. I use it on a regular basis in my smoothies or when I'm pluggin-n-chuggin down my Vitamineral Green Powder with plain ol' water (I know... I'm brave to drink green powder with plain water. Actually, it's much easier with the Fruits of the Earth Powder in it).

Here is what the makers of this product had to say about it:
Fruits of The Earth™ is a high antioxidant, potent combination of natures most nutritive fruits from around the world. Dried at low temperatures to preserve heat sensitive elements. 80% of the formula is fruit. Fruits are somewhat acid forming, so 20% of the formula is intentionally alkaline forming vegetables (beet juice, wheat grass and barley grass). The ultra-finely ground and highly bioavailable whole leaf grasses provide a huge source of nutrition including essential alkalinity and better blood sugar balance.* Actual Food™ Chromium is also added to support healthy metabolism and blood sugar levels.* Unlike other “Food Type” forms of nutrients, this Chromium is 100% organically bound. It is not merely in the “form” of food, it is Food!

Excited? Want the chance to win? Simply answer the following question in the comment section for today's post. At the end of three days (Tuesday night, Nov 11th @ 11:59pm) I'll enter everyone's name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winner on my blog Wednesday. (Please note: While I would love to hear from everyone around the world in answering this question, I have to limit the winner to someone living in the continental United States.)

Question:
What one (or many) things are you doing to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle?


Check out past giveaways:
First Awesome Giveaway
Second Awesome Giveaway

Poop!!! Missing Recipe!

Oh my goodness... I was getting ready to post the Cherry Chocolate Brownies recipe (pictured here... isn't he cute?) and I couldn't find the recipe! Poop! As I alluded to earlier, I'm in the middle of some new Kristen's Raw projects and I think the recipe was misplaced in the process. I went out to the garage and turned over the recycle bin, dumping the entire contents of it out. I sifted through it all and can't find it. It must be in this house somewhere. So... I have to postpone posting the recipe - my apologies. They are so good.

Off the top of my head, some of the ingredients included dehydrated almond pulp, hemp seeds, dried coconut, coconut oil, dried cherries, cherry extract, raw agave nectar, raw chocolate... that's all I can think of right now. Poop! As soon as I find it, I'll post it. I'm going to make some extra alkalizing Plant Blood in the hope that it connects something in my brain and helps me find it.

On to something more exciting thing... Kristen's Raw Awesome November Giveaway will be posted tomorrow or the day after.

Daily Conversation Question:
Which of your ancestors would you most like to meet?

Raw Vegan Cherry Chocolate Brownies

I'm checking in quickly... busy working away on very exciting Kristen's Raw projects. Just wanted to pop in and tell you that I'll post the recipe for my Raw vegan Cherry Chocolate Brownies very soon!

Happy November! - Special Thanks!

YIPPEE!! It's already November, which means that it's closer to the holidays!!! YAY!!! I love this time of year. Would you believe that we're going to put up our Christmas tree soon? Not only that, but I've already made my shopping list for the holiday season - I can't help myself sometimes :)

As you know, it's a new month and with the new month comes my awesome giveaway. I have a super exciting giveaway for November, so be on the look out for that in the coming week!

I've been extra busy this week working on new Kristen's Raw projects - ALL VERY EXCITING! I'm filled with peace and joy at the direction of my life. Every day I wake up feeling grateful, happy and full of energy.

SPECIAL THANKS - I've received so many emails from people telling me how much they enjoy my blog and website and how I've helped them. It's humbling and very exciting to get that feedback. Thank you - I appreciate every one of them and love hearing from you.

VOTING - Are you voting today? If not, please get out there and do so straight away. I voted by early ballot a while back and I've been wearing my "I voted early" sticker every day since. It's a little mangy though - haha - so I'm using packaging tape to stick it on me.

RECIPE - I've been asked to post my Cherry Chocolate Brownies. (They are delish!) You can look forward to that recipe soon.

Daily Conversation Question
Would you rather visit a big city or the countryside?