Articles archived for September 2009
“Navitas Naturals is a certified organic, green business headquartered in Marin County, California.”–NavitasNaturals.com
Raw Chia Seeds
Chuggin’ Chia
A while back, the lovely folks at Navitas Naturals sent me some samples. Now, I’ve blogged about ‘em but somehow a lovely bag of their raw chia seeds got lost amidst the contest chaos. (Oops!) I’ve enjoyed my bag immensely–now it’s time for y’all to win your very own bag! Eeeek!
Raw Chia Seeds from Navitas Naturals are fantabulous! I’ve used them all sorts of ways. I absolutely love ‘em! They’re crunchy, chock-full of nutrition (more on that below), and I love that Navitas Naturals puts ‘em in a resealable bag that’s a breeze to store and reuse–and I’m thrilled that they’re a company focused on business practices that are kind to our environment.
Check out ways I’ve incorporated Navitas Naturals raw chia seeds into my diet….
In my green (hemp) oatmeal breakfast cookie…
See ‘em? Look behind the spoon and nut butter. They’re buried under there! 
In my dehydrated veggie burgers (full details coming soon!)
In my raw juice, during my (most recent) 30-day juice fast.
I’ve also sprinkled these crunchy chia chompies on various raw salads. They add texture–and nutritional benefits!
As you can probably tell, I’m totally happy with this product.
So… how about we look into some of the nutrition–and other neat–information on raw chia seeds, directly from NavitasNaturals.com…
Aztec Seed of Strength
A long, long time ago – long before the era of terracotta “chia pets” — the chia seed was cultivated and eaten by the ancient Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans and was considered a staple food alongside corn and beans. “Chia” is the Mayan word for “strength”, and though these cultures may not have had the medical research to back up their health claims, chia is enjoying an escalating renaissance by today’s medical community as well as everyday consumers. Also full of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals (especially calcium and iron), chia has much in common with flaxseed, with the distinct advantage that its natural antioxidants make its delicate healthy fats more nutritionally stable. Navitas Naturals offers the wonderful chia seed in its whole organic state as well as in a sprouted powder form.
Source and Processing
This is a single ingredient product that is raw, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and 100% organic.
Nutrition Information – Seeds
Ingredients: Certified organic chia seeds (Salvia hispanica)
Allergen Information: Packaged in a facility that also handles tree nuts
Chia Seeds in a Bowl
Choosing Chia
I think it’s very easy to choose Raw Chia Seeds from Navitas Naturals as your go-to source for raw chia seeds–but just in case you’re the kind of person who’d rather sample a product before you invest your hard-earned $$$$ into it, how about we have a contest so one lucky winner can do just that??!! Ready? Fantabulous! 
Let the Contest Begin!
You’re allowed FOUR FIVE SIX entries for this contest:
Note: Please leave a comment for each thing you do (tweet, plurk, etc.) because each comment will be counted as a number when I enter the total number of comments at Random.org once the contest ends. (DO NOT just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.) Thanks!
- Visit NavitasNaturals.com and take a look around. Leave a comment sharing any of their other products you’d like to try–and why, if you’d like to add a reason.
- Do you Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can swipe this tweet: RT @RawJuiceGirl Win @NavitasNaturals’ Certified Organic Raw Chia Seeds – http://tinyurl.com/yznsqt3
- Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
- Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. (The pingback will be counted as an extra entry.) If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices@gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.
- Add Healing with Juices to your favorites on Technoratori. Comment again to let me know, with a link to your technoratori profile to show you added us.
- Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.
NOTE: REMEMBER TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY SO I’LL KNOW YOU DID THEM.
ANYONE can enter this contest. You DO NOT have to be in the United States. Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner….
Contest ends Wednesday, October 7th, at 9 p.m. (Central Time) so you have a WHOLE WEEK to get all your entries in. Have fun trying to win!!
Contest Bonus X 3!
- Run to the Finish is having a Pepper Dog Salsa Giveaway. Run on over and enter!!
- Danica’s Daily is kicking off fall with The Great Pumpkin Giveaway–with THREE different prizes!!
- Leftovers for Lunch has a fantabulous combo giveaway in her A Word From Our Sponsors post!!
And a HUGE Thank You to Navitas Naturals for sponsoring this contest!!!
|
|
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Soda. This is something I gave up years ago not long after I began my weight loss journey. I had over 100 pounds to lose and I finally realized that artificial drinks (like soda) that were loaded with chemical sweeteners or tons of sugar were not helping me with my efforts at all. And I’ve avoided it ever since. That’s why I was SO excited when my RAWsome friend, Averie, posted her ZEVIA contest over on her blog, Love Veggies, Yoga, Running + Chocolate. And I was even more excited when I was one of the SIX winner! Eeeek!
NOTE: Averie’s ZEVIA contest is CLOSED. Sorry!
I’ve only tried one flavor so far: Natural Cola.
Zevia 100% Natural Soda
With Ice
Verdict/Grade?
I was pleasantly surprised when I took a sip of ZEVIA® Natural Cola and found that it truly tastes like Diet Cola! Amazing. Just so very neat. Seriously. You don’t always find healthier versions that taste like the “real” thing and so it’s super cool that ZEVIA has nailed this one! Thank you, ZEVIA, for creating these fantabulous sodas!
I feel confident giving ZEVIA® Natural Cola an A+!
Oh, but you want to know what’s in this natural soda, right? Check it out for yourself…
From the Site:
ZEVIA™ Natural Cola
ZEVIA™ Natural Cola stevia soda is the crowd-pleaser among the ZEVIA™ Natural Diet Soda varieties. Its classic cola flavor is rarely found in so-called “natural” soda brands because a traditional cola taste is difficult to perfect without artificial ingredients. ZEVIA™ Natural Cola with stevia is even more appetizing when you know that all the ingredients are absolutely pure and natural. The Zevia team spent extensive time (and drank a lot of colas and “test” product) to make sure this ZEVIA™ product would satisfy a cola drinker. Learn about the pure, all natural ingredients in ZEVIA™ Natural Cola.
Ingredients Include:
- - Stevia
- - Erythritol
- - Natural Caramel
- - Citric Acid
- - Kola Nut Extract
- - Natural Tartaric Acid
- - Natural Caffeine
- - Natural Furmaric Acid
I’ll also be reviewing the other flavors (ZEVIA® Natural Root Beer, ZEVIA® Natural Twist (lemon-lime), ZEVIA® Natural Orange, ZEVIA® Natural Black Cherry, and ZEVIA® Natural Ginger Ale) so be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss my thoughts on those!
Check out this contest for a coupon for Kombucha Synergy Tea at The Confessions of a SAHM blog. You have to have a blog to enter but all you have to do is mention the contest and link back to the contest post. This is my entry!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Hey, y’all!
Sorry I’ve been MIA so much lately….
Those of you who follow me regularly know I had a 3-day festival this past weekend so I was super-duper busy! And for those of you who are just tuning in, I usually spend my weekends helping my mom run her booth selling herbs for her herb business.
So, anyway, I got TWO deliveries this weekend I want to tell you about!
First up: A 6-pack of Zevia soda and a cool T-shirt I won in Averie’s Zevia contest over at Love Veggies, Yoga, Running, + Chocolate. I’m SO excited to try ‘em all (I got one of each flavor they carry) and I’m totally excited to wear my green Zevia T-shirt! (Pictures are coming, promise!)
Second package: LARABAR samples! Eeeek! They sent me a few different varieties–cashew cookie, peanut butter & jelly, apple pie, and fruit and nut. Today I’m sharing the review of the cashew cookie ’cause I gobbled it up yesterday morning for breakfast. Yes, breakfast!
LARABAR
Cashew Cookie
TWO Ingredients!
YUM!
Verdict/Grade?
Let me tell you, folks, this Cashew Cookie LARABAR is DIVINE! Oh my goodness, is it EVER totally delicious and yummy and tasty and soooooooooo good for you, too! I cannot–simply CANNOT–believe that there are only TWO ingredients in this chewy, crunchy, fantabulous snack bar. I seriously could eat one every. single. day! This one definitely gets an A+ from Raw Juice Girl!
Check out the nutritional info–it’s amazing!
From the site:
“Two ingredients, one incredible flavor! The unprocessed, creamy cashews are rich in iron, zinc and B Vitamins. The chewy dates have more potassium than bananas. Together they form a bar rich in fiber with 2 grams of heart-healthy Omega-6 fatty acids and 15 essential vitamins and minerals. So much sustaining nourishment in such a simple recipe.”
How is that for a healthy snack? Thank you, LARABAR for creating this tasty treat for us!
Y’all be sure to check out www.larabar.com to see all the different flavors and combos they offer.
So, how was your weekend? Have you ever tried LARABAR? What’s your favorite flavor? Do you wish they’d create a new one? If so, spill the beans and leave some juicy comments!
Now that the festivals are slowing down and I’ll have a little extra time, I have a LOT of reviews and contests coming up. I’ll also be posting my experiments with my new Excalibur Dehydrator. So, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
You may have noticed things have been pretty quiet here the past couple of weeks. I am behind on reviews and contests but I assure you, I have good reason: I’ve been very, very busy helping my mom with back-to-back festivals. Besides the actual setting up and selling (which makes for very long days), I’ve printed and fold hundreds of brochures, and also business cards, labels, and other stuff. Phew!
I set this post to publish so that by the time you read it, I’ll have already put in several hours at our latest 3-day festival.
And I thought I’d give you a peek into the last Bakersville festival we set up at.
Mom took this while I wasn’t paying attention!
Our Soap Lady, Judy Riggs!
With the (framed) article I wrote about her!
Oops! Caught stealing tea samples! LOL
Sandwich with a Story
Those of you who have been following me for a while know that I try to avoid bread like its the plague. You also know that I lost over 100 pounds basically adhering to a low carb lifestyle. So, it’s only when I’m in desperate situations (or when I feel I deserve a splurge) that I’ll dig into the carbs without hesitating.
I ended up starving before the day was over at this past Bakersville festival (first week of September). I had taken raw veggies, herbal tea, and water but I needed more. My only (healthiest) option: a veggie burger on a bun. So, I eventually decided to just go for it. By the time I got to order mine (actually, my mom went to get me one while I watched our booth), they were sold out of the veggie burgers. So, she brought me back a bun with 2 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, some onions, lettuce, and pickles on a bun. I’m serious. NO. VEGGIE. BURGER. And I was STARVING! LOL – So, I dug in and was chowing down and thought “hey, I should take a photo of this sandwich and tell this story on my blog” so I did just that.
Later on, we were taking our tent down and packing our stuff into the trailer when one of the ladies who had a booth nearby came over and says to me: “Did I see you take a picture of your sandwich earlier?”
I told her yes.
And she asked (with the funniest expression on her face) “Why?”
I lost it. I’m serious. I was hee-hawing I was laughing so hard! The look on her face cracked me up. She couldn’t understand why on earth I’d take a picture of a sandwich. LOL – I tried to explain to her that I have a health blog and thought it’d be funny to share with my readers that I got a veggie burger-less “veggie burger” on a bun when I rarely ever even eat bread and live a high raw lifestyle. It was just so funny. I wish I had a photo of the look on her face. Of course, not all people have even heard of a blog. I take it she hadn’t. The more I talked, the crazier she thought I was! LOL
Ah well, at least it provided you all some fun entertainment. I splurge on a veggie burger and don’t get my veggie patty. *sigh* Raw Juice Girl can’t win for losin’!
I have LOTS of reviews and contests coming up, so you’ll definitely want to subscribe if you haven’t already!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Pancake, that is!
Yep, a real, genuine, prepared-in-a-skillet-with-sizzling-olive oil-plus-real-butter pancake!
I woke up this morning with a crazy craving for pancakes. I haven’t eaten pancakes in forever. I try to stay away from things like that not only because of the carbs but because it’s like bread and my body doesn’t do well eating much bread–even if it’s a healthier version. But today I thought “why not splurge and live a little?” So, today I made myself a pancake!
There was a box of fiber pancake mix in the pantry. It called for 1 cup of the dry mix to 2/3 cup water. That’s it. Here’s how I made it even healthier: I filled up the measuring cup a little more than the 3/4 mark and then poured in ground flax until it reached the 1 cup mark. Then I mixed that together really well so the flax would be throughout the pancake mix. Then I added the water.
I added a little olive oil and a dab of real butter to the heated skillet and once it was sizzling, I poured in my pancake batter. This made 4 good-sized pancakes (not really huge). I only ate one, though! The rest went to family.
The Toppings
I gently placed that beautiful, fluffy pancake into a plate and decided on the toppings: a dab of real butter, a blob of almond butter, and drizzles of agave syrup. Oh my, so DELISH!
See for yourself…
YUM!
The Healthy Part
Flax seeds are small but are bursting at the seams with goodies our bodies are crying out for. They’re anti-inflammatory, help us have strong bones, and are good little soldiers for fighting cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. They also promote a healthy bowel and help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women by a whopping 60%!!! Does blood pressure problems run in your family or do you already have trouble with yours? Add flax seeds to your diet to help prevent and/or control your blood pressure levels. The omega-3 fatty acid in flax seeds helps dry eyes, too!
Besides the omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds contain:
- manganese
- fiber
- magnesium
- folate
- copper
- phosphorus
- vitamin B6
Awesome!
So, yeah, my pancake may not have been raw but I’m not 100% raw right now. I’m trying to live just a little without being too harsh on myself. I think this breakfast was A-OK!
UPDATED TO ADD:
Some of you were interested in carb count and other nutritional information. I double checked and what I used was the Fiber One brand. The more I read the box, the more I realized it’s more processed than what I like; however, if I had read it beforehand, I wouldn’t have enjoyed my Sunday pancake so I guess I’ll forgive and move on.
Here’s the nutritional information you all asked for. (I about passed out when I noticed the sodium. Ack!)
And for those of you who try to keep it low carb, you probably won’t be happy with the 36 grams of carbs this has. There are 5 grams of fiber so that cancels out some of the carbs and leaves you with 31–still quite a large number for a low-carber. But there are other flours and probably mixes, too. Since I stay away from foods like this, I’m really not up-to-date with all the latest and/or healthiest versions of processed mixes out there. Anyone want to chime in?
If you’re just tuning in, be sure to catch up and check out the first guest post to ever appear on Healing With (Raw) Juices—Dehydrator Recipes: Healthy Kids’ Snacks, written by Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger. Thank you for sharing your creations with us, Mysti!
I have LOTS of reviews and contests coming up, so you’ll definitely want to subscribe if you haven’t already!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Resource:
WH Foods – Flax Seeds
I’ve received some e-mails from some of you asking if I’m okay. So, I thought I should let you know that I am. I’ve just been super busy with festivals and haven’t had the time–or energy–to post as frequently as I was. I do have a ton of reviews and contests coming up and I am working on several different posts right now. I also have some fun stuff coming up (just snippets from my life).
I hope you’ll forgive my absence. I think you’ll feel it’s worth the wait with all the fun posts and exciting contests I have coming up!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Note from Raw Juice Girl: In case you’re just tuning in, I wanted to bring you up-to-date by sharing (as I did in my last post) that I’m now the proud, new owner of a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator. I’m beyond ecstatic; I’m overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, and so much more! So, I asked around to see if anyone had any favorite dehydrator recipes to share with me and I started getting emails. Then I started thinking: guest posts! The following guest post is one of those emails and I asked the author of that email, Mysti, if she’d be okay with sharing with you all what she shared with me. She said yes! Now, instead of keeping her awesome recipes to myself–you get to enjoy them, too! And, how very special that she’s the author of the first guest post to ever appear here on Healing with (Raw) Juices! (And for those of you who are 100% raw and/or Vegan, honey is listed as one ingredient on the granola bars. You could use agave or raw honey there. While Mysti isn’t a raw foodist or even a vegetarian, I commend her for eating a high amount of veggies and fruit and always finding creative ways to bring healthy sustenance to her family’s table.)
Guest Post By Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger
I jumped last year to buy a dehydrator. I absolutely love it! I don’t think I could imagine my life without it, truthfully.
I have one of the pickiest eaters in the world. It’s not his fault, but the foods that once brought terror into our lives with allergic reactions limited his diet early on and now that he has outgrown those allergies, we struggle to incorporate anything outside of his toddler years “norm.” Having struggled so much, I looked high and low to find ways to bring more healthy foods into our oldest son’s diet and the dehydrator I bought last year has been vital in that process.
Fruit Roll Ups purchased from the store are filled with sugars and preservatives. Making your own roll ups takes a bit of practice, but once mastered adds a new way to enjoy the goodness of fresh fruits (and vegetables!) in a not-so-healthy way.
My favorite recipes are:
Tropical Rolls
- 4 C Bananas
- 1 Orange, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 C Pineapple chunks
- Fruit Roll Sheets or Parchment/Wax paper
- Oil
Puree fruits together in a blender until smooth, but thick. Take the fruit roll sheets or wax paper and lightly dust with oil for ease of removing once dry. Spread the fruit puree about 1/4 inch thick on the sheets and dry at 120-135 degrees F for 4-8 hours, until moisture is removed.
Apple Strawberry Rolls
- 2 C Strawberries
- 2 C Applesauce
- Fruit Roll Sheets or Parchment/Wax paper
- Oil
Puree fruits together in a blender until smooth, but thick. Take the fruit roll sheets or wax paper and lightly dust with oil for ease of removing once dry. Spread the fruit puree about 1/4 inch thick on the sheets and dry at 120-135 degrees F for 4-8 hours, until moisture is removed.
We love granola and granola bars in our house. You can get quite creative with combinations of items that you have on hand or readily available. The basics are covered below.
Granola/Granola bars
- 5 C Rolled oats
- 2 C dried fruit (apples, raisins, dates, bananas, etc)
- 1 C crushed nuts
- 1/2 C wheat germ
- 1/2 C flax or sesame seeds
- 3/4 C brown sugar
- 3/4 C butter (melted)
- 1/2 C honey or agave
- 1/4-1/3 C Olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Solid dehydrator sheets or wax paper
Combine all the ingredients, mixing well. Spread onto dehydrator sheets and dry at 130-150 degrees F for 3-5 hours, until crunchy.
If you would prefer granola bars, form into shape before placing in dehydrator.
As with everything that you dehydrate, you must remember to store in air-tight containers. We prefer to use vacuum sealed bags personally. Anything kept at room temperature will keep for two-four weeks. If frozen, it will keep for up to six months.
Playing with your dehydrator is fun, exciting and an amazing experiment!! You will find combinations of foods that serve yourself and your family better than others. It’s all about preference!
Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger is a wife, mother, and amazingly creative (and healthy!) chef for her family and friends. She’s also a freelance writer with an edge on parenting, health and inspiration. You can find her on the web at www.lifesapprobation.com or email her at mysti2009 at gmail dot com.
Thank you, Mysti, for sharing your dehydrated creations with us! I recommend you visit Mysti’s blog there. I’m a HUGE fan. Mysti shares her life so openly and honestly. And sometimes she shares recipes with special stories about why they’re a part of her family’s meal time. I personally compare her site to Chicken Soup for the Soul stories–it’s aweosme!
Do you have favorite dehydrator recipes you’d like to share? They don’t have to be 100% raw to qualify for a guest post, but I’d like to focus on creations using veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, superfoods, etc. Contact me for guest posts similar to this one. Unless I’m totally bombarded, I’ll try to respond soon and let you know if your post qualifies. If approved, I’ll contact you requesting a short bio, a bio photo, and link to your blog/website if you have one.
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!
Wow, do I EVER love the FedEx man–well, him and the fantabulous folks over at www.excaliburdehydrator.com!!
SO Blessed
I can’t even begin to express my excitement. I’m SO very honored–and blessed–to have the amazing opportunity to review this, the KING of dehydrators: the 9-Tray Large Excalibur #3900!!!
SO Many Ideas
Raw (and dehydrated) food has fascinated me for years. Even before that, my Mom was always interested in dehydrating. Although I’ve been high-raw (and even 100% raw at various times) for the past few years, I’ve often wondered where my raw path would lead if I had a ginormous, fancy dehydrator like I’d read about.
Raw crackers, cookies, cakes, pizzas… All this (and more!) is floating around the Web. From blogs to websites to books and magazines, raw, dehydrated snacks and meals, the possibilities are to infinity.
I can’t wait to share my experience with this sweet, dehydrating baby with you all! I’m excited to dry herbs, veggies, fruit, and I know I want to make raw crackers soon. I have so many ideas racing through my mind right now I can’t even focus!
Tomorrow I’ll be gone all day to set up at a pioneer festival with my mom (same festival as this one), so I’m afraid my dehydrating adventures will have to wait until next week sometime.
I’ll shut up now and let you check out these photos….
What a Ginormous Box!
Needle-Nose Pliers for Opening!
Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!
A Guide for Dehydrating!
Check it Out!
Drying Guide + Temperature Control
Look at that Tray!
NINE TRAYS!!! Eeeeeek!!
With the Sparkly New Door On
Wow. I’m just SO excited!!! You’ll be seeing a LOT of the Excalibur around here!
Do you have a dehydrator? What do you love making most? Have you been shopping around for a dehydrator? Have you considered the Excalibur? Chime in and share your thoughts!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.
The day before yesterday, I actually got out of the house and was gone pretty much all day–out and about getting things ready for upcoming festivals I’ll be helping my Mom set up at (for her herb business).
We left not long after I woke up and got dressed, so I just grabbed a spoon of cashew butter right from the jar and ate it off the spoon while I grabbed a banana, threw it in my purse, and filled up my water bottle.
I ate the banana once we got on the road (no pics, sorry) <– I was hungry and gobbled it up!
After registration was taken care of (and maybe a little shopping for a new bonnet for me ) we stopped at a health food store. I LOVE health food stores–they are cruel to my wallet, though!
I found all kinds of STUFF I would have loved to have bought: ProBars (which I’ve never tried), Garden of Life bars (never tried those either), and all sorts of other goodies. There was raw foods, drinks, and other health foods, herbs, teas, books… Health Heaven, huh? 
Finally, I decided on a Synergy (organic, raw) Kombucha Tea. I was craving a cold drink and thought it’d be nice to try out this “Kombucha” that seems to be all over the Web, on blogs and in articles. There were a few different flavors and while I decided on the Passionberry Bliss, I’m now thinking I should have tried the one with Sassafras root in it. Hmmmm….. Guess I need to go back!
Organic, Raw Passionberry Bliss Kombucha
I was anxious to taste this stuff after all the hype about it, so I took a big gulp–Oops! I never expected it to be SO strong. Let me tell you, I couldn’t believe it. I’m not saying it’s bad. I just wasn’t prepared for how it would taste. In a way, it reminds me of soda. I was thinking “tea”, ya know? I’m used to drinking herbal tea every day so I guess I just assumed it would taste like tea–I was wrong. I closed the lid and wasn’t sure if I’d drink it or not. I actually ended up getting an unsweetened tea from another place and drank that. So when I got home, I put my Kombucha in the fridge and left it there ’till yesterday. I thought I’d give it another try–I drank it all up! It’s still weird to me, but I think it’s growing on me. I’ve decided it tastes sort of like a berry flavored soda. Strange. But good. And I love the benefits!
Synergy Passionberry Bliss is 95% G.T.’s Kombucha–the rest is blackberry juice + passionfruit juice. And at the end of the ingredient list, they say: “and 100% pure love!” How awesome is that??!!
This jazzy drink also has probiotics, antioxidants, and Glucuronic, Lactic, and Acetic acids.
From the bottle:
Kombucha supports: digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin and hair.
Now, while I’m not that familiar with Kombucha and its benefits yet, I will say I totally believe it’s possible. Why? Fermented foods are good for us (in my opinion) and it seems to me that Kombucha is a lot like apple cider vinegar with Mother in the sense that it contains living enzymes and nutrients, and it’s fermented. I’ve seen firstand the benefits of the vinegar with Mother, so I’m excited to experiment more with Kombucha and see what comes of it. Next time I try something new, though, I won’t take such a ginormous gulp! LOL What was I thinking???
GASP!
How much are these drinks where you are, if you’ve been buying them??
Snack Time
As I was getting ready to pay for my Synergy tea up there, I spotted these goodies on the way out. From what I could see on the ingredients list, they’re RAW! They’re like snack bars, cut in squares. The chocolate one is actually carob, with nuts, pumpkin seeds, SPIRULINA, and I think a little fruit. The other one is almond with fruit and I think both of these had sunflower seeds in ‘em, too.
Carob Creation
Almond Awesomeness
Verdict?
Of course, I loved the carob one best. It was crunchy, chewy, and good. I’m still amazed that I don’t taste the spirulina! How’d they do that??? I’m not sure if I’d buy the almond one again–it seemed like it was lacking something, but I can’t figure out what. It just seemed like it needed jazzing up. Then again, my tastebuds may have been “off” after being freaked out by a big gulp of Kombucha I wasn’t used to!
I’m gearing up for more festivals so I’m going to take these along as a snack.
Want to learn more about these “Chunks of Energy” snacks? Visit the “Chunks of Energy website (www.chunksofenergy.com) or their blog.
Have you tried anything new lately? Have any plans for the weekend? Jump right in to the comment section and share!
Coming Up
You’ll be happy to know I have reviews and contests lined up, starting next week!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.
This is Part 3 of my 3-Part Series on the 9th Annual Spring Planting Festival events + the amazing opportunity I had to meet TWO Editors…
Picture it: A little girl dreams of becoming a writer. She grows up, lives in the country, and prefers quiet days, bare feet, herbal tea and raw juices and smoothies to high-end shoes and lattes in the city. You see, she is an old-fashioned kind of gal. A gal who never in her wildest dreams imagined she’d meet an editor. And not just any editor–the editor of GRIT magazine! What makes this story even sweeter is that her dad sold the magazine when he was a young boy. Let’s hear it: aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwww.
Now, I’ll stop talking about myself in third person and spill the beans!
I love going to festivals, so when I read that Hank Will, Editor of GRIT Magazine, was going to be speaking about his heirloom seed heritage (aka Oscar H. Will & Company), I knew without a doubt I’d be there–even if the creek did rise!
I donned my bonnet and boots and high-tailed it across Amish country to the Baker Creek Seed Festival. When I walked in to the building Mr. Will was speaking in, I nabbed this photo of him answering questions.
Once he was finished speaking and answering questions, I mustered up a bunch of courage and made a beeline for him before he got away! He was kind enough to make a country gal’s heart skip a beat (or five hundred! ) and put on a big ole smile so I could forever treasure this:
I gave him my business cards and he gave me his John Hancock.
Yeah. Awesome, huh? Writer meets editor. Writer gets photo taken with editor. Writer gets editor’s autograph. A dream come true! Thanks, Mr. Will, for taking the time to make my day.
Oscar H. Will & Company
I found it fascinating that Hank Will comes from a line of men who were so passionate about heirloom seeds. He talked about his great-grandfather, his grandfather, and the Oscar H. Will & Company seed business. There’s actually a museum at Bakersville where you can find old seed catalogs and envelopes from that very company–and read facts all about it, too!
Holding one of those seed catalogs.
Interesting Facts….
Seed Catalogs
Envelopes
Where’s My Horse & Reins?
After meeting Hank Will and posing with memorabilia from his great-grandfathers seed legacy, I just “happened upon” a covered wagon. Wow, it feels weird writing that! I think this photo was the icing on the cake! A weekend filled with fun, learning, and the unbelievable opportunity to meet Hank Will and K.C. Compton just wouldn’t have been complete without this gal in a bonnet standing next to a covered wagon. Don’t you agree?
See that camera bag swinging around my neck? Yeah, not the best fashion statement in the world, but it sure is handy for stuffing business cards, a small notebook, and a pen–perfect for networking and capturing memories like the weekend I met two editors; a weekend I’m sure to never forget!
Check it out!
Hank is a blogger: The Daily Commute
Just tuning in? Catch up:
Part 1: Adventures in Sewing a Pioneer Dress <— Getting ready for the festival!
Part 2: K.C. Compton, The Checkered Past Band, + Me <— Meeting an Editor-In-Chief!
Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more? Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.
This is Part 2 of my 3-Part Series on the 9th Annual Spring Planting Festival events + the amazing opportunity I had to meet TWO Editors…
Wow. What can I say? As I look at this photo of me standing next to an Editor-In-Chief, I think to myself: Did this really happen? Is that really me? My life? My experience? My autographed copy of The Herb Companion–signed by none other than K.C. Compton? Yes, it’s real. Yes, it’s my life. Yes, I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting an Editor-In-Chief. (K.C. is the Editor-In-Chief of a “department for Ogden Publications, which includes The Herb Companion, GRIT and Capper’s”). Like I said: Wow.
K.C. Compton + Me!
So, how did this come about? Well, I’ve gone to the Bakersville Festivals for the past several years. I’ve missed some here and there but for the most part, I’ve attended a LOT of them for a long time. But you’d better believe when I found out K.C. Compton was not only going to be singing at this particular festival, but speaking as well, I was determined that regardless of the weather or what was going on in my life, that I’d be there–and I was!
That morning was pretty chaotic, though, so by the time I got there, K.C.’s speech was just ending. I took a deep breath, mustered up all the courage I could, and stopped her on her way out (she was headed toward another building to prepare to sing with her group). She was so kind and patient to allow me time to have a photo made with her. Thank you, K.C.! (And a big thanks to my Mom, the photographer!).
More Than an Editor
K.C. Compton is not only an Editor-In-Chief, she’s K.C. of: K.C. & The Checkered Past Band! My favorite song was Bigfoot, about the huge footprint most everyone is leaving in our world. It’s such a fun, eco-friendly song, with such a strong, important message. Great job performing, K.C.!
Look at Her Sing!
Autograph! Autograph!
You can imagine all the exciting thoughts that were racing through my mind. For a writer, meeting an Editor-In-Chief has to be just about the most fantabulous thing ever–other than an author landing a book deal. I know it’s a small world and all things are possible, but in reality, how many times do you think I’ll run into K.C. again, huh? So, I knew I had to catch her one more time and nab her handwriting on the current issue of The Herb Companion I was lugging around all over the place. Those of you who have followed me for a while know how determined I am. Enter….
K.C. Compton’s Autograph
K.C., you can rest assured that I’ll keep writing and keep in touch online–and that I’ll see you at the next Spring seed festival!
And thank you (from the bottom of my heart!) for making a country gal’s writing dreams come true.
Check it out!
K.C. blogs: Samurai Sage
Coming Next
Get ready, ’cause in the next post, I’m sharing the adventures of meeting Hank Will, Editor of GRIT Magazine. He’s quite the fascinating man–with a (seed) history that’s awesome!
You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!
So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.
