Articles archived for February 2010

I’m planning to bring a whole new, fresh theme, design, and concept to this blog. And I value your opinions.

There are several things I realize are “wrong” with this site:

• it’s cluttered
• posts are in the middle column with annoying clutter on each side
• there’s a lot of ads
• the header needs to be moved up
• it’s horrible to search this site – I’ve tried and failed myself
• and more

I want this site to be as user-friendly and inviting as possible, so here’s what I have planned:

• header will be moved up (and probably changed – unless y’all are just dying for me to keep it)
• posts will be moved to the left
• two sidebars will be cleaned up and aligned to the right
• there’ll be drop-down menus at the top for easy navigation
• recipes, reviews, etc., will all be posted on their own page
• and more

Also, how many posts would you like to see? Daily? Few times a week?

Would you like to see more recipes? More nutrition and health benefits posts (like the one I recently wrote on flax seeds)? More yoga? More – or less – reviews and contests? More about living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia? More about weight loss?

Please chime in. It’s you, my fantabulous readers, that have made this blog what it is today. We’ve grown in the past and it’s time to stretch our wings and grow some more.

I can’t wait to read your thoughts and work to make this blog better for you.

And I can’t promise that I’ll be able to accomplish everything you suggest, but I’ll certainly try to.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Hi, y’all!

I’m thrilled you enjoyed my last post. Making that chocolate banana avocado pudding was super fun – but eating it was even better!

I actually made another recipe yesterday before I made the chocolate pudding. As you can tell from the title of this post, I made “Happy Hemp Honey Holes” and it was off the top of my head! LOL

I’ve been wanting to come up with a super fun recipe using….

the raw, wild, unprocessed honey Tropical Traditions sent me.

Raw honey is solid.

Add 1/4 cup of freshly ground flax.

Check out the organic coconut flour!

In goes two tablespoons of the coconut flour.

Melt a tablespoon of raw honey…

Add the melted raw honey.

A tablespoon of Tropical Traditions coconut cream concentrate…

a tablespoon of hemp protein powder

After the hemp powder, the dough was too dry, so I added a tablespoon of peanut butter (didn’t have any almond butter).

Lots better!

Mix it all up (I stirred it by hand) and form the dough into a ball.

It was a little too moist, so I sprinkled coconut flour on my hands and played with the dough a little – that worked!

Then, I pulled small sections off and made six balls (aka holes).

I love the “sheen” from the honey and coconut cream concentrate. They look too moist, but they weren’t. They were perfect!

Up close…

The nutty flavors of the flax and hemp were a nice touch. The peanut butter flavor was really good. I was a little worried when I was experimenting on this because I wasn’t sure it would turn out edible – but it was actually yumilicicous!

And… the recipe:

Happy Hemp Honey Holes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly ground flax
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut cream concentrate
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon hemp powder

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix them (I just stirred with a spoon).
2. Pull small pieces of dough off.
3. Roll dough into little balls (aka holes).
4. Pop in the fridge, freezer, or even dehydrator if you like – I just popped one in my mouth right away!

Enjoy!

Delivery Love

I love to see the delivery truck pull up. Who doesn’t?!

Here’s the latest products for review – all from Tropical Traditions! (Thank you, www.tropicaltraditions.com!)

Coconut Water Vinegar

Coconut Cream Concentrate

Coconut Flour

As you can tell from today’s recipe, I got busy sampling these ingredients right away! And you can expect in-depth reviews of each of the Tropical Traditions products mentioned today – coming to a computer screen near you!

Have you tried any of the products I mentioned today? Have you tried making raw donut holes or balls? Do you enjoy being creative in the kitchen, or would you rather be doing something else? Chime in, fantabulous people, chime in!

OpenSky Alert!

I love freshly ground flax SO much, I’m selling whole flax seeds so you can grind your own. That’s right: You can buy organic flax seed in my OpenSky shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!

Shipping info:

“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.” – OpenSky

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Hi, y’all! Hope your day was fantabulous! Mine was: I made chocolate avocado pudding today!

I’m going to share the recipe, but first I wanted to play catch-up …

So glad you’re loving my Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup. Let me tell you, it was even more delicious than it looks in the photos!

And I’m excited over all the buzz about my post on the health benefits of flax seeds – and why I love ‘em!

And I love that you’re all so excited over Glass Dharma’s eco-friendly straws. I really enjoyed reviewing them and hosting a giveaway, too!

I know, I know, you want to get to the chocolate avocado pudding!

Last time I made it (read all about it here), I used agave as an ingredient, but as I mentioned before, I’ve cut agave from my diet (I’m almost finished with the explanation post, promise!).

And ended up with this…

A Twitter follower inspired today’s recipe when she asked for a chocolate avocado recipe and I sent her to my version – then had to tell her I don’t use agave anymore. “What would you use now?” She asked.

Enter: Tropical Traditions Canadian, Raw, Wild, Unprocessed Honey!

You’ll be seeing an in-depth review of this SWEET, raw honey in just a day or so – plus something special for y’all!!!

Do you know that avocado is chock-full of nutrition and health benefits?

Check it out:

• vitamin K
• dietary fiber
• potassium
• folate
• vitamin B6
• vitamin C
• copper

Health benefits:

• promotes heart health
• promotes overall health
• increases absorption of carotenoids from vegetables
• combats oral cancer
• and more!

Wow.

And did you know I used to detest avocado? I wouldn’t eat it for YEARS. Never ate it as a kid. Didn’t eat it most of my adult life. I’d say I never tasted an avocado until about 5 or so years ago. Seriously! Can you believe it? And now I could eat ‘em every single day. Yum!

I love how when we start incorporating healthier foods into our diets, our body literally CRAVES them – LOVE it!

Fun Fact!

“The avocado is colloquially known as the Alligator Pear, reflecting its shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin. Avocado is derived from the Aztec word “ahuacatl”.”—WH Foods

Forgot to snap a photo of the frozen nanner that was in the blender but this is what it looks like all blended up…

And it comes out looking like this:

My goodness gracious, it was DELISH!!! I was SO happy with this!

And now, what you’ve wanted since the beginning of this post  – the recipe!

Chocolate Banana Avocado Pudding with Raw Honey

(serves one)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon raw honey, melted (I used Tropical Traditions)
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1/2 avocado (it was a big one)
• 1 tablespoon certified organic cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons almond milk

Directions:

Toss all ingredients in to your blender or food processer and blend all the ingredients together ‘till they’re creamy and smooth. Enjoy immediately!

Your Turn

Have you tried experimenting with avocado chocolate pudding yet? How does your version differ from mine? Does avocado gross you out? Or do you live for its creamy, decadent texture? And can you believe how many nutrients can be packed into chocolate pudding – when you make a healthier version?! What’s your favorite way to eat avocado? What’s your go-to chocolate dessert recipe?

Oh, and be sure to stop back by soon – I also got happy with hemp in the kitchen and whipped up something off the top of my head! And it was GOOD.

OpenSky Alert!

I love freshly ground flax SO much, I’m selling whole flax seeds so you can grind your own. That’s right: You can buy organic flax seed in my OpenSky shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!

Shipping info:

“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.” – OpenSky

Reference:

WH Foods: Avocado

Note: For my raw purist readers, this soup isn’t raw. As I’ve mentioned before (numerous times), I’m currently very high raw, but am not 100% raw at this time.

I live for fresh, raw juices and smoothies and veggies and fruit, nuts and seeds – but sometimes a gal just needs a bowl of yummy, herbalicious, flavorful (hot) soup on a cold winter’s day.

Enter: Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup

This recipe was inspired by “The Clean Eating Mama” blog, from her recent post: White Bean and Kale Soup (Thank you, Tasha!)

Rainbow Chard + Butter Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 2 cans butter beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• bunch of frozen Rainbow Chard (that was from my garden)
• about 1  -  2 cups of certified organic whole wheat couscous
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• sprinkle of paprika
• garlic salt to taste (I used Himala Salt Certified Organic brand.)
• freshly ground flax (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Add the beans, tomatoes, rainbow chard, frozen peas, and cream of celery soup to your pot.
2. Pour in 6 cups water (or broth – I didn’t have any).
3. Add herbs, onion, garlic (or garlic salt like me).
4. Add the coconut oil.
5. Turn heat to medium.
6. Once the frozen veggies are tender and the soup has really heated up, add the couscous.
7. Cover with a lid.
8. Simmer for half an hour or so.
9. Sprinkle with freshly ground flax and enjoy!

Ooooooohhh, yeah!

Kale is one of my all-time favorite veggies, so I’m definitely going to make this soup again when I have the ingredients Tasha used in her version.

OpenSky Alert!

I love freshly ground flax SO much, I’m selling whole flax seeds so you can grind your own. That’s right: You can buy organic flax seed in my OpenSky shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!

Shipping info:

“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.” – OpenSky

Contest Alert

HiHoRosie’s Place is giving away an ice cream maker.

And don’t forget to enter my latest contest for a $30 gift certificate from Glass Dharma!

Your Turn

What about you? Are you a “soup person” or do you detest soup? Do you love making a big pot of soup and savoring it day after day, or do you just get a craving for it once in a while and either buy soup from a restaurant so you won’t have leftovers, or eat it out of a can or at someone else’s house?

Raw foodie (purists): Do you splurge on hot soup once in a while during the colder months, or do you stick to raw soups only?

All of you, chime in – I adore reading your thoughts!!

And… I’m planning on posting about raw soup in an upcoming – so stay tuned! Plus, the delivery man has been kind to me and I’m going to give you a sneak peek at what he brought!

I usually always mention that I’ve tossed freshly ground flax into my smoothies, oats, or whatever else I’m eating and I’ve been a HUGE fan of these amazing little seeds for years now. I thought I’d share with you WHY I adore them so much…

Check out the nutrition:

• omega-3 fatty acids
• manganese
• dietary fiber
• magnesium
• folate
• copper
• phosphorus
• Vitamin B6

(To my knowledge, there is no nutritional differences between the brown flax seeds or the gold – I just seem to prefer the brown.)

Fun Fact!

“Flaxseeds have a long and extensive history. Originating in Mesopotamia, the flax plant has been known since the Stone Ages. One of the first records of the culinary use of flaxseeds is from times of ancient Greece. In both that civilization and in ancient Rome, the health benefits of flaxseeds were widely praised.” – WH Foods

Health Benefits

Organic flax seeds are known to be fantabulous for our health.

Check out this amazing list…

Organic flax seeds:

• promote bone health
• have anti-inflammatory properties
• fight against cancer, diabetes and other disease,
• help prevent and regulate high blood pressure
• lowers cholesterol
• fights prostate cancer growth
• helps lubricate dry eyes

Attention menopausal women:

Flaxseed Reduces Hot Flashes Almost 60%!! (source)

I love mine freshly ground. Not only does grinding the flax bring out the nutty, delicious flavor, whole seeds simply pass through your system so it’s best to grind them.

I promote buying whole flax seeds because you don’t know how long the ground flax has been sitting on the shelf and this way, you’re the one who grinds your flax each time and you know when it was ground.

Note: I grind my whole flax seeds up in a coffee grinder. You can keep leftover freshly ground flax in the freezer but I’d only store a small amount as fresh is always best!

I add freshly ground flax to:

• smoothies
• oats
• stir-fry
• rice dishes
• salad
• veggie burgers
• and more!

This salad was made with: lettuce, carrots, celery, tomato, dates, corn, peas, spinach, pumpkin seeds and drizzled with coconut oil.

Why I Love Them

I love freshly ground flax seeds because they truly do add a rich, nutty flavor to whatever smoothie or food you add them to.

They’re yummy, filling, and I love getting fiber in this way.

They’ve been instrumental in my own battle with inflammation, from Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia (more on that in a future post).

Come on, what’s not to love about the nutritious AND delicious combo freshly ground flax offers?!

And you can buy organic flax seed in my Raw Shop – for only $7.49 per pound!!!

Shipping info:

“We will ship orders anywhere within the United States and Canada. At this time, we do not ship to other locations. When your order ships, you will receive a shipment notification via email that will include your tracking number.”

Do you love freshly ground flax seeds? Did you realize what a powerful addition they were to our diet? Do you love their nutty flavor? If you’ve never tried them, will you give ‘em a chance now? Let’s talk!

Reference:

WH Foods: Flaxseeds

Photo: OpenSky

Updated to add the winner:

I’m pleased to announce that there were 219 entries for the contest, and Mr. Random (random.org) chose comment #28 as the winner!

The comment belonged to Erica, of Discovering Raw.

28 Erica { 02.21.10 at 7:48 am }

I commented on the review post, too!
Erica´s last blog ..Temporary Eye Candy

Be watching your email… Glass Dharma will email you a coupon code for your gift certificate. Enjoy shopping!

Congratulations, Erica!!!

Dislcaimer: This contest is sponsored by Glass Dharma. I received the Glass Dharma (eco-friendly, reusable) straws mentioned in my recent review (thank you, Glass Dharma!). But I was not paid to write the review – or host this contest – and the links to Glass Dharma’s website are not affiliate links.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.

What You’ll Win

$30 Gift Certificate (!!!)

from…

Glass Dharma will email the $30 Gift Certificate Coupon Code to the winner once the contest has ended.

Contest Rules

There are only TWO required entries for this contest – but if you REALLY want to win, there are several (fun) extra ways you can enter following these required options:

There are 20 ways to enter this contest!!

Required entry #1: Visit Glass Dharma’s FAQ page and come back and leave a comment telling me what you learned.

Required entry #2: Take a quick peek at Glass Dharma’s line of straws and come back and leave a comment telling me which design you love the most.

** You must complete the above two entries before the following ones count.**

AND… If you want to put in a little extra effort….

(and receive a LOT of extra entries – aka chances to win) keep reading…

Numerous ways to get extra entries!

3. Become a fan of Glass Dharma on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that.

4. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did.

5. Share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave a comment to let me know you did. If you don’t see your pingback, just email me at healingwithjuices at gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.

6. Follow Healing with (Raw) Juices on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. Leave a comment on this post saying that you did.

7. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did.

8. Follow @GlassDharma on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

9. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name.

You can swipe this tweet:

@RawJuiceGirl is hosting an #ecofriendly @GlassDharma #giveaway for a $30 Gift Certificate! Enter now: http://tinyurl.com/y88azy7

Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES:

For tweets, you may tweet about the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet must be 1-2 hours or so after the previous one. (Thanks so much for understanding my position of keeping things fair and square, y’all!)

10. Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via e-mail (sign up here) – be sure to verify your subscription or this entry won’t count. Then comment and let me know you did.

11. Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did.

12. Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here). Then comment here and let me know you did.

13. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.

14. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did.

15. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did.

16. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did.

17. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did.

18. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

19. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post:  Glass Dharma Review: Eco-Friendly, Reusable Straws. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

20. Leave a comment on the review post: Glass Dharma Review: Eco-Friendly, Reusable Straws. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (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.

Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Contest ends Sunday, February 28. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted the next morning.

That gives you ONE WEEK to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning a $30 Glass Dharma Gift Certificate!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Dislcaimer: I received the Glass Dharma (eco-friendly, reusable) straws mentioned below, to review (thank you, Glass Dharma!). But I was not paid to write this review, and the links to Glass Dharma’s website are not affiliate links.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now, on to the fun stuff:

Drinking today’s lunch smoothie with a Glass Dharma straw!

But first… I know you love to see when the packages arrive!

Here’s what the Glass Dharma straws came in. 

Each packaged separately…

Simple Elegance

Decorative Dots Straw

And I chose to use the 9” Beautiful Bend straw first.

Getting started on my lunch smoothie:

Which I’ve decided to name…

Blueberry-Blackstrap Bomb

Manitoba Hemp Pro 70 Powder 

 ice cubes

tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds

2 tablespoons of hemp

a banana 

Then I added about half a cup or so of blackstrap molasses water I keep in the fridge (more on this in a future post). But it would be 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses in a cup of water for you.

After I blended that up, I decided to add a handful of frozen blueberries.

And a couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves…

Yum!

Look at the delicious, beautiful layers!!!

All blended together! 

Got too excited, I guess – Oops!

Blueberry Blackstrap Bomb Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• ice cubes
• 1 tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons of hemp powder
• a banana
• handful frozen blueberries
• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• about half a cup or so of blackstrap molasses water I keep in the fridge (more on this in a future post). But it would be 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses in a cup of water for you.

Directions:

Toss everything in to the blender, blend until smoothly combined, pour, and enjoy this blast of energizing deliciousness!

 

Played with the camera… 

Okay, okay. So, I’m not a photographer – but it was fun!

And I realize the ingredients may sound odd to you, but this was one seriously delicious smoothie – and I’ve drank a LOT of smoothies!!! 

About Glass Dharma Straws

“These straws are made from borosilicate tubing and is the strongest glass commercially available,” says the company.

You’ll also find that these straws are made using a specific process that makes them the highest quality glass straw available.

Dharma Glass straws are versatile and can be enjoyed with either hot or cold drinks – and if you’re lucky enough to own a dishwasher, you can pop ‘em right in there for easy cleaning!

Here’s what Glass Dharma’s site has to say:

Plain and simple, here’s how and why they work:

• Glass straws don’t leach toxins into your food as you drink.
• Each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill.
• One glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws. (How many times will you use a straw the rest of your life?)
• Using your glass drinking straw adds a feeling of beauty to your day.

Now, that’s pretty awesome, don’t ya think?!

Glass Dharma straws are only $6-$8 each – and cost even less if you order a few at once. These would make fantabulous gifts or party favors, people!!!

About the Company

You always know it’s a fantabulous company if there’s an awesome person who owns it.

I love that David Leonhardt, the man behind Glass Dharma, is genuinely passionate about spreading the message of glass straws, NOT for the sole purpose of making money, but because he has a true heart for making a positive impact on the environment and it literally hurts his heart that so many plastic straws are destroying our beautiful earth.

Here’s what Mr. Leonhardt says about why he started the company: 

I’ve been a lampworker (glassblower) for over 10 years. My wife, Gail & I recently moved from the Sacramento, CA area, to our dream of living on the Mendocino Coast. 

I started doing some work for a local glass shop in town and noticed that the owner had glass drinking straws for sale. I had never heard of these before and I am always intrigued by something made out of glass that I hadn’t thought of.  I was struck by the unique elegance in such a simple item. 

I immediately recognized that here was a partial solution to our “plastics problem”.  Now, granted, there are a lot more plastics in our world than just drinking straws, but bear with me a minute and let me put things in perspective … As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY!  (Per their website) How many of those served do you think were given a plastic straw?  I hope it is becoming obvious just how big of a problem these pesky little plastic straws can be.  Remember, this is just from McDonalds!!  Get the picture??

So …

I created the GlassDharma line of glass drinking straws and this website to contribute one solution to the misuse of plastics in our society.

Everyone that has seen these straws are filled with delight.  Not just because they promote health and are environmentally friendly, but that they do these things with elegance and style.

Yes, I do get the picture! That is total craziness!! 

Great job, Mr. Leonhardt!!

Pros

As you read above Glass Dharma straws don’t leach toxins into your drinks or smoothies. And another HUGE pro for me is that Glass Dharma straws help prevent more plastic straws being tossed into landfills, alleys, rivers, creeks, lakes, oceans, etc. Now, I realize that there are absolutely gazillions of plastic straws being tossed in the garbage daily and little ol’ me sipping from a glass straw won’t knock a dent in that – BUT if a whole bunch of us use glass straws, we WILL knock a dent in the plastic straw situation.

They even sell bamboo hard cases …

and hemp soft sleeves to store and/or transport your straws!

They also sell cleaning brushes if you want to be sure your straw is super duper clean inside.

Cons

Hmmm… Cons… Gosh, this one is difficult! I guess if you wanted to consider it a con that you have to wash your straw after you use it, then that’d be a con to you. I don’t personally see that as a con. It’s not that big of a deal for me.

I normally list price as a con if it’s more expensive than I feel the “average” person would be able to afford, but I feel these straws are within most anyone’s budget.

And there’s a lifetime guarantee, so you don’t even have to worry about it breaking!

Sorry, folks, can’t really think of a con on this one!

Verdict/Grade

Glass Dharma straws are not only eco-friendly, they’re beautiful, too. And I’m really enjoying my experience. Using them is fun, washing them is easy peasy, and I liked feeling “fancy schmancy” while I conveniently sipped slurped my smoothie today.

AND it feels good  to know that I’m not promoting plastic straw waste that harms the environment. Oh, and these straws won’t break your bank – all that adds up to an A+ in my opinion!

Still not sure you want to invest in Glass Dharma straws? Well, they have a “Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage” policy you might want to check out! (Read all about it here.)

But you can decide for yourself.

What about you? Have you tried Glass Dharma straws? Do you love them? Have you given ‘em as gifts? Would you like to win a gift certificate to Glass Dharma? Oh, yeah! Stay tuned… contest post coming next!

Updated to add:

Contest is posted! Click here to win a $30 Gift Certificate from Glass Dharma!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest – there was 367 comments!!

Want to know who won that delicious jar of coconut peanut butter?

CLICK HERE to find out!!

And…

Stay tuned for ANOTHER Tropical Traditions giveaway – for RAW honey!!!

Hi, y’all! Hope you’ve had a fantabulous week so far.

Okay, so I know some of you have been dying to know what my secret is regarding the new HWJ partnership, right? I’ve teased y’all enough – it’s time to let the cat out of the bag!

Drumroll, please…

Welcome to Healing with (Raw) Juices’ OpenSky Shop!  Eeeeekkk!

A glimpse of my shop!

How I Discovered OpenSky

I found out about OpenSky when I noticed Kath (from www.katheats.com) partnered with them (see Kath’s awesome OpenSky shop here).

Not long after, I noticed Danica (from www.DanicasDaily.com) partnered with them, too! (Visit her fantabulous shop here.)

Congrats, ladies – your shops are beautiful!!

Why I HEART OpenSky

I quickly fell in love with OpenSky and what they’re doing. What exactly are they doing, you ask?

OpenSky is bringing old-fashioned charm to Internet shopping. They are creating harmony for bloggers, readers, shoppers, and merchants. They are opening the door to a warm, inviting shopping experience; one that will be memorable, enjoyable — and so fun that you’ll want to do it again and again!

And you know me, I live for wearing bonnets and long dresses from yesteryear and selling herbs at pioneer festivals.

I’ve built my online presence on a foundation of honesty and kindness reminiscent of the old days – just like my grandparents and parents instilled deep in my heart.

I’ve even been told I am an “old soul.”

So, you know that I feel this partnership is perfect for me – and you, my precious readers!

And What’s My Part?

I’ve stepped into the role of Shopkeeper. I’m the smiling gal standing behind the virtual counter. I’m the cyber store clerk who knows you by name, asks about your family, and remembers your favorite products. I’m the country girl from next door who’ll make you want to grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and visit a while.

And I’m the gal who’s putting her heart and soul into the OpenSky Project so that you can have the best possible experience. Not only will you be able to purchase items I love (or want!), you’ll be able to do so with the confidence that my shop is a passion of love.

Be sure to add suggestions for any products you’d like to see in my store, and I’ll work with OpenSky to try to get them for you!

From my heart to yours, welcome to my OpenSky Shop…

Last night just before I fell asleep, I had a brainstorm for this fantabulous recipe. I seriously had to grab a notebook and write it down! I was super excited to get busy experimenting today. I had no idea how (or if!) it would even turn out – but it DID! And it’s SO delish! And I’m so excited to share it with you!!!

Introducing…

Inside-Out (Coconut) Peanut Butter Cups

Want to taste this “Inside-Out (Coconut) Peanut Butter Cup” for yourself? I would share with you, but since there’s such a distance between us, you’ll just have to keep reading – I’ll teach you how to make your own!

This concept is something I’ve been wanting to try for a while. I ate peanut butter cups growing up, and for a lot of my adult life – until I got serious about my health. The awesome Mrs. Averie Sunshine (over at Love Veggies & Yoga) has been killing me with her fantabulous, decadent desserts – including her personal variations of homemade peanut butter cups.

And, well, I finally got around to whipping up a batch – Raw Juice Girl style.

I stepped outside the box, colored outside the lines, and turned traditional peanut butter cups inside-out!

(Aren’t your proud of me, Averie?!) Eeeeekkk!!

Move over chemical-laden candy,

HELLO to homemade and healthy…

Inside-Out (Coconut) Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

(This recipe makes 12. Nope, they’re not all for me. I made extra to give as Valentine’s gifts. )

What you’ll need:

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used Singing Dog Vanilla from NuNaturals)
• 20 drops Vanilla Stevia (from NuNaturals)
• 2 teaspoons Tropical Traditions raw honey, melted (or agave for those of you who use it – I don’t anymore)
• Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter <— I’m currently giving a jar away! (Contest ends 2/19/10)
• chocolate bar or block of your choice (I used raw cacao paste from NavitasNaturals.)
• fine dusting of stevia (I used NuNatural NoCarb Stevia Blend). You could also use powdered sugar here if you use that.
• cupcake papers
• muffin pan

NOTE: You could “raw-i-fy and/or veganize” this recipe by using raw nut butter and experimenting with coconut products (or leaving it out) and by eliminating the honey.

Check out that chunk of NavitasNaturals RAW chocolate!!

And there’s only 14 steps in honor of today, February 14!

This is a really fun and easy recipe!!

Directions:

STEP 1: I chopped a wedge of the 1 lb of raw chocolate off (about a fifth?) – and there’s an in-depth review of this chunk of chocolate love coming up in a future post!

STEP 2: Place the raw chocolate in a glass bowl (that’s sitting on top of another bowl filled with hot water) so it will melt.

STEP 3: If your coconut peanut butter is solid, just place it in a bowl filled with hot water so it will become a runny consistency.

Now that that’s done, move on to…

STEP 4: Keep an eye on your raw chocolate and stir it as it melts. This chocolate filling will taste like dark chocolate – if you don’t like dark chocolate, you could melt a sweetened chocolate bar or add your own (sweeter) twist.

STEP 5: Pour coconut peanut butter into cupcake papers – just enough to make your bottom layer.

I was going to make half inside-out and the other half with coconut peanut butter INSIDE and the raw chocolate on the outside – but the raw chocolate didn’t turn out in a runny consistency like I thought it would, so I ended up doing all 12 inside-out (just explaining why only half the pan is filled at this point).

STEP 6: Go back to your raw chocolate. Stir until it’s melted.

STEP 7: Add 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

STEP 8: Add 20 drops of vanilla extract.

STEP 9: At this point, I tasted and thought it needed to be sweeter, so I added the last bit of some honey I had on hand (about 2 teaspoons).

Perfect!!!

STEP 10: Combine until you have the following consistency.

STEP 11: Portion the chocolate into each cupcake paper (it’s the middle of your inside-out ‘coconut’ peanut butter cup). You can do this with a spoon, or your hands. Have fun!

Close-up

STEP 12: Sprinkle a fine dusting over each chocolate center. (I used NuStevia NoCarbs Blend from NuNaturals.)

Close-up

STEP 13: Drizzle more coconut peanut butter over the top, to seal the sweet deal on your “Inside-Out (Coconut) Peanut Butter Cups” and pop the pan into the freezer for just a few minutes – so they can harden.

Close-up

STEP 14: Peel the paper off…

Admire its beauty…

And take that bite I promised you!

And if you make ‘em and blog about ‘em, contact me with your blog post link and I’ll send my readers your way! And if you send me photos of your recreation, I’ll post ‘em here, too!

Enjoy!!

And…

Happy Valentine’s Day

I LOVE YOU ALL WITH ALL MY fruit and veggie- (and chocolate!) filled…

HEART!!!

And….

Just in case you were busy this week and missed what happened around here…

I want to thank you for your sweet words on my guest post at Positive Provocations (Healing Your Heart, Holistically) and I’m thrilled that my post on emotional eating, food labels, and judgments resonated so deeply with y’all!

Find out my sweet thoughts on NuNaturals’ NoCarbs Blend Stevia, and don’t forget to enter my latest contest – there’s over 200 entries and it’s headed toward 250 fast! (Contest ends 2/19/10

What about you? Did you blog today? Read blogs? Hang out with family, friends, or a special someone? Did you splurge bigtime on store-bought treats or did you make a healthier version at home? Did you get enough chocolate? Flowers? What does Valentine’s Day mean to you? And… what do you think about my recipe? Are you excited to try it? Let’s give the comment section some love and do some chatting!

photo source (heart)

All other photos were taken by Raw Juice Girl.

Disclaimer: The link for NavitasNaturals is an affiliate link – the others are not.

FTC Disclaimer: NuNaturals provided (free) samples for me to try; however, they did not pay me to write this review and they did not require me to write this review. The thoughts and opinions found here are my own, and are of my free will.

Remember when I got that fantabulous package from NuNaturals? Well, I’ve been experimenting with these sweet products and have lots of reviews coming up!

(A huge thank you to NuNaturals for sending some a LOT of sweetness my way!!)

I decided to try the NuStevia NoCarbs Blend in my tea.

From the site:

NuStevia White Stevia NoCarbs uses Erythritol, a natural filler that is produced from corn. Erythritol enhances the taste of Stevia. NuStevia White Stevia NoCarbs will have absolutely no effect on blood sugar levels and is safe for both Type I and II diabetics.

NuStevia NoCarbs Blend contains 60% more Stevia extract than most other brands on the market. The cost to get the same sweet taste of other brands can be up to 2 1/2 times more expensive compared to NuNaturals. NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend will save you money.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

Free of Soy, Yeast, Gluten….

According to NuNaturals, NuStevia NoCarbs Blend contains no: soy, yeast, wheat, milk, synthetics, msg, artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, or artificial sweeteners.

Regarding gluten, they say:

This product does not contain gluten. The Maltodextrin used in our White Stevia Powder products is derived from corn. The Erythritol used in our NoCarbs Blend products is derived from corn.

Woo hoo! How awesome is that?!

Personal Touch

What’s this? A cutting board I received from a precious friend as a  Christmas gift. Ain’t it pretty?!

Sneak Peek Inside the Bottle

Ingredients (from the site):

NuStevia Extract, Erythritol, Natural Flavors

The natural flavors are natural plant extracts from herbs and berries. These natural flavors do not contain any MSG (monosodium glutamate) or any other “natural flavors” that are known to cause allergic reactions in the body. We do scrutinize the ingredients that we use very carefully and would not use an ingredient known to cause reactions.

Supplement Facts: Serving Size 1/8 tsp Calories 0 Fat Calories 0 % Daily Value* Total Carbohydrates 0g 0% Sugars 0g Sugar Alcohol .42g 0% Total Fat 0g 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Stevia Extract 40 mg* (Stevia rebaudiana) *Daily Value not extablished Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Bitter Buds?

Worried about the bitter aftertaste of Stevia? I didn’t get that with this brand. It sweetens my tea (or oats, etc.) nicely – without a nasty aftertaste. Delish!

Want to know why this brand of Stevia doesn’t have a lingering, bitter aftertaste?

Here’s what the company says…

From the site:

NuNaturals Stevia products are not only non-bitter, but will not leave an unpleasant lingering aftertaste in your mouth like other Stevia products will. This is achieved by both removing the bitter components of the Stevia extract and through the use of natural flavors that improve the taste of the Stevia extract.

 Bravo, NuNaturals, bravo!

About the Company

It’s always nice to know a little something about the company behind a product you’re interested in, right?

NuNaturals shares this bit of information on their site:

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better. We have over 18 years of experience providing nutritional supplements. NuNaturals uses only the highest quality herbs and nutrients to make our products. We belong to the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) and the TruLabel Program.

Wow. Close to 20 years of (sweet) experience… That’s a pretty good record, don’t you think?!

Pros

I love that this Stevia is sweet, delicious, and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste. I also love the low-carb aspect. And I honestly believe it’s affordable for most everyone. At $9.99 per bottle, it’s a super deal because you use such a teeny tiny amount, it will last like forever.

It’s also small and convenient. You can pop this little bottle in your purse and take it with you. If you’re slow and cautious, you can simply shake some right from the bottle into your drink – without having to use a spoon – so it’s nice to just carry with you and have on hand if you buy an unsweetened tea (or other beverage or food) while you’re out on the town.

And my experience with the company has been just stellar. I feel confidant yours would be, too.

Cons

Hmmm…. This one is difficult! I sometimes include cost as a con when I write my reviews because, let’s face it, not all of us can truly afford some of the healthier products – but I can’t use cost as a con on this product. I think it’s price is more than fair because you use such a minute amount, it’s really cost-effective in the long run.

Another thing I (personally) toss in to the “con pile” when I’m reviewing a product, is whether or not it is organic. This product is not. But there are a lot of NuNaturals products that are, so if you’re a stickler for organic/certified organic only, I still recommend you check out their site and see for yourself what awesome products they’re carrying.

If you don’t mind some non-organic products, then for sure try this out!

Sweet Tea

Let me walk you through combining NuStevia NoCarbs Blend + a glass of herbal tea to recreate sweet tea from my childhood, drank from a glass jar – just like grandma did!

Adding the Stevia Powder

Sweet Sipping Time!

The only thing missing was a slice of lemon!

I absolutely adore Stevia and use it in my tea, sometimes my oats, and recipes. I’ve loved it for years, and found it to be a life-saver during my 100+ pound weight loss. I was so happy to have a (healthy) sweetener for my old-fashioned tea.

Verdict/Grade

I give this product an A- because although it isn’t certified organic, it is delicious, free of a bitter aftertaste, very cost-friendly, and fun to use! That’s a winner, in my opinion!

What’s your go-to sweetener? White, processed sugar? Dates? Stevia? Honey? Agave*? Turbinado? Xylitol? And… are you (gasp!) using Splenda? (You may want to read this article if you’re using Splenda.) Would you try something else? Are you open-minded about sweeteners? Do you switch things up, or stick with one certain kind?  Let me know!

Oh, and don’t forget about my latest contest! You might really, really want to take advantage of those extra entry options (like linking back on your blog) because there’s 200+ entries already and it doesn’t end until Friday, February 19th! Enter now!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links**. If you purchase anything once you click on the links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

*I didn’t link to agave like I did the other sweeteners because I’ve decided NOT to consume agave anymore – more about that in a future post.

**The link to NuNaturals is not an affiliate link; the links that take you to Amazon.com are affiliate links.

References:

NuNaturals.com

Rubin, Jordan. Issue 14: Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners

I remember that hymnal from when I was a little girl and went to church with my grandma.

The memory is etched so vividly in my mind: I remember a lady getting up to lead song service. That “sunshine” song was her favorite. It amazes me how the sunshine streamed through the windows as we sang it, like Heaven was smiling on us.

This memory makes me smile, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And I can’t believe I am able to remember it like it was yesterday!

Okay, okay, enough of my little trip down memory lane…

That memory is what came to mind, though, when I learned that Julia (from  Easy Eco To Go) blessed me with an award. You can read about it in her post: Let the Sunshine In!

Sunshine Award

Thank you so much, Julia! I’m honored to be a source of sunshine for you! I love how your blog is always inspiring and sunny – so you’re sending out a lot of rays yourself!

Now, I’m supposed to pass on this award to 12 of you who bring sunshine to my life – but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy more than just 12 of you light up my days, so I’m giving this to each and every one of you! Take this Sunshine Award and enjoy it – you deserve it!

And…

I want to thank you for your sweet words on my guest post at Positive Provocations (Healing Your Heart, Holistically) and I’m thrilled that my post on emotional eating, food labels, and judgments resonated so deeply with y’all!

How cool is it that we can all relate to being too hard on ourselves?! We aren’t perfect… All we can do is strive to be better. That’s it. Our eating habits (and life in general) has too many shades to label with one “color”!

Which helps me realize what brings the most sunshine to my life is not limited to one thing!

I feel the warmth of sunshine:

• when I’m helping others
• from family and friends
• when I’m writing and blogging
• by reading your blogs, comments, and emails
• and so much more!

But my highest source of sunshine comes from my strong faith. I wouldn’t be who I am without it.

What brings sunshine to your life? Your family? Friends? Work? Exercise? Writing? Blogging? Reading inspiring articles, books, blog posts, etc.? Lots of sunshine and love and big hugs to you!!!

Oh, and don’t forget about my latest contest! You might really, really want to take advantage of those extra entry options (like linking back on your blog) because there’s 200+ entries already and it doesn’t end until Friday, February 19th! Enter now!

Hi, y’all!

I’m so glad that you enjoyed my last post, on emotional eating, food labels, and judgments. It’s nice to know that you can relate, and that you appreciate my (raw) honesty – and it’s soooooooooooooo nice to have it off my chest once and for all!

Remember, we need to be KIND to ourselves so we can achieve ultimate health. Take my hand and let’s skip along together.

Good News!

I wanted to share with you that Zeenat Syal has allowed me the fantabulous opportunity to share a bit about my story of healing (including tips for you!) – thank you, Z!

Here’s my guest post, in case you want to read it:

Healing Your Heart, Holistically 

Zeenat (and I!) would love it if you share your thoughts and suggestions about my story on my guest post over there (if you have time, of course)!

And… here’s a sneak peek at Zeenat’s beautiful blog…

Zeenat is a beautiful lady. She shares her heart so openly and honestly, and is one of my favorite bloggers – and people! You can see by this glimpse of her blog, that she emanates peace, inspiration, hope, serenity, love, and healing…

You  might even remember Zeenat wrote a beautiful, informative guest post for us a while back: Onions–A Pungent Surprise of Natural Healing 

Do check that out, too. Zeenat is a Practicing Counseling Psychologist & Naturopath with degrees in Motivational and Counseling Psychology. She also holds degrees in various fields of Holistic and Naturopathic Medicine. <— Full of wisdom, she is!

Thanks for letting me share! Big hugs to everyone, and I hope your day is fantabulous!!!

“Lose the labels. Lose the percentages. Who are you competing with? Seriously. Set your own bar. Neither a label nor a percentage ever made anyone healthy.” – Earth Mother

Wise words, Earth Mother, wise words…

Labels Schmabels

Why do we feel the need to label ourselves? Even the process of overeating is labeled as “emotional eating.” So, on top of all the other labels life sends our way, we’re now “emotional eaters” as well – me included.

*insert deep sigh*

For the past few years (as I’ve mentioned numerous times before, all across the Web, and on this blog), I’ve eaten at least 75% raw. I didn’t think about labeling myself at that time (although I did eventually start calling myself a vegetarian). I was just  trying to improve my health and just considered it as eating more whole foods so I’d have a healthier diet/lifestyle, overall.

I didn’t have a blog at that time so I wasn’t as aware of all the various labels raw foodies (and people in general) put on themselves, and others.

I didn’t consider myself “not a raw purist” – I was just a gal who was eating high raw (sometimes 100% raw for months at a time) with an ultimate goal of losing weight, improving my health and  lifestyle habits, and basically finding a way that resulted in eating to live. – I just wanted to live and be healthier and happier.

And I was!

When I felt my best…

I was eating the following:

• a lot of raw veggies
• minimum fruit (mostly berries)
• some nuts
• some seeds
• salads topped with fish
• eggs
• Greek yogurt
• a little honey

Yeah, fish and eggs. I was looking and feeling sooooooooo much better when I (without guilt) included these foods in my diet.

So, what changed?

First, I labeled myself “low carb” and then I was “vegetarian” and then “mostly vegan” and then “high raw” and then “raw foodist” and then “vegan” and somewhere in the midst of all the transition, I lost the part of myself where I was eating better, feeling better, looking better, and was actually happy.

Sheesh.

How’d that happen, eh?

I’m not sure how I lost my (true) happiness along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not seriously depressed or anything – I’ve just noticed a difference in how I view food and how I feel when I eat it. If I’m starving for an omelet, I usually feel guilty if I decide to eat it.

In the past, that guilt wasn’t there. Yes, I’d feel guilty about eating cake or something because I was so overweight, but I didn’t feel guilty about eating an egg or a little honey – so, imagine how crazy it is to feel guilty over eating an egg or a small portion of salmon now that I’ve lost 100+ pounds! Gasp!

Craziness.

What’s a gal to do? Hmmm….

Positive Solution

I’ve decided that even though I do live mostly a vegan/vegetarian-ish lifestyle (and have for several years), I’m going to do my very best to remove myself from the labels I’ve limited myself to.

Does this mean I’m going to run out and eat meat? No. It just means that I want to simplify my life. I want to enjoy the food I eat – even if it happens to include an omelet (made from farm fresh, organic-omega eggs) or a little honey drizzled over a treat, or some fish on top of my ginormous, raw salad.

It means that by removing the labels I’ve placed on my life, I’ll be stepping into a confident, beautiful, peaceful existence.

Aaaaahhhh, now that sounds awesome!

What will I be eating?

• whole foods
• raw foods
• nuts
• seeds
• fruit
• veggies
• grains
• Greek yogurt
• and sometimes this will include eggs, maybe fish (???) and honey

I may even throw an occasional splurge in there for good measure.

Seriously, raw foods have been such a huge part of my healing journey and weight loss – I’ll never give ‘em up!

There is one label I don’t mind: Healthatarian

A while back, I was chatting with my friend, Beth, about how I was getting stressed from labeling my eating habits. So, she said something like:

Michele, just quit calling yourself a vegan or vegetarian and consider yourself a “healthatarian” – genius, that girl is!

(Thanks, Beth!)

By trying to adhere to a “healthy” lifestyle, we’re merely choosing to strive to do our best. That takes a lot of the pressure off. If you miss a day of exercise or enjoy that cupcake at the office, it isn’t the end of the world. We aren’t perfect – none of us. We all have something we don’t want to give up. We all dream of chocolate or caramel or whatever. We’re human.

And I’d never tried to deceive anyone…

• I blogged about falling off the 100% raw food wagon (because of several family deaths – that emotional eating label again).
• I blogged about the side effects of falling off the 100% raw food wagon.
• I blogged about having an omelet and cake and ice cream – and even a Zero candy bar on my last birthday.

So, you can guarantee that I’m not in the deceiving business and I’ll always be upfront.

It is – and always has been – my desire to share my heart with you.

And I want you to know I’m not perfect, and that we’re on this health journey together. I may slip up and call myself a raw foodie or high-raw vegetarian from time to time but I’m going to work on just living as a healthatarian.

So… here’s my advice for food choices:

“Make the best choice most of the time, the better choice as often as possible, and enjoy the splurges when they come.” – Raw Juice Girl

I feel much better now that I’ve shared this with you. It’s over. It’s out. What a relief!

And, I’m NOT saying that you’re a bad person or anything if YOU call yourself a vegan/vegetarian/whatever – I’m just sharing that it stresses ME out to limit myself with labels.

Your Turn

Do you worry about what people think of your food choices? Have you recently limited your eating habits by labeling yourself? Do you wish you could rewind and remove that label? 

Do you consider yourself to be a hardcore vegan, vegetarian, or whatever else? Do you label yourself? Tall, skinny, short, fat, etc.? Do you even think about how often you label yourself? Do you feel like it’s a bad thing? Good thing? Does labeling yourself help you live a more peace-filled, harmonious lifestyle, or (like me), do you find yourself stressed over trying to live up to certain labels or expectations?

And would you be upset to see photos of salad, topped with fish or boiled eggs on this blog?

Let’s glean from each other. Do share!!

Contest Alert

Oh, and don’t forget to enter my Tropical Traditions coconut peanut butter contest – this stuff is delicious, no matter what your food choices are!

Note: I updated that contest post to include an amended rule (the one about tweets). Thanks for understanding!

References/Credits:

Wordle (by me)

Quote (Earth Mother, In the Raw)

How’s everybody doing? Did you week start out smoothly? I sure hope so!

There’s sooooooooooooo many contests and sales across the blogosphere this week, I thought I’d let y’all in on the shopping/contest entry fun!

Savings Alerts

• Valentine’s Savings at E3Live for His & Hers gift sets

• Valentine’s Savings for Amazing Grass Chocolate and/or Chocolate Peanut Butter bars

Contest Alerts

• Voracious Vegan is hosting a giveaway for 1 box of Organic Vegan Caramels and 1 box of their Organic Vegan Ultimate Turtles from Sweet Earth Chocolates (they’re Fair Trade and Organic!)

• Averie at Love Veggies & Yoga is hosting a giveaway for a 32 ounce jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

• CutePea is giving away a 32 ounce jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate

• Sharon, at Good, True, & Beautiful, is giving away a $100 Visa card

• Pure2Raw is having a Valentine’s Day Giveaway

• Ashlei (The Vegster) is giving away a six-pack of Zevia

• And don’t forget about the contest I’m hosting: Win a 16 ounce jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter!

Referral Option

If you’d like to join the Tropical Traditions Healthy Buyer’s Club, visit www.healthybuyersclub.com/orderform.cfm

And enter Raw Juice Girl’s User ID number: 4845073

By following these steps, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy.

Your sponsor (that’d be me! ) will receive a coupon for a complimentary gift to redeem on their next order.

You may view the current complimentary gift being offered here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com//referral_program.htm

Further instructions can be found here.

And there you go, enjoy your shopping sprees and contest entries! And guess what?! I’ll soon be giving away a jar of RAW HONEY from Tropical Traditions. Get ready, there’s lots of giveaways in our future!

Do you have a giveaway not mentioned here? Feel free to share the link in the comment section. I might feature  your contest in a future post!

Photo Credits:

Wordle (by me)

Coconut Peanut Butter (Tropical Traditions)

Do y’all remember my in-depth review of Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae and BrainOn from E3Live?

Well, I just had to share with you that the kind folks over at www.E3Live.com are having a fantabulous Valentine’s Day sales. See for yourself…

His & Hers Valentine’s Day Gift Sets!!

You can get mini or deluxe sets (his or hers!) at a discount!

From the site:

Valentine’s Day — HIS & HER packages direct from E3Live® Klamath Lake

• vitality
• happiness
• beauty
• focus
• health

all 4 Valentine packages include FREE GROUND SHIPPING and a $30 gift certificate — good towards your next frozen purchase — choose E3Live®, our signature product, or any other frozen item.

Deluxe for HER

Nature’s first Organic Cosmeceuticals —a deluxe package for your sweetheart this Valentine’s

Deluxe for HER — Treat your sweetheart (or yourself!) with E3Live’s® best for beauty inside and out.

• E3 Light Creme (full-size)
• E3 Light Polish (full-size)
• E3 AFA capsules (90 count)
• E3 Enzymes Supreme (90 count)
• Renew Me! capsules (90 count) and a
• $30 Gift Certificate for next purchase of fresh frozen E3Live®

She can exfoliate her skin with E3 Light Polish™, gentle enough for everyday use. She can rejuvenate & nourish her skin with E3 Light Crème™, which is excellent for all skin types. E3 AFA™ will provide superior nutrition (64 essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and more), E3 Enzymes Supreme will keep her digestive system healthy and Renew Me! Total Body Blend™ is great for overall health, as well as stronger nails, healthier hair and skin. Plus she will get $30 towards her next frozen purchase!
This set arrives in a clear gift bag with Valentine accents — ready for gift-giving.
$79.95 per set (retail value $151.85).

Mini for HER

Nature’s first Organic Cosmeceuticals —a small package with big benefits for your loved one

Mini for HER — Happiness and beauty all in one pretty package!

• E3 Light Creme (full-size)
• E3 Light Polish (full-size)
• E3 AFA capsules (90 count) and a
• $30 Gift Certificate for next purchase of fresh frozen E3Live®

This set for your Valentine includes our E3 Light Polish™ for gentle cleansing and removal of dead skin cells — revealing radiant skin with that healthy glow. Follow with E3 Light Crème™ to nourish and pamper her skin, all in one revolutionary anti-aging blend . We also include our amazing superfood, E3 AFA™, which gives superior nutrition so her body can be healthy inside and out. Plus she will get $30 towards her next frozen purchase!
This set arrives in a clear gift bag with Valentine accents — ready for gift-giving.
$49.95 per set (retail value $119.95).

Deluxe for HIM

Nature’s first Organic Cosmeceuticals —a deluxe package for your sweetheart this Valentine’s

Deluxe for HIM — Treat the man in your life to a set of E3Live’s® top picks that will invigorate and revitalize!

• E3 AFA capsules (90 count)
• Renew Me! capsules (90 count)
• E3 Enzymes Supreme (90 count)
• Hemp Maca E3Live Protein Powder
• Quick Shake Cooler Cup and a
• $30 Gift Certificate for next purchase of fresh frozen E3Live®

E3 AFA™ will provide 64 essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and more. Renew Me! Total Body Blend™ promotes focus and concentration while also giving a boost to the immune system and helping the body to eliminate toxins. E3 Enzymes Supreme™ are a must for anyone who eats cooked food — they promote better digestion, and the Hemp Maca E3Live® Protein Powder™ is great for building muscle, increasing stamina and vitality. This set includes a handy E3 Quick Shake Cooler Cup for easily preparing a protein smoothie or shake. Plus he will get $30 towards his next frozen purchase!
This set arrives in a clear gift bag with Valentine accents — ready for gift-giving.
$59.95 per set (retail value $116.86).

Mini for HIM

Nature’s first Organic Cosmeceuticals —a small package with big benefits for your loved one

Mini for HIM — Take care of your man with some of our favorites for superior nutrition, endurance, vitality and clarity!

• E3 AFA capsules (90 count)
• Renew Me! capsules (90 count)
• E3 Enzymes Supreme (90 count) and a
• $30 Gift Certificate for next purchase of fresh frozen E3Live®

E3AFA™ will provide 64 essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and more. Renew Me! Total Body Blend™ promotes vitality, strength, clarity and gives the immune system a boost. E3 Enzymes Supreme™ are a 3-in-1 formula of premium, full-spectrum digestive enzymes that help his body operate at optimal levels. Plus he will get $30 towards his next frozen purchase!
This set arrives in a clear gift bag with Valentine accents — ready for gift-giving.
$39.95 per set (retail value $86.85).

Healthy Valentine’s Day

Now that’s quite a bit of savings on this His & Hers Valentine’s Day gift sets, eh? What better way to show someone you love ‘em, than by showering them with (healthy) gifts – from the heart?!

Want to surprise your Valentine with the taste of health?

Click Here to order now!

Do you give Valentine’s Day gifts? Do you skip right past the holiday? Do you think these His & Hers (healthy) Valentine’s Day gift sets are fantabulous – or will you just stick with chocolate, a fancy restaurant, etc.? Chime in, sweet readers!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything once you click on the links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

If you’d like to be featured in Readers Recipes, just shoot me an e-mail and you might see your recipe featured here, at Healing with (Raw) Juices! (It doesn’t have to be 100% raw or require a dehydrator or blender, etc. There’s a wide range of folks who read this blog and we want to share a little something for everyone – so long as it’s on the healthier side and doesn’t involve meat.)

And don’t forget to enter my latest giveaway: Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter!

Happy weekend, y’all! Hope your weekend has been as fantabulous as mine! Nothing special going on here, but I’ve been safe, warm, happy, and hard at work trying to make this blog even better for y’all in 2010 – and beyond!!

On to the reader’s recipes…

Note: The readers featured today emailed me their recipes. I asked their permission to post them here and they gave their blessing.

From reader, Dyan

Dyan says:

“Just an avid reader of your posts, who like the rest of the world, am trying to eat healthy. A friend of mine gave me the juicer and I almost choked when I put in 1 grapefruit, 1 orange, and an apple and got one glass of juice. LOL No way could I just throw out that pulp. So I just kept freezing it until I could figure out what to do with it. I had this old dehydrator gathering dust in the basement that I had used for jerky, but that was all I had done with it. While shopping, my little girl wanted a box of fruit rollups that were 2.89 for 6 little rolls! That’s when it hit me….I had this whole arrangement of pulp at home that I would experiment with. They are what I call Frankenstein rolls. There is a little bit of everything in them. If you do a lot of juice I suppose you could keep all your pulp separate. But I throw it all in together…And you can put as much or as little sugar in it, to your liking.”

“Dyan’s Frankenstein rolls”

“My favorite thing to do is every time I juice fruit, I put the pulp in a bowl and put in the freezer.”

Instructions:

1. After I have several bowls, I defrost them all and puree it in a blender with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon.
2. Get it really smooth and then spread out in an even layer about 1/4 inch thick on the plastic tray.
3. Dehydrate for about 8-10 hrs and you have a fruit roll-up just like you get out of the stores, but made with real fruit!

Delicious as a little healthy snack, and a great way to recycle the pulp.

Enjoy!

From reader, Kim

Kim says:

“Its impressive  all the new healthy things I’m making with these tools that my picky-eater kids (ages 3 and 1) love to eat each day. I hope to make the crackers soon.

“Kim’s Fruit/Veggie Roll-Ups”

I have a new Excalibur Dehydrator and have a great fruit/veggie roll up combination my young kids LOVE! 

Ingredients:

• 3 medium pears
• 2 small organic carrots
• 1/4 cup grape  juice
• sliver of lemon

Instructions:

1. Blend in a high powered blender (I have a Vita-Mix )
2. Spread out thin on dehydrator sheets, dehydrate at 135 for 4-6 hours
3. Peel, and enjoy!

Thanks, ladies!

Have you tried any of these recipes? Or something similar? Do you have a dehydrator? Is it an Excalibur Dehydrator or some other kind? Do you own a Vita-Mix? Or just dream of one (like me)?

If you’d like to be featured in Readers Recipes, just shoot me an e-mail and you might see your recipe featured here, at Healing with (Raw) Juices!

Mind-boggling fact!

And… here’s  a mind-boggling fact of the week:

“The first-ever large-scale study of organic farming and livestock conducted by the USDA finds that organic food is a $3-billion-a-year industry.

A recent article on the coming touchscreen technology for vending machines notes that the junk food dispensers are a $30-billion-a-year industry.

Ten times as big as organic food.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/index#ixzz0esNbEh6F

And don’t forget to enter my latest giveaway: Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything once you click on the links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Reference:

San Francisco Chronicle

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Updated to add the winner

I’m excited to announce that we have a lucky winner who’ll receive a 16 ounce jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter!!

The contest was fantabulous – there ended up being 367 entries! Thank you all so much!!

As always, I used random.org to select a winner, and “Mr. Random” chose #186.

Which means Melina won!!!

Winning comment:

I’ll email you soon, Melina!

Congratulations!!

*********************************************************************

*********************************************************************

Glad y’all enjoyed my review of Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter – I know y’all have been waiting for this one!

Recap

You might remember when I used coconut peanut butter as a fantabulous ingredient in my:

Coconut Peanut Butter Honey Overnight Oats

Or when I spruced up my banana soft serve with some coconut peanut butter and ended up with:

Coconut Peanut Butter Cream

You’ll notice that above in the overnight oats, the coconut peanut butter actually took on a creamy consistency, but in the coconut peanut butter cream (banana soft serve with cream of coconut added), when I drizzled the coconut peanut butter over it, it was “runny” (which is a good thing, in my opinion!) but then it hardened up. And boy, was it FUN to eat that way! LOVED it!

Here’s what Tropical Traditions has to say about the consistency situation:

Note: In warmer temperatures the oils will separate at the top of the jar. Simply mix them back in. If refrigerated, this product will become hard and difficult to spread. It is recommended to store this product out of the light in a cool place.

Updated to add

I recently made  Inside-Out (Coconut) Peanut Butter Cups (!!!)

What You’ll Win

Contest Rules

There are only TWO required entries for this contest – but if you REALLY want to win, there are several (fun) extra ways you can enter following these required options:

Required entry #1: Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions email Sales Newsletter here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/subscribe_for_special_sales.cfm and come back to this post and leave a comment, letting me know that you did.

Required entry #2: Visit www.tropicaltraditions.com and come back here and leave a comment, letting me know which product (or recipe) is something you’d love to try.

AND… If you want to put in a little extra effort….

(and receive a LOT of extra entries – aka chances to win) keep reading…

Numerous ways to get extra entries!

Note: The reason I ask you to leave a comment for EACH, SEPARATE entry is because I enter the total number of comments at random.org once the contest has ended – and each comment represents your entry number.

• Become a fan of Tropical Traditions on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that.

• Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did.

• Follow Healing with (Raw) Juices on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. Leave a comment on this post saying that you did.

• Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did.

• Follow @TropTraditions on Twitter and tweet the following:

I’m following @TropTraditions because of @RawJuiceGirl’s awesome review of your products!

Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

• Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name.

Use this tweet:

@RawJuiceGirl is giving away a 16 oz jar of coconut peanut butter from @TropTraditions. Enter now: http://tinyurl.com/yhqkzxn <— #contest

Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: Re-tweet this contest as many times as you like and come back and leave a different comment for each time you tweet – no limit on how many! Get those extra entries, folks!

UPDATED TO ADD: I’m amending the “tweet as many times as you’d like” rule due to trying to maintain overall fairness of everyone involved. I hope you all understand.

Amended tweet rule: For tweets, you may tweet about the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet must be 1-2 hours or so after the previous one. (Thanks so much for understanding my position of keeping things fair and square, y’all!)

• Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via e-mail (sign up here). Then comment and let me know you did.

• Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did.

OR

• Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here). Then comment here and let me know you did.

• 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 at gmail.com and let me know. It may have gone to spam for some reason.

• Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did.

• Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did.

• Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did.

• Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did.

• Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.

• Do you have a Digg account? Digg one of my posts. Take your pick. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

• Leave a comment on the review post:  Coconut Peanut Butter: Tropical Traditions Review. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that.

• If you share this contest on Facebook or some other social media account, I’ll accept that as an extra entry. Just share the link to this contest on that site and leave the link here in the comments to let me know you did.

• Follow me or friend me on any of the social media sites for an extra entry. If you follow or friend Lisa (or me) on more than one social media site, simply add an extra comment sharing that you did.

NOTE: Please leave a comment for each entry (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.

This contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents only

Sorry international readers!

Oh, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Contest ends Friday, February 19. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted the next morning.

That gives you TWO WEEKS to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning a one-pound bag of these beauties!!!

Can’t wait?

If you can’t wait for the contest to be over, you can nab a deal on this golden treat – it’s currently 50% off of its regular retail price of $14.99 – but hurry, the sale ends February 7th!

Referral Option

If you’d like to join the Tropical Traditions Healthy Buyer’s Club, visit www.healthybuyersclub.com/orderform.cfm

And enter Raw Juice Girl’s User ID number: 4845073

By following these steps, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy.

Your sponsor (that’d be me! ) will receive a coupon for a complimentary gift to redeem on their next order.

You may view the current complimentary gift being offered here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com//referral_program.htm

Further instructions can be found here.

Thanks again to www.tropicaltraditions.com!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Thank you to www.tropicaltraditions.com for sending samples!

Note: For my 100% raw purist readers, this product is not raw. The coconut is only dried, but the peanuts are roasted. In my opinion, it’s totally worth the splurge, though!

You might remember a Tropical Traditions review and contest in the past here at Healing with (Raw) Juices…. Well, the folks at Tropical Traditions are so very kind and generous, they’ve sent more products for me to review – and give to you!

First up….

Organic Coconut Peanut Butter

Ingredients: Organic Dried Coconut, Organic Roasted Valencia Peanuts

Health Benefits of Dried Coconut

So, we know that fresh, raw coconut (and its oil) is fantabulous for our health, boasting benefits like: colon health, skin health, battling candida, promotes skin elasticity, healthy for your heart, and so much more. Coconut oil is also nature’s richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs)!

But what about the dried coconut that’s used in this coconut peanut butter? I thought you might be curious about dried coconut if you weren’t familiar, so I swiped the following information from an article on the Tropical Traditions site: The Truth about “Raw” Dried Coconut

Dried or "desiccated" coconut is an established industry in the Philippines, with the largest companies being established back in the 1920s to handle the booming candy bar industry in the US. The Philippines produces most of the world’s dried coconut products, and has had a reputation of producing a very high quality product for many years. The meat of the coconut is high in protein, and fresh coconuts have a very short shelf life, especially in the humid tropics.

In the conclusion of this article, they state:

Raw coconut is very healthy and is best consumed from fresh coconuts within 24-48 hours of harvest. For those of us living outside the tropics, dried coconut is the next best thing. However, be careful where you purchase your dried coconut and investigate thoroughly to be sure it was processed according to industry standards to avoid potential contamination.

So, from my understanding, while fresh, raw coconut is ideal for optimum health benefits, dried coconut (when correctly processed) is next in line. That makes a gal feel good about gobbling up her coconut peanut butter for sure!

From the Tropical Traditions FAQ page:

While whole coconut does contain coconut oil, you would have to eat more by weight to get the equivalent amount of pure coconut oil.

Whole coconut contains more than just oil. It would include things like fiber, protein and sugar (natural sugar).

Some people could be allergic to whole coconut, and not be allergic to coconut oil, for example, because coconut oil does not contain protein. If you are trying to restrict sugar from your diet, you do have to account for the natural sugar in whole coconut as well. As to fresh coconuts, most coconuts you find in U.S. grocery stores are transported many miles and are no longer fresh. A freshly harvested coconut does not have a long shelf life, especially if the outer husk is removed down to the brown shell. Hence, many coconuts in U.S. stores may already be moldy. This is especially true for “young” immature coconuts. The best place to eat fresh, raw coconuts is in tropical climates where they grow, and right after they are harvested. Those outside the tropics might be better off eating dried coconut.

From the site:

Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is made from organic peanuts and organic coconut. Two ingredients: nothing else! No fillers, no binders, no sweeteners, and no preservatives.

The peanuts are 100% organic Valencia peanuts grown organically by family farmers in New Mexico and Texas. Grown in the dry climate of the southwestern United States, these peanuts are certified organic and free from aflatoxins.

The dried coconut is certified organic coconut meat from the Philippines from coconuts that are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. This premium dried coconut contains no additives or preservatives, and is not sweetened.

Unlike most dried coconut on the market, our dried coconut products are not treated with sulfites to keep them white.

Together, these premium organic roasted peanuts and the premium organic dried coconut are ground together to make a delicious and nutritious spread!

Nutrition Information

Low, low carb, people!

Coconut Peanut Butter = Yummy to the Tummy!

I have seriously, wholeheartedly enjoyed every smidgen I’ve eaten of this yummy stuff. (I still have some left in the jar, but it’s a secret – don’t tell anyone!)

You might remember when I used coconut peanut butter as a fantabulous ingredient in my:

Coconut Peanut Butter Honey Overnight Oats

Or when I spruced up my banana soft serve with some coconut peanut butter and ended up with:

Coconut Peanut Butter Cream

You’ll notice that above in the overnight oats, the coconut peanut butter actually took on a creamy consistency, but in the coconut peanut butter cream (banana soft serve with cream of coconut added), when I drizzled the coconut peanut butter over it, it was “runny” (which is a good thing, in my opinion!) but then it hardened up. And boy, was it FUN to eat that way! LOVED it!

Here’s what Tropical Traditions has to say about the consistency situation:

Note: In warmer temperatures the oils will separate at the top of the jar. Simply mix them back in. If refrigerated, this product will become hard and difficult to spread. It is recommended to store this product out of the light in a cool place.

Other ways I enjoyed my coconut peanut butter:

• straight off the spoon
• drizzled over my salad like a dressing (it was sooooooooooooo good when it ran into the crevices of the kale!

This would also be fantabulous drizzled over raw cakes or cookies, or to make hardened candy. I’m sure it’d taste awesome in a smoothie, too!

 About Tropical Traditions – The Company

From the site:

Brian W. Shilhavy, BA, MA
Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible/Greek from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and his Master of Arts degree in linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. He is currently the CEO of Tropical Traditions, Inc.

Marianita Jader Shilhavy, BS, CND (Certified Nutritionist/Dietician in the Philippines) earned her bachelor of science degree in nutrition in Manila. Understanding the nutrition of Filipino foods, Marianita worked for over eight years as a hospital dietician and nutritional counselor in the Philippines.

In 1998 Brian  and Marianita returned to the Philippines with their three children and renovated Marianita’s old family farmhouse. By this time the coconut industry was severely depressed due to the negative U.S. campaigns against tropical oils in the 1980s and 1990s. Coconut farmers could no longer support their families on the income generated from harvesting coconuts.

The Tropical Traditions Line of Organic Foods and Healthy Products

Later, when our  family was forced to leave the Philippines, we had to adapt our eating and lifestyle from living in a rural agricultural area of the Philippines, where we had access to a local public market and fresh farm goods produced in our community and the areas surrounding it, to buying food on the shelves of stores where we had little or no knowledge of those who produced the food. As we settled back into life in the United States, I sought out healthy food sources that I felt we could trust to meet the nutritional and health needs of our family.

Finding good food sources and healthy products is an ongoing endeavor, and the products sold through Tropical Traditions are the products I have trusted to meet the needs of my own family. I won’t sell you products that I won’t use personally or give to my own children. With meats and dairy products, it is not enough to simply be "organic." We believe that animals raised on pasture are preferable to animals in feed lots eating organic grains and organic soy, and so we give preference to animals raised on grass and sunshine, and farmers practicing sustainable agriculture.

How are Products Chosen for Tropical Traditions?

We have a strong commitment to family farming and organic standards. But the organic label is not enough for us. We research and find out where the products are produced, and how they are produced. We find that some organic standards too loose for our trust, so we look beyond what is claimed on a label. We find out as much as possible about those who provide the products. And if a certain quality of product does not exist, we will work with others to produce that product and offer it to our consumers. We did that with Virgin Coconut Oil in the Philippines, and we are working on several other products both here in the US and outside the US that we plan to introduce to you soon.

We want you to feel safe when shopping in our online store, so we have a commitment to you to not sell anything that is harmful to the best of our knowledge. All of our foods are either certified organic or meet quality standards that are equal to or higher than organic certification. This is quite different from most health food stores, where you have to be "on your guard" as most of them offer conventional products right alongside organic products, because they want to offer a full selection of products to compete with regular grocery stores. We would rather offer fewer products, and stick to our high standards, so that you can feel safe when shopping here.

Tropical Traditions is constantly adding more products to offer its customers as we move forward and find people producing products that meet our high standards. We are already working with farmers to be able to drop ship products directly to your home from the farm. In time, we will also setup regional centers where you can pick up local food produced close to your community. In early 2006 we launched our Healthy Buyer’s Club that allows individuals and families to purchase bulk retail products for a significant savings. Join us today as we seek to restore traditional ways of producing healthy food and healthy products!

Pros

There are too many pros to mention, in my opinion!  I love the taste and that it’s so versatile. You can eat it so many different ways and it’s so fun to use as an ingredient!

Coconut is good for us and while peanut butter may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for those of you who love it like there’s no tomorrow, this is a great way to enjoy “peanut butter” while also sneaking in some added nutrition and fiber.

Cons

As always, the things I look out for on the “negative” aspect of my reviews are 1) price and 2) that it’s truly a Raw Juice Girl-worthy, healthy product.

As you can tell, I’m totally in favor of this product!

Warning: This stuff is highly addictive! It’s just soooooooooooo delicious – and knowing that it is actually good for you, makes you want to indulge even more!

Verdict/Grade

I think this product deserves an A+ because it’s delicious, fun, and is so cool that it is half coconut, half peanut butter! I also love the consistency and that it’s such a fun addition to desserts and other foods. Love, love, love it!!!

Want some for yourself?

Enter my Tropical Traditions contest: click HERE.

(for U.S. and Canada residents only – sorry international readers!)

If you can’t wait for the contest, you can nab a deal on this golden treat – it’s currently 50% off of its regular retail price of $14.99!

Referral Option

If you’d like to join the Tropical Traditions Healthy Buyer’s Club, visit www.healthybuyersclub.com/orderform.cfm

And enter Raw Juice Girl’s User ID number: 4845073

By following these steps, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy.

Your sponsor (that’d be me! ) will receive a coupon for a complimentary gift to redeem on their next order.

You may view the current complimentary gift being offered here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com//referral_program.htm

Further instructions can be found here.

Thanks again to www.tropicaltraditions.com!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Hi, everybody! How has your week been so far?

Thanks for your sympathy and sweet words about my crazy week. I appreciate it!

Things were much better after I gave myself some TLC, natural remedies, rest, and received this in the mail:

Yay! I’m powered up and back in business – and feeling much, much better!

Raw Juice Girl’s NEWS

Yep, the newsletter goal is finally becoming a reality. Remember a long time ago when I blogged about the Healing with (Raw) Juices Newsletter? Well, now I’m putting my words into action and the newsletter is in the works. Don’t believe me?

Well, you can sign up here.

Watch for it, it’s coming to an inbox near you soon!

Contest Alerts

Ashlei (The Vegster) is giving away a six-pack of Zevia!

Birdies (Vegan) Bakeshop is giving away fun kitchen gadgets!

And stay tuned for a review of Tropical Traditions coconut peanut butter – plus a surprise for YOU!

Are you bad about procrastinating? Have you been putting something off (like I’ve been postponing my newsletter)? Do you allow life to get in the way and just accept that you can’t always make time for something extra (which isn’t always procrastinating, I know)? Or do you always pounce on your dreams and ideas and just make them happen right away?