Thank you, NuNaturals—for the fantabulous products AND for hosting this super cool giveaway!!

Hi, y’all!

Sorry I’ve been MIA so much lately—garden duty has taken over my life! LOL

I had to pull myself away from farm chores, though, because the fantabulous folks at NuNaturals has offered me you – my fantabulous, precious readers!! – a deal I simply could NOT let slip by:

SPECIAL BONUS :

I am approving you to offer all participants who enter your NuNaturals giveaway a special BONUS promotional offer of a –15% DISCOUNT off of any participant’s future web order placed through our website : www.nunaturals.com . When your readers go to our website checkout on the site they should enter this code : BLG710 , and they will receive a special –15% discount on their TOTAL ORDER with us. They also receive FREE SHIPPING to the Continental 48 U.S. States on all orders totaling a net of $35.00, and over, AFTER this special discount.

This offer to your contest participants, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ENDS JULY 1, 2010.

And that’s not all!

NuNaturals also said:

We will award four (4) of your readers one (1) box of our NuStevia™ White Stevia Powder, 50 ct. box

AND one (1) bottle of our Vanilla Stevia Liquid, 2 oz.

Contest limited to U.S. residents, ONLY to avoid costly shipping & International customs regulations.

To enter this contest, there’s only…

ONE Required Entry!!

Visit www.NuNaturals.com and let me know which products you’d most like to try – AND come back and leave a comment letting me know that you did. That’s it – easy peasy!

BUT… 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!

OVER 20 ways total to enter this contest!!

Note: Don’t forget the above, one required entry.

2. For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES, share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave FIVE SEPARATE COMMENTS to let me know you did. (Yep, you’ll really leave FIVE different comments for this so you’ll be able to get five extra entries. )

3. Add NuNaturals Stevia as a friend on Facebook OR “Like” NuNaturals on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that – or that you already are.

4. “Like” Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

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

6. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did – or do.

7. Follow @NuNaturals on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

8. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can use this tweet (or your own, just be sure to include via @RawJuiceGirl @NuNaturals) – Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

@NuNaturals @RawJuiceGirl are giving away (SWEET!) prizes to FOUR winners! Enter now!! ( http://healingwithjuices.com/?p=7200 ) U.S. only

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: For tweets, Facebook shares, or Plurk you may share the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet/share 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!)

9. Comment on this post: Sweet Stevia Review: NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend, letting me know your thoughts and/or questions. Come back here and leave a comment so I know you did. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

10. Comment on this recipe post where I made Inside-Out Coconut Peanut Butter Cups using NuNaturals products.  Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

11.Comment on the post where I made Averie’s Raw, Vegan Chia Seed Pudding using NuNaturals Stevia and let me know if you’ve ever tried chia seed pudding, or if you’d like to—or if you love/hate the chia texture. Then come back here and let me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

12. 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 – or that you already are.

13  Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did – or that you are.

14. Subscribe to my brand-new newsletter (sign up here ). Then comment here and let me know you did - or that you already have.

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

16. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did- or do.

17. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

18. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

19. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

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

21. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

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.

Contest Deadline

Contest ends Wednesday, July 7. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Random.org will be used to select the winner, who will be posted the next day.

DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO MY COMPUTER BEING DOWN. ENJOY THE EXTRA TIME!

That gives you TWO WEEKS to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances (FOUR of you!!) of winning this SWEET giveaway!! Go tell all your friends and have FUN!!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

And don’t forget about the SPECIAL BONUS :

• 15% DISCOUNT off of any future web order placed through www.nunaturals.com
• Just enter the code BLG710
• FREE SHIPPING to the Continental 48 U.S. States on all orders totaling a net of $35.00, and over, AFTER this special discount.
• This offer to your contest participants, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ENDS JULY 1, 2010.

Hi, y’all! I’ve been crazy busy on this Amish farm lately but I haven’t forgotten about ya – promise! I do have lots more reviews and giveaways coming in the near future but gardening has kept me on my toes – or shall I say knees?!

Organic gardening isn’t the easiest, in my opinion. Some people may think it is. I don’t know. But without chemicals to kill the bugs, weeds, and grass, it keeps a gardener on their toes concocting natural recipes – plus all the grass- and weed-pulling. Phew!

The funniest thing happened today: I was literally taking out the trash and as I walked was thinking “gosh, I have a crazy craving for chocolate and peanut butter” – and the UPS man backed in to the driveway with a package (I kid you not!!!!) and I thought I’d pass out when I opened it! Inside was a couple of the chocolate-covered peanut butter protein bars and the new Lemon Lime Energy Drink Powder from Amazing Grass.

So… was this fate? Karma? Luck?

Whatever the reason that I had chocolate and peanut butter delivered to me, I am a happy girl! Thank you, Amazing Grass!!!

Of course, you know I had to break right in to one of those bars immediately. It was meant to be! I only ate half, though. Why? Because it’s dense, delish, and filling!

YUM!

About the Company

I love sharing with y’all the real people who are behind the companies whose products I review. Without them, the products I love and review wouldn’t be here. I think it’s the people who make all the difference—whether it’s a big or small company. Why? Because they’re the ones who give the company character, value, and history.

So what’s the Amazing Grass story? And what’s so amazing anyway? Check this out…

From the site:

How we got started….
We started out of our garage (well it was really a dining room table) in August of 2002 in San Francisco, California. We were two guys with a desire to build a ‘grass’ roots business that aligned with our passion for the outdoors and a healthy lifestyle.

We had each spent 7 years at large telecom companies and met 4 years ago at a start-up telecom company that was trying to break the bandwidth bottleneck, but ended up going broke instead. Working in a start up environment, we witnessed first hand the effect 17 hour work days, lack of exercise and poor eating habits had on many of our colleagues. Constantly hearing people say “I’m exhausted”, “I’m sick” and “I need to get in better shape” seemed to be directly related to stress and diet.

Todd noticed that Brandon seemed immune from the common cold and the contagious mid-afternoon yawn. Brandon’s thumb is the furthest shade from green, but luckily his uncle has continued to run the family dehydrating business that his Grandfather started over 50 years ago. Brandon swore the wheat grass he’d been taking gave him more energy, a stronger immune system and an overall healthier life. He gave some to Todd along with a great book by Ron Seibel called Cereal Grass, What’s in it for you. Within weeks, Todd was a big believer…he developed increased energy throughout the day and saw his need for sleep decrease. In fact, Todd has eluded everything including the common cold since taking wheat grass. Brandon had a long list of friends that were hooked on wheat grass and would often call or stop by when they ran out. His freezer was being raided on a daily basis. (We know this sounds like a scene from Cops, but we swear it was just wheat grass.)

With the help of a college marketing class at Cal Poly SLO, their wives, families and friends, Todd and Brandon started Amazing Grass.

It is our passion to educate the world about the benefits of cereal grass, green foods and the improved quality of life from eating healthy. It is our goal to always listen to our customers and constantly improve what we do. We pledge to produce the healthiest products that offer real benefits at prices everyone can afford. It’s an amazing adventure to grow this business to reflect our dreams, passions and beliefs.

Today, Amazing Grass offers the most potent green vegetables in a convenient way that aligns with our hectic lifestyles. We take great pleasure in hearing your stories about how Amazing Grass has changed your life and encourage our new friends to write us with their stories. One timeless phrase will sum up many of our responses…”You are what you eat.” Eat Grass…Get Healthy!!!

RAWsome!

About the Bar

I could go on and on and on about how wonderful this bar is, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear that. How about all the juicy details you really want to know…

From the site:

Our Organic Green SuperFood Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar is a premium blend of organic peanuts and whey protein in a chocolate covered bar that will satisfy your hunger anytime of the day. One caddy contains 12 – 60 gram bars.

• 270 calories
• 14 grams of fat (healthy omegas)
• 12 grams of protein
• 19 grams of sugar
• 28 grams of carbohydrates

We’ve taken our alkalizing Green SuperFood, with antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and combined them in a bar that will satisfy your hunger and deliver nutrients to your body the way Mother Nature intended…unprocessed, organic and delicious.

• Gluten Free
• Fair Trade
• Whey Protein

Ingredient List:

Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Dates, Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Peanuts, Organic Rice Crisps, Amazing Grass Green SuperFood (Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach, Organic Chlorella, Organic Broccoli, Organic Acai, Organic Maca, Organic Carrot, Organic Beet, Raspberry, Organic Rose Hips, Pineapple, Green Tea, Organic Flax Lignans, L. Adidophilus, Alpha and Beta Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Lactase, Cellulase, Organic Peppermint), Natural Flavor, Peanut Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt

Organic Dark Chocolate Coating: Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor
Allergy Information: Contains Peanuts

Pros

I love that it’s jam-packed with greens, nutrition, superfoods, whole foods, antioxidants, probiotics and overall health benefits. The flavor is absolutely AMAZING. I’m serious, y’all. I DO taste the peanut butter. The chocolate is DIVINE. And I really only tasted the teeniest hint of greenness. I am not even joking. These bars ROCK!

Cons

If you’re allergic to peanuts, these bars are out for you. Other than that, I really can’t think of a con here. Well, you might consider them pricey. They do cost $35.99 a case (you get a dozen bars). But price goes down if you buy 3 or more cases. You can also join the Amazing Grass “Grass Heads Club” to save 15% on every order, get free stuff, free shipping, and receive monthly shipments. You can cancel at any time.

Verdict/Grade

This bar definitely gets an A+ from me!

Your Turn

1. Have you tried this bar? Or any of the Amazing Grass bars? Do you love ‘em? Hate ‘em? Would you give ‘em a shot?

2. Do you like the chocolate/peanut butter combo? Or do you totally not get some people’s obsession with it? I’ve always loved it myself. I ate quite a few Reese’s growing up!

Special Discount!

Use the code hwj (represents healing with juices! ) to get yourself a 15% discount on your Amazing Grass order! Woo hoo!!!

Thank you, Aurorae!

Hi, y’all! How are ya?

SO sorry for the delay on posting the winner! I do hope you’ll forgive me.

For one, I’ve been super busy on the farm. Who said Amish livin’ was peaceful and serene? It’s hard work and chaos, I tell ya! Well, I suppose the peace and quiet is thrown in there, too.

Two, there’s been a gazillion things pulling me in a gazillion directions and every time I came to work on this post, I got pulled away. Ack!

Anyway….

I’m excited to announce the winner of the Aurorae Yoga giveaway. I know y’all have been anticipating this day for two weeks so let’s get to business, shall we?!

There were 116 entries. And, as usual, I visited Mr. Random (www.random.org) to find a winner.

I totally wish each and every one of you could have won this prize – but only one takes away this awesome Aurorae Yoga package today…

And who does #103 belong to?

Well, it belongs to Emily of Random Recycling!

Emily@random recycling said:

Just signed up for the newsletter.
Thanks!
Emily
Emily@random recycling´s last blog ..Green Decorating Ideas for Summer Parties

Enjoy yoga-ing, Emily:-D

Didn’t win? Don’t worry! You can still get yourselves the same awesome Aurorae set!

Get an Aurorae Yoga mat HERE!

The Aurorae Yoga Sport Sweat Towel HERE!

And/or the Aurorae Yoga Slip-Free Rosin Bag HERE!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Look for ANOTHER Aurorae Yoga review and giveaway in the future! And a VERY, VERY special thank you to the fine folks at Aurorae Yoga who made this AWESOME giveaway possible!!!!

And….

Congrats, Emily! You’ll hear from me soon!!!

Gosh, I can’t believe I haven’t posted since Monday – the Meatless Monday post. Wow.

What have y’all been up to all week? Me? I’ve been doing outside chores, gardening, and have been super-duper busy. Phew! What a week, I tell ya!

So I thought I’d share some photos of my (organic) gardening efforts. A lot of things are coming along really well (like the featured plants in this post) but other stuff – not so much. The yellow squash, cucumbers, green beans, and some other veggie plants either got washed away from the ridiculous amount of rain we had, the seeds didn’t germinate because it was too cold, or they molded from all the rain.

That really is aggravating because the seeds were heirloom, organic quality and plus, there was that tidbit of actually planting them. But what’s a gardener to do in this crazy weather?!

Yes, a greenhouse would be fantabulous, and we’re actually planning to convert one of the outer buildings in to one – but that time is not here yet.

Needless to say, I’m ready for Mother Earth to stop crying buckets and put on her sunny smile already and keep it on! LOL

Is it sunny and beautiful in your neck of the woods? I’ve finally been getting some sunshine recently and I’m tickled pink… All that rain was really, really getting old.

On the bright side, the stuff that is growing is growing pretty well ‘cause of all that rain I’m complaining about!  

Asian Lilies

Lilac Bush

Peonies

Petunia

Purple Clematis

Roses

Snapdragons

And it’s been super-duper difficult to maintain the garden with all the chilly, rainy weather we’ve had. Ack!

Radishes

And after the earth dried up a little…

May or may not do a little – or a LOT – of nibbling as I garden!

And they taste JUST like the ones from my grandma’s garden when I was a little girl!!!! Woo hoo!!!

Potato Bloom & Plant

And remember when I first showed you those grapes on the fence?

Here’s a mid-way progress update…

And they’re even fuller now!!

With growing grapes!

Strawberries

Blackberries

Blueberries (my all-time favorite)!!!!

And zucchini…

…for that spiralized pasta!!!

Of course, there’s more: sweet taters, different tomato varieties, bushes, trees, flowers, etc.,  but this post is already long enough – have to save some for another day!

Burning questions I have for you – talk to me people! hehe

1. What’s your favorite fruit or veggie? My favorite fruit is blueberries – especially frozen! – and my favorite veggie? It’s hard to decide! I’d say I’m torn between spinach, chard, kale, brussel sprouts – well, greens! LOL

2. Do you have a garden? Do you grow naturally/organically – or do you not mind killing weeds and grass with chemicals?

3. Do you spend a lot of time outside during pretty weather? Are you an indoor or outdoor person?

4. What’s your favorite outdoor activity? I guess mine is actually riding my bike – which I never do anymore!

5. Have you entered my Aurorae Yoga-sponsored giveaway? Why not? Winner receives a high-quality yoga mat (your choice of color!), a Yoga Sport Sweat Towel, and a Slip-Free Rosin Bag! Go, get yourselves entered!

Hope your weekend was RAWsome! Here we are – another Meatless Monday.

Just for the record, I didn’t start participating in Meatless Monday because I eat meat six days a week. I eat a high-raw (mostly) vegan/vegetarian diet – except for occasional honey, Greek yogurt, eggs, or a teeny bit of fish.

I thought it would be nice to show those of you who DO eat quite a bit of meat – especially if you eat it daily – that you can absolutely dedicate one day each week to being meatless. And that it doesn’t have to be tasteless or boring or all about just lettuce.

And I hope those of you who eat like me already enjoy the posts and maybe even pick up some new ideas along the way.

Anyway…

It really blesses my soul that you’re loving my recipe creations!

Here’s some of the most recent ones, in case you’ve missed ‘em:

• Rainbow Grass
• Black Smoothie
• Raw Rainbow Wraps

Here’s a sneak peek of what today’s post is about….

But before I get in to that, let’s talk about my last post.

Wow. Y’all really loved my Spiralized Apple Pasta with Nutty Sauce. Thanks for all your lovely comments, and for letting me know whether or not you have a spiralizer, if you want one, and what you’ve spiralized. I enjoyed the conversation!

I made Ani Phyo’s Sun Burgers a while back. This was before I got her book. I found the recipe on her blog (here <—was going to link to it but now I can’t find it???) but if you decide to buy the book, it’s on pages 194 –195. And it’s become one of my favorite raw recipe books: Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes.

And since I found it on the web, I printed it out and clipped it up on the chain that goes to the light above the kitchen table, with clothes pins (hehe). Guess that’s the country in me.

Sunflower Seeds

Chopped Celery

Bell Pepper

Flax (I sell high-quality flax in my Raw Shop!)

Scored to make 4 patties (like Rachael Ray does it!)

I actually tasted the mixture before putting it in to the dehydrator and thought it needed to be kicked up a notch. So, I added some organic Mexican Seasoning I had on hand and that did the trick for me!

In the Dehydrator (Also in my Raw Shop!) 

After this, I decided to pop ‘em back in the dehydrator for a bit to get it a little more browned, ‘cause that’s how I like my veggie burgers. And I ate it without bread, with sliced tomato, ‘cause I’m like that.

And what’s the eco-friendly twist?

You can whip up some raw veggie burgers for yourself and use the super-cool Easy Lunch Box System for fun, easy – and green! – transporting. Take it to work, school, a picnic, or on a trip. I really love mine!

You can read my (in-depth) review HERE.

Have you ever made homemade veggie burgers? Did you dehydrate ‘em, fry ‘em, or bake ‘em? Do you have a dehydrator? What’s your favorite veggie(s) to add to veggie burgers? Do you stick with store-bought ones? Which do you prefer: store-bought  or homemade veggie burgers? Me: homemade all the way!

And…

Have you entered my Aurorae Yoga-sponsored giveaway?

How are you? Fantabulous, I hope!

I’m so excited that you’re lovin’ my most recent recipes:

• Rainbow Grass
• Black Smoothie
• Raw Rainbow Wraps

And if you’re a regular reader, you might remember a while back when I posted my Spiralized Veggie S’ghetti Recipe.

In that post, I mentioned I had spiralized my dessert as well: an apple, which I topped with a yummy sauce I threw together at the last minute.

You may have never thought of spiralizing your dessert but there’s a first time for everything, right?!

On to the juicy details…

Spiralized Apple Pasta with Nutty Sauce

This was a very fun dessert. It’s delicious, nutritious, fun to eat – and very easy to whip up!

Recipe follows, but as for the process….

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves…

And now for the (apple) sauce…

Hungry yet?

Spiralized Apple Pasta with Nutty Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, washed
• peanut butter (or your nut butter of choice) – I’m a crunchy kind of gal.
• drizzle of honey (or other sweetener)
• splash of almond milk (or your milk of choice)
• cinnamon (and/or any other spice of your choice)

Directions:

1. Spiralize your apple.
2. Combine nut butter, sweetener, milk, and cinnamon (you choose the amounts, depending on your taste preferences).
3. Stir until mixed well.
4. You can heat your mixture or serve as-is.
5. Plop it on top of your spiralized apple – and enjoy!

Note:

I tend to like things on the thicker side (oatmeal, smoothies, etc.) so I made my “apple sauce” thick. But I can totally see a runny version of this nutty sauce being yumilious, too!

Your Turn

1. Do you love nut butter smeared on apples or other fruit?

2. Have you ever spiralized an apple? Or anything at all?

3. Would you like to own a spiral vegetable slicer? If so, be watching for my review – plus a giveaway!

Did you catch my Spiralized Veggie S’ghetti Recipe?

Have you entered my Aurorae Yoga-sponsored giveaway?

Thank you, Aurorae!

And to all my readers:

If you’re just getting a chance to stop by, please feel free to catch up on my reviews of Aurorae Yoga.

1. Aurorae Yoga Mat Review

2. Aurorae Yoga Sport Sweat Towel Review

3. Aurorae Yoga Slip-Free Rosin Bag Review

Caught up yet? Good!

And I’m sure you’re anticipating…

What You’ll Win

Aurorae Yoga will be awarding one winner with a 3-piece yoga set!

Yoga Mat (of your choice) + Sport Sweat Towel + Rosin Bag

To enter this contest, there’s only…

ONE Required Entry!!

Click HERE to sign up for Aurorae Yoga’s Newsletter – AND come back and leave a comment letting me know that you did. That’s it – easy peasy! 

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!

OVER 20 ways total to enter this contest!!

2. For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES, share this contest on your blog, linking back to this post. Leave FIVE SEPARATE COMMENTS to let me know you did. (Yep, you’ll really leave FIVE different comments for this so you’ll be able to get five extra entries. )

3. “Like” Aurorae Yoga on Facebook. Then, come back here and leave a comment to let me know you did that – or that you already are.

4. “Like” Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

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

6. Do you use Twitter? Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment on this post, saying you did – or do.

7. Follow @AuroraeYoga on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post that you did that.

8. Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can use this tweet (or your own, just be sure to include via @RawJuiceGirl @AuroraeYoga) – Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.

Win a 3-piece #yoga set! Enter now!! ( http://tinyurl.com/26duylv ) @AuroraeYoga @RawJuiceGirl

FOR EVEN MORE ENTRIES: For tweets, Facebook shares, or Plurk you may share the contest up to 5 times a day, but each tweet/share 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!)

9. Comment on my Aurorae Yoga Mat Review, letting me know your thoughts, questions, and/or which color mat you’d choose – and why. Come back here and leave a comment so I know you did. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

10. Comment on my Aurorae Yoga Sport Towel Review.  Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

11.Comment on my Aurorae Yoga Slip-Free Rosin Bag Review and let me know if you’ve ever tried a rosin bag, or if you’d like to. Then come back here and let me know you did that. If you’ve already commented on that post, just comment here letting me know you already have a comment there.

12. 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 – or that you already are.

13  Subscribe to Healing with (Raw) Juices via RSS (sign up here). Then leave a comment telling me you did – or that you are.

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

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

16. Add me as a friend on Wellsphere . Leave a comment saying that you did- or do.

17. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

18. Add me as a friend on Give it to Me Raw. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

19. Subscribe to Raw Juice Girl’s YouTube channel. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you are.

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

21. Do you have a Digg account? Digg this post. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

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.

Contest Deadline

Contest ends Wednesday, June 2. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Random.org will be used to select the winner, who will be posted the next day.

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 this 3-piece Aurorae Yoga Set!! Go tell all your friends and have FUN!!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Thank you, Aurorae!

And…. Hello, fantabulous friends!

How’s your week going so far? Did you have an awesome day yesterday? What about today? Have you had a smoothie? Were you brave enough to try my black smoothie?

And I’m tickled pink (hehe) that y’all are so excited about my garden-inspired Meatless Monday recipe: Raw Rainbow Wraps. Those are definitely friendly for a yogi lifestyle, don’t ya think?

Speaking of yogi lifestyle, do you use a slip-free rosin bag as a part of your yoga practice? If so, have you tried Aurorae’s? And if not, would you?

I was pretty excited when I received mine. Of course, I’ve found quite a few yogis seem to think that “extras” aren’t always necessary (like blocks, etc.) but hey, if they enhance your practice and/or motivate you to get yoga-ing, why not use ‘em?!

In this photo, you can see Aurorae’s Slip-Free Rosin Bag fits in the palm of your hand. It isn’t huge and doesn’t take much space. It’s the perfect size to toss in the pocket of your yoga bag – or even your purse! Well, for that matter, I suppose you could even put it in your pocket if you were in a rush or just prefer that method.

Before I get busy telling you all the juicy details about this magical little bag, let me refresh your memory…

Remember my in-depth review of the beautiful, inspiring, pink (my favorite color EVER!!!) yoga mat?

You can read it HERE, if you missed it.

And did you see my thoughts on Aurorae’s Yoga Sport Sweat Towel?

Read all about that HERE.

Now, on to my thoughts regarding the Slip-Free Rosin Bag….

About Aurorae’s Slip-Free Rosin Bag

If you’re a natural sweater and find yourself slipping on your yoga mat – whether or not you’re in a hot yoga class – you might be in need of Aurorae’s Slip-Free Rosin Bag.

Why?

Well, this little creation can indeed be the answer to no more slipping and sliding on your yoga mat. Who wants to be interrupted when you’re in that still, calm yoga moment?! Yoga poses are meant to be enjoyed, savored – not cut short by sweaty palms or feet!

And Aurorae knows just that:

Product Description (from the site):

Aurorae Yoga Rosin Bag has been developed to aid in the prevention of slipping on your Yoga mat. Similar to gymnasts, tennis players and baseball pitchers, perspiration creates slipping problems when a firm grip is necessary to maximize their performance. Our Aurorae Yoga Rosin Bag increases your gripping power and absorbs perspiration with the slight touch of the bag. The Rosin should be applied to both your hands and feet before your practice and added as needed during your practice. Please make sure to store your Yoga Rosin Bag in the Zip lock bag it comes with to increase its life. We at Aurorae are always looking for simple and cost effective ways to help you improve, as well as enjoy your practice. Remember "It’s Your Yoga". Relax, Enjoy and Namaste.

Ah….

I can relax and enjoy, can’t you?

Pros

As I mentioned above, this rosin bag helps create a dry, enjoyable experience for you and your yoga mat (well, your hands, feet, and mat anyway!)

Here’s a little more information…

Product Features (from the site):

• Innovative new technology to prevent slipping
• Increases Gripping Power
• Product exclusive to Aurorae
• Absorbs Perspiration
• No Odor, Non Sticky
• Made in the U.S.A.

Did you read that? You don’t have to be bothered with any type of smell – this rosin bag doesn’t have any type of odor.

And for just $6.95, what do you have to lose?

I had to squish it and smear it on my hands to get a feel for it…

Can you see it?

And it works! How cool is that?!

Cons

I genuinely try really hard to find something that some of you may consider a con – but I simply can’t think of anything here. I always try to consider low budgets when I write reviews (I’m a VERY frugal gal myself!) – but this bag merely costs a few dollars.

Verdict/Grade

Aurorae Yoga’s Slip-Free Rosin Bag gets an A+ from Raw Juice Girl!

Great job, Aurorae!

Have you ever tried a slip-free rosin bag? What did you think? Do you love it? Enjoy it? Look forward to using it?

And… the Surprise?!

How would you like to own an Aurorae Yoga set? That’s right! Look for the next post, because I’m launching an Aurorae Yoga Giveaway! Winner will get to choose whichever mat they want PLUS you’ll receive the same Aurorae Yoga Sport Sweat Towel and Slip-Free Rosin Bag that I’ve reviewed.

Ready?

Off to get that giveaway post ready. Woo hoo!!

Hope you had a fantabulous and blessed weekend!

I’m thrilled you’re so excited about my Black Grass Smoothie Concoction. Can’t wait to find out how you like it!

And now for the Meatless Monday theme…

Why Meatless Monday?

I’ve been mostly meatless for the past several years (everything from 100% raw and not eating meat at all, to high-raw and having a little salmon, tuna, or small amount of local bison), but I’ve never joined in on the “Meatless Monday” movement. No time like the present, eh?!

Besides, I’ve been really enjoying Recycle Your Day’s Meatless Monday posts for a while now. I’m going to do my best to participate each Monday!

At first, I thought I’d have to skip my first Monday because everything I thought of was either a) boring or b) something I’ve already posted about – such as:

• Tuna Fish-Less Salad
• Chicken-Less Salad
• Spiralized Veggie S’ghetti

I know a lot of you have heard read me singing the praises of my latest favorite drink (Rainbow Grass) a LOT lately, right? If not, you can check out my post about it (and nab the free recipe here).

Check out the benefits of chard!

“If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be one of the vegetable valedictorians. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "excellents" to ensure its place at the head of the vegetable Dean’s List. Our rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.” – WH Foods

So, I’ve been drinking the Rainbow Chard – but I haven’t been eating it. Of course, I’ve eaten it before (a lot) but I’ve been consuming it via jar – and my fave, eco-friendly, glass straws – so far this year. Best thing? It’s growing in my garden! Fresh, raw, heirloom, organic rainbow chard. YUM!

And as I pondered how I’d wow y’all with a fantabulous Meatless Monday recipe, it happened: I was struck with the inspiration for…

Raw Rainbow Wraps

Tuna Fish-Less Salad plopped in to a chard leaf

Rolled Up & Ready to Eat!

Wanna bite?

Raw Rainbow Wraps Recipe

Ingredients:

• Rainbow Chard leaves (freshly washed)
• Tuna Fish-Less Salad

Directions:

1. Fill rainbow chard leaves with Tuna Fish-Less Salad.
2. Wrap and roll like a tortilla.
3. Enjoy!

Note:

I added a tad bit more water to this batch of Tuna Fish-Less Salad than I did when I posted about it before. It would have been easy to fix that (just add a little more ground flax and/or sunflower seeds) but I decided I liked this consistency a lot and it was great for oozing in to the crevices of the chard leaves. Yum!

You could also fill these beauties with any of the following yumilicious creations…

Jalapeno Hummus

(Click HERE for free recipe.)

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

(Click HERE for free recipe.)

Chicken-Less Salad

(Click HERE for free recipe.)

Meatless Monday Questions:

1. For those of you who aren’t vegan or vegetarian: Do you like to sometimes have meatless meals – or even entire days?

2. And for those of you who ARE vegan or vegetarian: What’s your favorite meat(less) inspired meal?

3. Do you participate in Meatless Monday? Do you allow yourself to eat a little meat (if it’s clean/local/organic, etc.) or do you just eat meat like you always have and don’t really think about it?

4. Would you try any of these recipes? And what do you think about the Rainbow Chard Wraps? These are yummy, quick and easy to make, and fun to eat! Are you inspired to try them? Have you ever tasted rainbow chard? What do you think about the benefits of chard, listed above?

5. Have you ever eaten raw rainbow chard? Did you like it or hate it?

Chime in… I just love your juicy comments!

References:

WH Foods: Swiss Chard

Sorry to make ya wait so long today for this recipe. I tweeted about drinking a black smoothie this morning and a lot of you were really intrigued. Thanks for the interest! I hope it lives up to your expectations.

I’m a HUGE fan of blackstrap molasses (did you guess that as one of the “black” ingredients??)! Not everyone likes blackstrap molasses – or has even tried it – but if you love black licorice, I just know you’ll love blackstrap molasses! It reminds me of black licorice for some reason. I especially notice a distinct black licorice flavor when I add two tablespoons to water – or to my smoothies.

Believe it or not, I’m actually NOT a fan of blackberries (the other black ingredient). I always choose a different berry (blueberries are my all-time favorite!) but this recipe (title and all) popped in to my head – and I just had to try it!

The main reason I don’t care for blackberries (not even cobbler!) is because of the little seeds that get in my teeth. It’s annoying, I think.

I should’ve blended a few more minutes because I did have some seed action happening in my smoothie – that’ was my fault, though.

Lovin’ my Simple Elegance GlassDharma straw!

And I’m really sad that my photos don’t do my black smoothie justice. For one, it was a dark, rainy day and two, I don’t have a fancy shmancy camera – or photography skills! LOL So please forgive me and I hope you can tell just how dark the smoothie is….

Remember my Blueberry Blackstrap Bomb? I thought some of y’all might guess blackstrap molasses as one of the ingredients for this one – but you didn’t!

It. Was. Delish!

But it wasn’t today’s Black Smoothie!

I still plan on writing an in-depth post on blackstrap molasses, it’s health benefits, and why I drink it all the time. But here’s a snippet of information for you:

“Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of manganese and copper. It is a very good source of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. In addition, blackstrap molasses is a good source of vitamin B6 and selenium.” – WH Foods

And this tidbit of information might give you the boost you need to gobble up some blackberries….

“Blackberries are notable for their high nutritional contents of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid – a B vitamin, and the essential mineral, manganese.

Blackberries rank highly among fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of polyphenolic compounds, such as ellagic acid, tannins, ellagitannins, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins and cyanidins.

Blackberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of 5347 per 100 grams, including them among the top-ranked ORAC fruits. Another report using a different assay for assessing antioxidant strength placed blackberry at the top of more than 1000 antioxidant foods consumed in the United States.” – Wikipedia

Black Grass Smoothie Recipe

(Serves one)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass wheat grass
• 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 1 cup frozen blackberries

Directions:

Toss above ingredients in to your blender and blend ‘em up until you have a rich, smooth consistency. Enjoy!

 

Note:

If you love black licorice, this is the smoothie for you!

Hated it!

I LOVE the Simple Elegance (aka Shorty) glass straw for my smoothies in these short glass jars – perfect combo! And they’re available in package deals in my Raw Shop!

Oh. My. Gosh. My black smoothie was SO good and I’m SO glad I followed my crazy brainstorm and made it! It was rich and creamy and smooth and delicious – AND it was also energizing and very fun to drink!

What about you: Do you love blackstrap molasses? Hate it? Ever tried it? Does it remind you of black licorice? What about blackberries? Do you love ‘em or hate ‘em? And do you try new smoothie (or other) recipes? Or do you stick to your old, tried-and-true concoctions? Do you like black licorice? Did you eat it as a kid? I did – and have always loved it!

Did you miss my review of Aurorae’s Yoga Sport Sweat Towel? You can read it HERE.

References:

Wikipedia: Blackberry

WH Foods: Blackstrap Molasses