Articles with the raw Tag

“…diabetes is a pandemic situation with over 246 million people suffering worldwide.”

I used to be on of them!

Hi, y’all!

Hope your December is going well. You aren’t stressed, are you? Remember, take time to slow down, breathe, have a cup of hot tea or a smoothie – or even just meditate for a few short minutes.

Our health is precious. Life is short enough as it is. We simply MUST make the most of it!

If you have time, I’d like you to take the time today to check out the 50% off savings that will make a huge impact on your health.

With a new year upon us, there’s never a better time like the present to dedicate ourselves to living healthier, more fuller lives!

Raw foods, juices, and smoothies have literally been lifesavers for me. And that’s why I can wholeheartedly promote the Raw for Thirty DVDs.

When I watched this set of films, I was in awe.

I mean, I saw myself in those people who were obese, discouraged, battling such illness.

I couldn’t believe it. If I would have had something like that to watch and learn from and be inspired by when I was going through those things, I’d have jumped at it!

Take this chance to check out the raw foods films I’m tell you about. It’s worth your time.

If you’ve been trying to decide on gifts to buy, these films would make RAWsome presents for those you love.

Me at over 300 pounds!

Me recently, around 165 pounds!

The way we change and grow is by educating ourselves and being inspired and then turning around and encouraging and inspiring others.

Do this for yourself. Do it for those you love.

Time is precious but so is your life and health. Give yourself and those you love the gift of life and health. Invest in these films. Buy several. At 50% off, you can’t go wrong!

Enjoy the savings! I love you all!

And, if you’re still not convinced… the following information and statistics should help.

What do the actor Woody Harrelson, Rev. Michael Beckwith from “The Secret,” Morgan Spurlock from “Super Size Me,” Dr. Gabriel Cousens and raw food guru David Wolfe all have in common?

They’re all featured in a powerful documentary film the will forever change the way you think about your health (just watching the trailer will leave you stunned).

If you haven’t yet seen this film there’s something really special going on this week that I think you should check out.

You can see the trailer for the film and see what’s going on here:

http://www.rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?Clk=4559246

Whether you’re in perfect health or suffering with an illness like diabetes or any other health issue I highly recommend you watch this film.

It’s a powerful, emotional and educational film that is a must see for anyone who cares about their health.

The films shows how important the food we eat is and how all it takes is 30 days to make a huge life altering shift in your health.

And for 5 days only the producers of the film are giving away this film entitled “Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days” and its companion “Raw for Life” 2 disc DVD set for 50% OFF the regular price…

All in an effort to raise awareness and raise funds for a ballot initiative to have all GMO (Genetically Modified Foods) labeled in California.

Why is it so important to get this passed in California?

Because it will set a precedent for the rest of the country to label GMO foods (something that much of the rest of the world is already doing).

Currently GMO foods are NOT labeled in the United States (or Canada)…even though they are labeled and even banned in many parts of the world.

http://www.rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?Clk=4559246

But back to the film itself and how it will impact YOU…

If you are dealing with any health challenge, or you want to get into the best shape of your life, or you just want to feel vibrant with energy and have glowing skin…

Then you need to check out the trailer for this film and pick up a copy for yourself. 

http://www.rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?Clk=4559246

The producers of the film (Alex and Nick Ortner – also known for their film “The Tapping Solution”) are also giving away a laundry list of amazing bonuses when you pick up a copy before this Friday.

So take a minute to watch the trailer for this amazing film by visiting the site below.

And remember, diabetes is a pandemic situation with over 246 million people suffering worldwide. If you or anyone you know is dealing with diabetes make sure that they watch this film. It just may save their life…

Hugs,

Michele Miller

aka Raw Juice Girl

P.S. – The 50% OFF is a ridiculously low price for the film.  With the bonuses they’ve added on it’s almost a no brainer.

It shows how passionate they are about getting this information out to the public. Make sure to check it out:

http://www.rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?Clk=4559246

FTC Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post. This is a promotion. I was not paid to write this. I will receive small commissions from the sales.

Happy Monday, y’all!

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

Hi, y’all!

For those of you who celebrated, I hope you had a blessed Easter holiday – I most certainly did!

Remember a while back, when I shared the news with you about my new partnership with OpenSky? No? Okay, here’s an excerpt from that post:

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!

I am super excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with OpenSky to host a giveaway! Details are at the end of this post, but don’t skip the middle; there’s some good stuff – including a free recipe for my latest raw, vegan smoothie concoction: The Cabbage Patch! It’s smooth, clean, and delish. Perfect for a warm Spring day!

I will share the prize with you, though: a 12-speed Oster Blender! Eeeek! If you love smoothies, raw chocolate pudding, banana soft serve, raw crackers, raw nut milks, etc., you’ll love the Oster Blender. Why Oster? Well, my Oster Blender (which happens to be 10-speed) was a gift from one of my favorite people in the whole world – one of my aunts. She passed her (very) gently used blender on to me when she found out mine had burnt up. I was elated! Seriously, I was in smoothie withdrawal!

12-Speed Oster Blender

At first, I thought the Oster Blender might not be a very good one. Honestly, I had my doubts regarding its ability to whip up thick, creamy smoothies – or whatever else I concocted.

I was wrong to doubt!

My Oster Blender does a fantabulous job of chomping ice until it’s smooth and blending ingredients beautifully. I’ve yet to be disappointed – and I use it a lot.  It’s super easy to clean, fun to use, and I highly recommend it – especially if you love smoothies and raw creations as much as I do!

Some things I’ve made in my Oster include:

Raw Flax Crackers

Chocolate-Banana Avocado Pudding

Pearadise Smoothie 

Chocolate-Covered (Tart) Cherry Smoothie

Happy Hemp Smoothie

Raw Cashew Milk (!!!)

Voila: Raw Cashew Milk

What’d I do with my fresh cashew milk? Make a smoothie, of course!

Banana + cabbage, anyone?

Enter: The Cabbage Patch

See the hint of green color??

Cabbage Patch Smoothie

Cabbage Patch Smoothie Recipe

Serves one

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashew milk (1/2 cup cashews + 1 cup water, blended – and not strained)

1 cup cabbage, chopped

1 banana, frozen chunks

4 ice cubes

 

Directions:

Add ingredients to your blender and process until well blended. Enjoy!

 

Note:

My cashew milk was freshly made so it wasn’t cold enough for my preferences. Although the frozen banana did cool off the smoothie, I felt it needed to be colder, so I added the ice cubes.

 

OpenSky Oster Blender Giveaway Rules!!

This giveaway is different than any I’ve ever hosted – and I’m SO excited!!! You don’t have to leave a gazillion comments or flood social media to qualify for this contest (although I won’t complain if you do! )

There’s only one required entry. It’s super easy to enter and you’ll be on your way. When you enter, you’ll automatically receive a….

10% discount coupon code!!

The coupon code can be used for anything in my shop – but remember to use it quickly as it EXPIRES FRIDAY!!!

ONE winner will be selected randomly within 48 hours and notified (via email) immediately. You can enter for your 10% coupon code until Wednesday, April 14th.

CLICK HERE for a chance to win your own 12-Speed Oster Blender (valued at $35!!!) and get your 10% discount coupon. Have fun!

And look at the fancy schmancy page OpenSky created for us!!!

Don’t forget to have a look around my OpenSky shop once you’re entered. New products are in the works, so check back often to see if your favorite product has been added. If you don’t see it, let me know and I’ll work with OpenSky to try and get it for you!

And a HUGE thank you to OpenSky + Oster for this RAWsome opportunity!!!!

Do you have an Oster Blender? What do you use it most for? Smoothies? Banana soft serve? Chocolate-avocado pudding? Have you ever used cabbage in your smoothie? Did you like it? I love it myself. Of course, I love cabbage (raw or cooked) – and it’s so good for us! Now, go get yourself entered for that FREE Oster Blender!!!

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 winner!! I used Random.org like always, to select a winner. Mr. Random chose comment #158…

Who is the lucky author of comment #158, you ask??? Why, that’d be Amanda!

Amanda said:

 

I stumbled the site. http://bit.ly/bgnP8n

I just need you to email me with your mailing address so Tropical Traditions can get your package out to you right away.

Congrats, Amanda!!!!

Remember the review I recently wrote about Tropical Traditions Certified Organic, Raw, Wild Honey? Well, the very generous folks at Tropical Traditions have decided to allow one of you, my fantabulous readers, to win your very own 17.6 ounce jar! Eeeek!

In case you’re just tuning in, or missed that post, here’s a recap of the recipes I created with this superb honey:

Chocolate Banana Avocado Pudding

(See full recipe with instructions and photos here .)

Happy Hemp Honey Holes

(See full recipe with instructions and photos here.)

Coconut PB Honey Overnight Oats

(See full recipe with instructions and photos here.)

Inside-Out Coconut Peanut Butter Cups

(See full recipe with instructions and photos here .)

And my recipe was also published on the Tropical Traditions website!!! <— I’m really excited about that, and very proud.

Search for tons of awesome recipes by clicking the banner:

Please read the contest rules before entering. Comments are moderated so you won’t see your entries right away. Thanks!

Contest Rules

This contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents only – sorry International readers!

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.

There are 20 ways to enter this contest!!

** 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!

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.

3. 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. )

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

5. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post saying you did -or that you already are.

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

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

8. Follow @TropTraditions 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. Use this tweet:

@RawJuiceGirl is giving away #raw #wild #honey from @TropTraditions Enter now: http://goo.gl/fb/XpMG

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

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!)

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 – or that you already are.

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

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

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- or do. 15. Add me as a friend on RawFu. Leave a comment saying that you did- or that you area.

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

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

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. Come back and leave a comment on this post with a link to your Digg post.

20. Visit Tropical Traditions blog. Come back here and leave a comment sharing which of their newest products you’d most like to try.

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.

Deadline

Contest ends Wednesday, March 31. I’ll accept comments until midnight. (Central Time). Winner will be posted Thursday, April 1.

That gives you THREE WEEKS to get your entries in. Hurry and spread the word. The more entries you have, the higher your chances of winning a delicious jar of Tropical Traditions Certified Organic, Raw, Wild, Unprocessed Honey!!!

Let the contest begin!!!

Can’t wait?

Check out the 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.

“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)

Hi, y’all!

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Lisa Ann Turkel and my review of ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey mask! The contest was fun, but it had to end sooner or later.

Mr. Random (random.org ) chose the winner. He says comment #11 won…

And… comment #11 says

Upcoming Posts

Yoga + Warm Lemon Water = a (Very) Happy Raw Juice Girl

Plus, more contests, reviews, and YouTube videos!

Remember that beautiful pink package from ShimmerOrganics? And the interview with Lisa Ann Turkel, owner of that RAWsome, organic, eco-friendly beauty company?

You know… the one that made me look like this:

Well….

She’s given me the RAWsome opportunity to HOST A GIVEAWAY for ShimmerOrganics!

Thank you, Lisa!!!

Winner receives the 4.5 ounce Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask (the biggest container) – a $36.00 value!

There are FIFTEEN ways to enter the ShimmerOrganics contest (US residents only):

#1 is mandatory – the others are optional. But the more entries you get in, the greater your chances are of winning!

1. Leave a comment sharing  why you absolutely MUST try the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask.
2. Become a fan of ShimmerOrganics on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did.
3. Become a fan of Raw Juice Girl on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did.
4. Add ShimmerOrganics to your Hot List on Artfire. Leave a comment saying you did.
5. Do you use Twitter? Tweet about this contest and then leave a comment with your Twitter name. You can swipe this tweet: RT @RawJuiceGirl is giving away a 4.5 ounce container of #raw #pure #ecofriendly ShimmerOrganics clay mask! ( http://tinyurl.com/y8uhde7 )  Then, leave a comment that you did – with your Twitter name or status link.
6. Do you Plurk? Plurk about this contest and leave a comment with your Plurk URL.
7. 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.
8. Follow @RawJuiceGirl on Twitter. Comment, saying you did.
9. Are you a Stumbler? Stumble and review any post you want to–just leave the link to your SU review in (its own) comment.
10. 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.
11. Leave a comment on the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask review post . Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did that.
12. Leave a comment on the package arrival post and let me know what you like about (or recommend for) the packaging. Come back and let me know you did, with a comment on this post.
13. Leave a comment on my interview post with ShimmerOrganics owner, Lisa Ann Turkel. Leave a comment here saying that you did.
14. 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.
15. Follow me or friend Lisa Ann Turkel (or 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. (Don’t just say “thanks for the contest” or something like that–I do not publish those type of comments because they seem like spam and aren’t fair to the other contestants who leave a thoughtful, genuine answer.) Thanks!

This contest is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY (sorry, international readers!!) – 0h, and I’ll be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Contest ends Wednesday, January 20th. 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!!!

Let the contest begin!!!!

Disclaimer: The ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask was sent to me to review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not paid to write this review.

Remember that beautiful pink package from ShimmerOrganics? And the interview with Lisa Ann Turkel, owner of that RAWsome, organic  beauty company?

Wow. Have I been itching to share this review with y’all!

It’s pretty cold here in Missouri so the woodstove is already working overtime to keep the chill knocked out of this Amish house. Wood is a wonderful, warming, cozy heating source but it also dries out my skin -  big time.

Take a look for yourself.

(Note: I took the photos outside because the lighting in an Amish house isn’t the best. )

Before ShimmerOrganics Mask

Note the dark circles under my eyes (that’s from having a gazillion freelance projects going on at once AND living on an Amish farm without a finished kitchen or bathroom). And see the lines that have crept up (Ack! Tell me it isn’t so!!)

Tip: I don’t have those lines when I’m living a 100% raw food lifestyle, or close to it. I’ve let too many non-raw foods slip into my mouth. So I get reminded of that by age creeping up on my face. Blech.

I’m feelin’ really, really ugly in these pics, y’all. Just a wee bit embarrassed, I am! But I wanted authentic before and after photos so you could compare and see for yourself the genuine results of the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask.

As you can see, I’m needin’ some revitalizing! It’s okay if you agree. I’ll still love ya!

Of course, it wouldn’t be any fun if I didn’t show you the actual mask while it was on my tired face. Right? Right!

Deep breath…

ShimmerOrganics Mask at work

According to Lisa’s directions, I needed to wash my face, apply the mask, and: “Leave mask on for 15-20 minutes for Sensitive and Dry skin, 20-25 minutes for Normal skin, and 25-30 minutes for Oily skin.”

Key Ingredients
* Pure Clay Minerals
* Raw and Organic  Aloe Vera
* Raw and Organic Antioxidant Rich Oils
* Raw and Organic Honey
* Organic Blend of Essential Oils

When I put this mask on, something magical happened: I felt like I had pulled into “Rejuvenation Station!” I’m serious, folks.

I love how this mask made my face tingle and feel so fresh. I could tell the ingredients were hard at work, cleansing and revitalizing my skin!

But something more happened… I literally felt all tingly and refreshed all over, from head to toe. It’s like the ingredients entered my body through my skin and had a huge party while they were inside.

Before Digging In

After Digging In

(Notice the wagon wheel in the background – Amish living at its finest! )

After One Use

Before & After

View Full Album

And I’m not the type of gal who splurges on “special treatments.” I’m not a tomboy. Don’t get me wrong… Believe me, I hate getting my hands dirty! But I’m not a woman who pampers herself with facials, spa treatments, or beauty products. This was such a treat for me!

My face feels softer, and I feel so refreshed. It’s a sense of renewal I’ve been missing since I haven’t been practicing yoga or doing anything else to make myself feel better.

ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask is a “something for me” gift I’ve been missing out on!

After Second Use

(Just two uses, people – two uses!!!!)

Before, After 1st Use, After 2nd Use

Pros

This mask is raw and organic. It’s an eco-friendly solution to your skin health. Not only is it safe for our precious environment, it’s safe for you – and that’s priceless!

Also, something I not only noticed myself (but have been told more than once), is that the lines are less noticeable and that my skin looks more hydrated and healthy.

According to Lisa:

“Using a thin layer under and on the outer corners of your eyes reduces puffiness, dark circles and lines. It’s also great as an overnight spot treatment, or anytime spot treatment to heal blemishes.”

I’d say that’s a plus, wouldn’t you?!

Lisa takes special care to select her ingredients:

“I choose manufacturers who are Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade guarantees fair wages for farm workers and farmers, fair labor conditions, provides environmental stability and offers farmers and farm workers autonomy is choosing how they invest their money. Fair Trade ensures proper nutrition, suitable shelter, sufficient clothing and essential education. Fair Trade enables community development, protects the health of farmers and farm workers and protects our precious environment for future generations.

All ingredients are from manufacturers whom I have chosen for their commitment to protecting animals and our environment and who are dedicated to creating superior quality products. I have hand selected every ingredient for its healing and restorative properties. There are no synthetic chemicals, synthetic colors, or synthetic fragrances added.”

And who doesn’t love a business who cares deeply about their customers?

“We are all connected in this world. I feel that it’s very important to be there for others and to help others. I love to hear from customers who tell me how youthful, beautiful and healthy their skin looks and feels. It’s so great to hear from customers who tell me that using my organic clay mask has given them more confidence. To make a positive difference in someone’s life is such a wonderful feeling!

I love to make people happy. I enjoy wrapping and mailing your new product and picturing you opening up your package and smiling. Connecting with others is what I love most about creating my skin care products.

If you are giving my organic clay mask as a gift, I would be happy to personalize your gift by including a lovely card in your own words.”

Lisa’s passion for providing raw, vegan, organic beauty products to the world shines through so brightly, it’s blinding!

Cons

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s ruling, we bloggers must be specific with any pros and cons we can find to share with you, our readers.

I honestly can’t think of any cons with the ShimmerOrganics mask. A 2.5 ounce mask is $22.00 and a 4.5 ounce mask is $36.00 – but even at those prices, you are getting SO much value. If you consider those prices a con, you must take into consideration that you only use a teaspoon or so of the mask and will end up with many, many uses.

Verdict/Grade

I have absolutely no choice but to give this mask a 100% – with bonus points! Did you see this grade coming? My experience with Lisa (and her mask) has been nothing but phenomenal!

As you can see, Lisa is very beautiful and is a fantabulous reflection of what her mask accomplishes!

Be sure to check out Lisa’s ARTISAN BIO and find out more about her and her beauty business.

Want to try this mask yourself?

Lisa has been very generous and has offered to give away a 4.5 ounce mask to one (very) lucky winner (details coming soon)!

Have you tried the ShimmerOrganics Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask? Would you, now that you’ve read my review? Can you see the difference in my before and after photos? Aren’t you glad there’s such a caring, compassionate person like Lisa who works so hard to provide healthy, eco-friendly beauty products?!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM! And don’t forget to take a peek at my Thanksgiving holiday eats + treats – or my interview with ShimmerOrganics owner, Lisa Ann Turkel!

The last time I tried to make raw flax seed crackers, they ended up being a flop, thus the new Healing With (Raw) Juices category: Raw Flops.

But these… these were NOT a flop!

Delicious Flax Crackers!

I soaked my flax seeds overnight. And this time, I used red and green bell peppers (like the recipe called for). I still used apple in the place of the zucchini – but this time I left the peel on. 

Into the Blender

I forgot to take a photo of the other ingredients before I blended ‘em up! But here’s what it looks like when all the ingredients are whipped in the blender….

I added my juicy concoction to the soaked flax seeds….

Then I added the ground flax.

Stirred It Up

HimalaSalt = YUM!

I bought parchment paper this time!

I decided to add a few shakes of Mexican Seasoning to one tray of the mixture.

Here’s the four trays the recipe yields!

Up close

I cranked it up more this time (about 120).

Look at my crackers! Yay!

Some raw flax crackers all plated up. 

  Look at how crispy and beautiful!

I used the same recipe for inspiration as last time, from  The Raw Food Revolution Diet by Cherie Soria (sent to me by www.bookpubco.com for review). The recipe really makes 100 raw flax seed crackers. Yay!

I’ve enjoyed these crackers with sliced avocado, by themselves, with a drizzle of agave, a smear of nut butter, with salad…. SO delicious!

This post has actually been set to publish for a few days now, but I noticed Gena (from www.choosingraw.com) just published her raw juice pulp cracker recipe. Do check that out, too! I’m going to make her version as well.

Oh, and I’m also going to make some time to experiment in the coming weeks, and I’ll share the recipes I come up with on my own….

Have you tried your hand at raw crackers yet – with or without a dehydrator? Do you have Cherie’s book? If so, what do you think about it? Do you love it? Have you made good use of it? (I have a review coming up of my copy!)

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM!

Hope you had a fantabulous holiday! I sure did.

I know a lot of you are curious about what I ate for Thanksgiving. A part of me feels proud of my choices because I didn’t eat meat and I didn’t eat dressing (aka stuffing).

No animals were harmed for my dinner.

But…

A part of me is disappointed with myself (make sense?) because my Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t 100% raw AND vegan.

Night Before Turkey Day

On Thanksgiving Eve, my mom had leftover batter from the pineapple upside down cake (she makes hers in a cast iron skillet) and so she made cupcakes.

I wasn’t going to eat one, then I just did – it was the smallest one, though!

That was the first time I’d had any (real) cake since my birthday (in mid-August).

Choices, Choices

Aren’t we are own worst critics? Are you hard on yourself, too? Sometimes I think I’m too hard on myself. Most ALL of the time, other people think I’m too hard on myself.

I’ve been really torn about the direction my eating habits have been going and in an upcoming post, I’m going to share my feelings and plans for 2010. Since I lost my cousins (at such young ages) this year, I’ve really battled emotional eating. I’m going to address emotional eating and my food choices soon…

My Thanksgiving Dinner

I filled my plate with mostly salad: baby spinach leaves, kale, broccoli, carrots, avocado, pink sea salt, drizzle of olive oil, pecans.

Then I decided to have a couple spoonfuls of my mom’s sweet potato casserole, real mashed potatoes, baked pasta, and green bean casserole. And the cranberry sauce isn’t raw either – it’s fresh from the can.

Sounds like a lot – but it really wasn’t that much. I suppose some would say I went overboard; others would say I didn’t eat enough. I am proud that my plate is filled with mostly raw veggies. I ended up not have a vegan Thanksgiving because there’s butter in the mashed potatoes and cheese (+ butter)  in the pasta. I don’t think I did that badly, though: I didn’t eat turkey, dressing, or the other stuff available.

Iced tea with stevia

Most importantly on Thanksgiving, though, I enjoyed the company. Good family and friends are hard to come by!

How did your Thanksgiving turn out? Did you get to see family and friends and have a good time? Did you eat all raw or high raw vegetarian/vegan? Did you worry about it? Did you splurge and have cooked foods and maybe even turkey? Did you go all out and work hard on mock raw or vegan options? Tell me all about it!

Just stopping by? Have you tried my coconut peanut butter honey overnight oats yet? Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at my  chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls or raw tuna fish-less salad.  And you simply HAVE to try my latest, simple creation: Coconut Peanut Butter Cream. YUM!

Hello! How’s your day going? Mine is fantabulous so far. Mr. Sunshine is visiting today. How very kind of him – yay!

Anyway, a while back, Danica from www.DanicasDaily.com hosted The Great Pumpkin Giveaway. I entered. There were THREE winners – and I was one of ‘em! 

My Package from Danica

I love that she sent her (nicely typed) recipe and a beautiful, kind letter. Thank you, Danica! I love my prize – and all the thought you put into it!

The pumpkin butter was put to good use right away. The family had it smeared on pancakes. I’m trying to avoid those, so I swiped a spoonful straight from the jar. *giggles*

I have to say this, though: Trader Joe’s has nothing on my mom’s homemade pumpkin butter! (But, I could be a tad bit bias.)

Turkey Day

A lot of you are wondering if I’ll eat turkey on Thanksgiving. I’ve received emails and messages and questions on social media sites.

The answer is no.

There have been times over the past few years that I’ve allowed a little fish or turkey into my diet. I’ve been at minimum 75% raw and the majority of the time, I’m 90-100% raw most every day.

But after studying meat and fish for articles I’ve written (and for personal curiosity) and coming across such heartfelt, informative articles (such as Gena’s Reconsidering Veganism at ThanksLIVING at Choosing Raw) I’ve found it very easy to reevaluate my level of Raw Foodism and have really thrown myself into focusing on raw food, my health, and am working very, very hard to learn to be at peace with others’ perception of the way I choose to eat. Gena’s article really resonated deeply within my soul and I thank her (from the bottom of my heart) for sharing that beautifully written post – and for all the effort she pours into her entire site. (Thank you, Gena!!)

Here a Turkey, There a Turkey

I thought I’d start by showing you my pet turkeys: Gobbles and Goblet.

How could I eat Gobbles or Goblet? Nope. Not happening!

What Will this Raw Vegan Eat?

Honestly? I don’t know yet! I’ve searched my heart (and raw, Vegan recipes!) and have decided that I’m simply not going to worry about it. The holidays are a time to come together with precious friends and family and laugh, talk, catch up, and just be. It’s a time to reflect on grandparents, parents, siblings, or other relatives and friends who are no longer with us – an opportunity to cherish all those memories that we hold deep in our hearts.

Thanksgiving is about forgetting about material possessions and being thankful for all those things that have nothing to do with food, things that money can’t buy – like hugs, kisses, laughter, joy, and sparkles in the eyes of those you love.

Sure, I’m thinking of making a raw pecan dessert. And maybe a raw coconut cream pie dessert. I’ll probably just have a ginormous salad with a few nuts and other yummy toppings. I might nab a bite of momma’s sweet potato casserole….

But overall, I’m pleased to just be entering this Thanksgiving with a purpose: to enjoy my family and friends and just be in the moment.

I will try to take photos and document what I eat, though – I’ll blog about it later.

If you’re super interested in a true raw, Vegan Thanksgiving menu, check out Gena’s. It RAWks! Averie’s raw, Vegan ideas are RAWkin’ too!

I’m Thankful For

1. my faith
2. my heritage
3. two living parents who’ve been together for close to 40 years*
4. a warm, cozy home
5. family and friends
6. the best brother in the world
7. that I’ve maintained a 100+ weight loss for a few years now
8. that I survived domestic violence and can be an inspiration to others, that they can too
9. for blog readers who are so encouraging, inspiring, sweet, and loyal
10. for another Thanksgiving to reflect on memories and cherish the new ones
11. and soooooooooooooo much more!!!!

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Will you be traveling? Or, is family and friends traveling to your house? Will you be preparing a turkey? Even if you aren’t going to eat it? Are you stressing over food, or like me, are you just feeling blessed to have special people to spend the day with?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Stay safe, laugh often, and enjoy the moment!!!!

*I meant to write living, not loving – although they are!

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out my review of E3Live and also my thoughts on BrainOn. And a huge thank you to the folks at www.E3Live.com for sponsoring the first contest where one LUCKY reader will be receiving a prize valued at over $200!

Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Mission

This post is in honor of Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Charity Page View Drive: Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness

Katie is doing a fantabulous job of spreading kindness. Let’s help her out!!

In honor of the chocolate theme (and y’all know how much I love chocolate!) I thought I’d share a few recipes. Only one is mine, but I think you’ll like the others I mention, too!

Chocolate-Covered Recipes

Katie has a long list of chocolate-covered recipes on her blog. You’ll want to browse through ‘em all! Not only will you come across delicious treats you can whip up for yourself and your family and/or friends, but you’ll be helping Katie raise money for charity while you’re looking!

For starters, you might enjoy perusing her Fudge Babies. Oh, yeah! If that isn’t enough to drive you chocolate bonkers, feast your eyes on All Things Oatmeal, Pancake Pandemonium, The Pudding Files, or the Most Popular. Of course, there are tons more. Enjoy!

Oh, and you might want to grab a napkin before you dig through her recipe archives – you just might drool!

Averie’s Chocolate Fudge Balls

The amazing Averie is always, always whipping up the most RAWsome Vegan desserts over at Love Veggies & Yoga. She creates the most decadent, sinful looking (yet healthy!!!) treats over there. She’s an incredible inspiration, from her years of yoga practice, to her ability to juggle day-to-day chaos with a toddler, she manages to be wife, momma, blogger, reviewer, keeps a spotless home, and even hosts contests for her readers! But back to those delicious desserts…  Her latest: 3-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls

I haven’t tried Averie’s chocolate ball recipes yet, but I will soon.

Jocelyn’s Brownie Batter Balls

Jocelyn blogs at Jocelyn Eats Fresh. I’m sooooooooooooo proud of her because although her blog posts are often upbeat and inspiring, she’s worked very, very hard at overcoming an eating disorder. She is finding a beautiful balance of healthy foods and also allows herself to splurge sometimes on the not-so-healthy stuff so she won’t find herself feeling the need to go back to those old, harmful habits. She has an “everything in moderation” mentality and it’s working wonders for her body, mind, and soul. She’s a beautiful person, inside and out, and is losing weight the slow, right way. You’re doing a great job, Jocelyn. Keep up the great work!!!

Anyway, I knew I had to try out Jocelyn’s cool creation when I happened upon her Raw Chocolate Brownie Batter Balls. I didn’t have the exact ingredients she used, so I switched it up a little. Or, well, a lot!

And Raw Juice Girl’s version…

Chocolate-Covered Raisin Hemp Balls

This recipe made 14 chocolate balls. It probably would have made 16 or 17. Um… Oops!! *giggles*

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 6 tablespoons Dark Chocolate Hemp Powder (www.manitobaharvest.com)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon agave (or so)

I had to add a dash more almond flour and a little water to try to get the right consistency. I should have used the food processor, I think. I used the blender instead. Hmmmm…. Or, I needed to start with more liquid.

No worries… they turned out YUMMY!!!

Manitoba Harvest Chocolate Hemp

Oh my goodness y’all… The dark chocolate hemp powder from www.manitobaharvest.com is DIVINE!!! So far, I’ve enjoyed it in a smoothie and these chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls. It’s fantabulous to get your hemp protein in via chocolate. YUM-O!!!!!

You can expect a full review on the product itself in an upcoming post.

Roll the dough into balls

Then wash your hands!

And enjoy! Yum!!!

Good, and Good For You!

And that’s it! If you love chocolate-covered raisins, you’ll LOVE these chocolate-covered raisin hemp balls. You’re getting a chocolate (and a snack) fix!

AND hemp is full of whole food nutrition:

“ALL Essential Amino Acids (Protein), Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), and both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.”– www.manitobaharvest.com

You’ll also be gobbling up antioxidants, boron, calcium, vitamin C, iron… (from the raisins). And the almonds are giving you manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), phosphorus…

My goodness, that little chocolate-covered raisin hemp ball packs a powerful punch. I could take a beating (or two!) from these yummy treats. Yep, I could!!!

Don’t forget about Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Charity Page View Drive: Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness

Contest Alert!!!!

Katie (as in, Chocolate-Covered Katie I mentioned above) is having a Your-Choice Giveaway

Leslie (from Leslie Loves Veggies) is also having a contest: KALLARI Chocolate {Giveaway} 3 Winners

Win a mixed case of Chobani Greek yogurt over at The Actor’s Diet Blog.

And… don’t forget about the awesome giveaway I’m hosting. Prizes are valued at OVER $200!!!!

Latest Package for Review!

I have lots of awesome posts planned for these yummy products!!!

Visit www.NuNaturals.com to learn more about their line of sweeteners, extracts, and other health supplements.

Thank you, NuNaturals!!!

Resources:

WHFoods: Raisins

WHFoods: Almonds

If you’re a first-time visitor, you may have missed my recent delivery of packages and upcoming reviews or the Sunday fun and news. You might also enjoy my last post: A Package and a Story – this one is dear to my heart…  Be sure to check ‘em out!

Would you believe I get to share another package with you?! Pretty crazy FUN, huh?

This one came from Lisa Ann Turkel. Lisa owns ShimmerOrganics. She makes homemade, raw, organic beauty products and has sent me her Mandarin and Honey Revitalizing Mask to review.

I’m really excited about this! Lisa has been a gem to communicate with. Her passion for pure, raw beauty products permeates through each and every word.

I love her personality and I love the way she ships her masks, too!

Check this out…

Pink Packaging!

A Cheerful Message!

Isn’t that awesomeness? It’s like a fortune cookie message. And this pink packaging and cheerful message brightened up my (rainy) day!!

Pure, Raw Beauty!

Lisa filled this container to the brim with quality ingredients. She’s put a lot of time, effort, and thought into her business. I can tell that already!

Organic Mask Information

Thank you, Lisa, for allowing me to enjoy your beauty mask. I’m honored to have the opportunity for sure.

I’ll be trying the mask more than once before I post the review (and a surprise for y’all!) and I might even grace the camera lens with my mask-covered face. Ya never know!

If you’re an impatient kind of person, and you don’t want to wait for my review, you can go ahead and order directly from Lisa here.

Thank you to Lisa, from ShimmerOrganics!

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to enter Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for TWO containers  of Amazing Grass – one is CHOCOLATE! (Thursday, October 22 is the last day to enter.)  You can also use the code hwj (small J as in JUICE) for a 15% discount on your order, if you can’t wait. And a BIG thank you to Amazing Grass for sponsoring!

Fun Treats for Fall

Nathalie, at Raw Foods Witch, recently shared a new raw recipe video: How to Make a Festive Raw Pumpkin Pie Recipe. I love Nathalie. She’s fun, creative, informative, and I just adore her enthusiasm for raw living!

Cindy, from A Sparkle A Day, made us readers drool with her version of a healthy pancake. If you aren’t 100% raw/vegan, I’d definitely recommend you give this a try. I haven’t yet, but I will!

Love Veggies & Yoga? Averie sure does! This gal is RAWkin the blogosphere with her creative raw recipes. She has a passion for raw, vegan living and shares all sorts of recipes and tips–with pizzazz! One of her creations I’m lookin’ forward to making myself: Raw, Vegan Apple Crumble! Of course, Averie’s recipe archive is exploding over there, so dig through and find yourself some stuff to eat!

Mysti, of Life’s Approbations, shared her original recipe: Fall Perfection Pumpkin Muffins. This one isn’t raw or vegan, but is made with healthy ingredients! If you’re looking for a raw recipe from this gal, she offers that too at her new site, Dining Family: Sweet, Smooth and Cold! (And you’ll find a real little pumpkin at the end of that recipe!) UPDATED TO ADD: “Egg can be substituted out with 1/4 c applesauce and 1/8 tsp baking soda,” says Mysti. She wanted to share that for vegan readers. Thank you, Mysti!!!

I love pumpkin seeds, so Katy Joy’s recipe (from Raw People), sounds like a delicious treat. I’d like to make it sometime. Have you ever had Pumpkin Spice Milk?

And, here’s one of my recipes–that I haven’t enjoyed in quite a while!

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

Ingredients:

• a container of organic, Greek yogurt (I love Oikos, but you could use raw, nut based yogurt)
• about 1/4 to 1/2 can of organic pumpkin (or raw)
• pumpkin pie spice

Stir pumpkin into your yogurt and sprinkle on as much pumpkin pie spice as you’d like.

Optional Toppings:

• trail mix
• granola
• raisins
• cranberries
• cookies
• raw pumpkin seeds (or nuts)

Do you have any favorite Fall recipes? Do you stay 100% raw in the Fall and Winter seasons, regardless, or do you stray and enjoy some warm (or other non-raw) comfort foods? Have you ever had the recipes I mentioned today? Do you plan on trying any of them? Hope you enjoy your weekend! Can you believe we’re half-way through October??!!

Want to REALLY enhance your recipes?? Enter the contest for NuttZo over at An Apple A Day blog! Hurry, contest ends soon!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ve also been working on a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to enter Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for TWO containers  of Amazing Grass – one is CHOCOLATE! (Thursday, October 22 is the last day to enter.)   And a BIG thank you to Amazing Grass for sponsoring! And don’t forget to check out my chocolate ice cubes — they’re super easy to make, and so fun!

A HUGE thank you to LARABAR for sending me samples!!!

You might remember I recently reviewed the Cashew Cookie LARABAR. As I mentioned in that review, LARABAR also sent me a few other flavors – Apple Pie was one of them.

It’s American. It’s a staple from most of our childhoods. The taste and aroma brings back memories of mom’s or grandma’s apple pie pulled fresh from the warm oven and cooling, as crisp leaves danced around the yard in the cool Autumn breeze – yay for memories of apple pie!

And here’s that Apple Pie bar…

Apple Pie Larabar

Looks Good!

Tastes Fantabulous!

Look at those Nuts!

Sooooooooooo Moist!

Six Ingredients??!!

Dates

Walnuts

Unsweetened Apples

Almonds

Raisins

Cinnamon

It’s Healthy!

Nutritional Info (from the site):

It’s RAW!

From the site:

LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices – energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than eight ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.

GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE * NON-GMO * VEGAN * KOSHER

LÄRABAR REAL.
Sweet with no added sweeteners. Sustaining with no added fillers, supplements or flavorings. LÄRABAR is what your body needs – real, whole food loaded with nature’s own minerals and vitamins.

LÄRABAR RIGHT.
All of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats are derived exclusively from the whole, raw food used to make LÄRABAR.

LÄRABAR RAW.
Uncooked and Unprocessed. The essential enzymes, which are necessary for the digestion and utilization of nutrients, remain completely intact in their most natural, powerful state. A diet abundant in raw, unprocessed foods is important for health and longevity.

For LÄRABAR, we source the best possible ingredients. Every time. Every bar. Enjoy

Want apple pie for breakfast? Go ahead and have it – LARABAR style!

Verdict/Grade?

I totally wanted to run around like a school child when my taste buds met this bar. Seriously. It’s moist, delicious, sweet, and there are bursts of cinnamon and yummy pieces of apple and do you see those NUTS in the photos? The ingredients are healthy, there’s only a few of ‘em, and this bar is just totally AMAZING! It is like apple pie – fantabulous!

I have to give this bar two thumbs up and an A+ because it’s healthy, and it tastes out-of-this-world delicious!

Again, thank you to LARABAR for sending delicious samples! Be sure to visit www.larabar.com to learn more about this yummy company!

Bring Eli Home for the Holidays!

In my previous post, I shared information about a boy, Eli, who is on his third heart. He wants to be able to spend the holidays at home – instead of in the hospital. Let’s help him do that!

More Contests

Check out my friend, Averie’s, latest contest for RAW, Vegan Blondie Macaroons!!

Mysti, at Dining Family,  is on a mission to help Eli be at home, with his family, for the holidays – and be healthier, too! She’s hosting an awesome contest, and there are SIX ways to enter! Get over there, quick!

Lots more reviews and contests are coming right up, so you’ll definitely want to stick around for upcoming, juicy details!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ve also been working on a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!

It’s always fun to host a contest here at Healing With (Raw) Juices – it’s even MORE fun when it’s time to share the winner!

Chia Seed Winner

The contest for an 8 ounce bag of Certified Organic (Raw) Chia Seeds from Navitas Naturals ended tonight at 9 p.m. (Central Time). I headed over to random.org to choose a winner.

Winning Number

And… who left comment #36?

Emily from My Chubby Confessions Blog.

Emily’s Winning Comment

Emily @ My Chubby Confessions { 10.04.09 at 11:18 am }

I would love to try the Chia seeds. I’ve always wanted to try them bc of what they have to offer. Unfortunately, they won’t fit into my budget so they have to stay on the shelf in all their glory.
Emily @ My Chubby Confessions´s last blog ..Late Night

Congratulations, Emily! Now you don’t have to worry about a budget to try chia seeds – you’ve won yourself a bag! Zip me an e-mail (healingwithjuices at gmail dot com) with your mailing address and I’ll get your chia seeds in the mail to you right away!

These Are All Yours, Emily!

Bring Eli Home for the Holidays!

In my previous post, I shared information about a boy, Eli, who is on his third heart. He wants to be able to spend the holidays at home – instead of in the hospital. Let’s help him do that!

More Contests

Mysti, at Dining Family,  is on a mission to help Eli be at home, with his family, for the holidays – and be healthier, too! She’s hosting an awesome contest, and there are SIX ways to enter! Get over there, quick!

Lots more contests are coming right up, so you’ll definitely want to stick around for upcoming, juicy details!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ve also been working on a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!

A lot of us take our healthy heart for granted. We get up each morning, go about our day-to-day lives, and don’t even give a thought to how our hearts – or any other part of our bodies – are working properly, allowing us to live carefree and healthy lives.

Eli isn’t as blessed. He’s living with his third heart – and he is still struggling to stay here on this beautiful planet!

My friend actually knows Eli personally.

Following is a snippet of what she knows about Eli’s condition:

“Eli’s second heart came eight months after his birth.  That heart lasted him quite some time, but his body went through late rejection and he was put back on the transplant list and his third heart arrived not-so-long ago.  Along with this heart transplant, Eli has undergone radiation to wipe out his lymph system and help prevent rejection later down the road.  This process has really left Eli not feeling up to par.”

Donation Drive

She has taken it upon herself to host a drive focused on raising enough money to purchase a new, eco-friendly juicing machine for Eli.

She’s on a mission! She wants to help Eli have the opportunity every child should have, without even giving it a thought – to be home for the holidays.

This fantabulous boy has endured more than one heart transplant and has spent entirely too much time in the hospital, at doctors’ offices, and in various treatments. If his health doesn’t improve; if his immune system is still too weak, he may have to stay in the hospital a lot longer than originally anticipated. And this means he may not get to be home for the holidays. As an adult, I can’t imagine being in the hospital during the holidays. From a child’s point of view…. I can’t even fathom. It’s heartbreaking!

This new juicer will allow Eli to enjoy unlimited raw juices that will not only overflow his cup with nutrition and health, but his heart and life with joy and time spent at home, like a boy should be. It’s Mysti’s desire (and my own) that we search our hearts and start thinking about holiday gifts a little early, so that a sweet boy can sit at his family’s table for Thanksgiving fellowship and wake up on Christmas morning in the warmth and comfort of his own bed, in his own room, with his own belongings.

Hope for Health

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’ve battled for my own health. Raw juices have been instrumental in my healing process, and that’s why I started this site – to share hope and healing through raw foods and juices. What do you say? Let’s help Eli get a new juicer so he can enjoy fresh, raw juices and a stronger immune system.

Let me know if you’d like to be a part of Eli’s journey to new and improved health!

Hopefully, he’ll be fishing again and enjoying the outdoors like he was here….

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for an 8 ounce bag of Raw Chia Seeds–thanks toNavitasNaturals.com for sponsoring!

Navitas Natural Delivery!

I was super excited when I received this package from NavitasNaturals.com . Today I’m focusing on the Organic Superfood Chocolate Kit–but take a look at that eco-friendly canteen!!! Eeeeek!!!

Craving Chocolate

Ever had a craving for chocolate but didn’t want to spend a lot of time–and make a big mess–in order to enjoy some? Okay, it’s true, you can just make a quick visit to the store and pick up whatever chocolate you want. And, with the Web’s convenience, you can shop ’till your heart’s content and order anything that appeals to your eyes–and tummy!

But if you’re wanting the fun (and healthy!) experience of whipping up some organic, raw, delicious chocolate candy in just a few minutes, without wrecking your whole kitchen, then Navitas Naturals Organic Superfood Kit is for you!

Organic Superfood Chocolate Kit

This is a super fun kit. It comes with 3 ingredients! Who can’t whip up 3 ingredients, eh?  And, besides, the directions are easy and precise–you get to take a class right off the box: Chocolate School 101. Does that mean I have a degree in Chocolate now? Oh, how very RAWsome!

Chocolate School 101

First, they told me to sit a smaller bowl into a larger bowl that had hot water (for melting the cacao butter via the raw method). You can also nuke it or use a double boiler but you’ll be zapping the nutrient value.

Melting Cacao Butter

Cacao Butter All Melted

It doesn’t take long and it’s all melted!

Add Organic Chocolate Powder

Then you add the organic chocolate powder and stir, stir, stir!

Stir

Stir

Stir Some More

All Stirred Up

Just take a look at that raw chocolate. Eeeek!

At this point, you can drizzle in a tablespoon of agave syrup or some other sweetener. I didn’t. So the chocolate had more of a dark chocolate taste in the end. I’m more of a milk chocolate gal so I think I’d add sweetener next  time but I still really enjoyed the taste of this chocolate–which surprised me, considering I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate.

In to the Ice Tray

Close-Up

Pour your melted chocolate into an ice tray (Raw Juice Chocolate Girl got a little messy–I never said I wouldn’t!)

No More Chocolate!

Raw Juice Girl also CHEATED and licked some chocolate right off that spoon! YUM-O! It’d be good drizzled over Gena’s banana soft serve.

Frozen, Raw Chocolate

After I popped that ice tray in the freezer, I almost forgot about it (ahem, I was busy uploading photos and working on reviews and contests like a good blogger)! 

Chocolate Ice Cube!

See the Goji Berries?!

Nutritional Info

From the site:

Healthy Homemade Chocolates

Navitas Naturals Chocolate Kits contain everything you need for an authentic chocolate alchemy experience – including 100% Navitas Naturals superfood ingredients. Enjoy this chocolatey blend with goji berries: a synergistic combination of exciting power ingredients that’s packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, essential minerals, and is sugar and dairy free. Each synergistic combination of exciting power ingredients is packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, essential minerals, and is sugar and dairy free.

Source and Processing

We carefully source each ingredient from indigenous regions around the world, honoring the traditions of the ancient cultures, and using minimal processing techniques to ensure maximum nutritional benefits. Our products are of the highest quality, sourced directly from farmers, cultivated sustainably and in accordance with fair trade standards. Navitas Naturals Chocolate Kits are 100% organic, kosher, vegan, gluten-free, and raw.

Verdict/Grade?

This kit is simple, precise, and so fun to make. I felt like a kid again! The ingredients are organic, and you’re loading up on antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients–all the good stuff! Another bonus is that the only dishes you dirty up are 2 bowls, 1 spoon, and an ice tray and you end up with 12 pieces of quality chocolate. And I had leftover goji berries  that I can add to steel-cut oatmeal or a smoothie! So, this baby gets TWO thumbs up from Raw Juice Girl. That’s an A+ in my (RAW) book!

Oh, and it retails for $9.99 (USD) per kit. So you’re essentially paying $10 for 12 pieces of quality, organic, raw, superfood candy!

So, what do you think? Is this something you’d like to try? Have you already used this neat little chocolate kit? What did you think? What’s your favorite chocolate, and your favorite way to eat it? Do tell, I’m craving your answer!

Latest Navitas Natural Arrival–Reviews Coming Up!

If you’re just tuning in, be sure to check out Healing With (Raw) Juices’ latest contest for an 8 ounce bag of Raw Chia Seeds–thanks to NavitasNaturals.com for sponsoring!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life. I’ll also be making a recipe page where you’ll be able to easily locate recipes for raw juices, smoothies, and now dehydrator creations!

Wow, do I EVER love the FedEx man–well, him and the fantabulous folks over at www.excaliburdehydrator.com!!

SO Blessed

I can’t even begin to express my excitement. I’m SO very honored–and blessed–to have the amazing opportunity to review this, the KING of dehydrators: the 9-Tray Large Excalibur #3900!!!

SO Many Ideas

Raw (and dehydrated) food has fascinated me for years. Even before that, my Mom was always interested in dehydrating. Although I’ve been high-raw (and even 100% raw at various times) for the past few  years, I’ve often wondered where my raw path would lead if I had a ginormous, fancy dehydrator like I’d read about.

Raw crackers, cookies, cakes, pizzas… All this (and more!) is floating around the Web. From blogs to websites to books and magazines, raw, dehydrated snacks and meals, the possibilities are to infinity.

I can’t wait to share my experience with this sweet, dehydrating baby with you all! I’m excited to dry herbs, veggies, fruit, and I know I want to make raw crackers soon. I have so many ideas racing through my mind right now I can’t even focus!

Tomorrow I’ll be gone all day to set up at a pioneer festival with my mom (same festival as this one), so I’m afraid my dehydrating adventures will have to wait until next week sometime.

I’ll shut up now and let you check out these photos….

What a Ginormous Box!

Needle-Nose Pliers for Opening!

Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!

A Guide for Dehydrating!

Check it Out!

Drying Guide + Temperature Control

Look at that Tray!

NINE TRAYS!!! Eeeeeek!!

With the Sparkly New Door On

Wow. I’m just SO excited!!! You’ll be seeing a LOT of the Excalibur around here!

Do you have a dehydrator? What do you love making most? Have you been shopping around for a dehydrator? Have you considered the Excalibur? Chime in and share your thoughts!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

The day before yesterday, I actually got out of the house and was gone pretty much all day–out and about getting things ready for upcoming festivals I’ll be helping my Mom set up at (for her herb business).

We left not long after I woke up and got dressed, so I just grabbed a spoon of cashew butter right from the jar and ate it off the spoon while I grabbed a banana, threw it in my purse, and filled up my water bottle.

I ate the banana once we got on the road (no pics, sorry) <– I was hungry and gobbled it up!

After registration was taken care of (and maybe a little shopping for a new bonnet for me ) we stopped at a health food store. I LOVE health food stores–they are cruel to my wallet, though!

I found all kinds of STUFF I would have loved to have bought: ProBars (which I’ve never tried), Garden of Life bars (never tried those either), and all sorts of other goodies. There was raw foods, drinks, and other health foods, herbs, teas, books… Health Heaven, huh?

Finally, I decided on a Synergy (organic, raw) Kombucha Tea. I was craving a cold drink and thought it’d be nice to try out this “Kombucha” that seems to be all over the Web, on blogs and in articles. There were a few different flavors and while I decided on the Passionberry Bliss, I’m now thinking I should have tried the one with Sassafras root in it. Hmmmm….. Guess I need to go back!

Organic, Raw Passionberry Bliss Kombucha

I was anxious to taste this stuff after all the hype about it, so I took a big gulp–Oops! I never expected it to be SO strong. Let me tell you, I couldn’t believe it. I’m not saying it’s bad. I just wasn’t prepared for how it would taste. In a way, it reminds me of soda. I was thinking “tea”, ya know? I’m used to drinking herbal tea every day so I guess I just assumed it would taste like tea–I was wrong. I closed the lid and wasn’t sure if I’d drink it or not. I actually ended up getting an unsweetened tea from another place and drank that. So when I got home, I put my Kombucha in the fridge and left it there ’till yesterday. I thought I’d give it another try–I drank it all up! It’s still weird to me, but I think it’s growing on me. I’ve decided it tastes sort of like a berry flavored soda. Strange. But good. And I love the benefits!

Synergy Passionberry Bliss is 95% G.T.’s Kombucha–the rest is blackberry juice +  passionfruit juice. And at the end of the ingredient list, they say: “and 100% pure love!” How awesome is that??!!

This jazzy drink also has probiotics, antioxidants, and Glucuronic, Lactic, and Acetic acids.

From the bottle:

Kombucha supports: digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin and hair.

Now, while I’m not that familiar with Kombucha and its benefits yet, I will say I totally believe it’s possible. Why? Fermented foods are good for us (in my opinion) and it seems to me that Kombucha is a lot like apple cider vinegar with Mother in the sense that it contains living enzymes and nutrients, and it’s fermented. I’ve seen firstand the benefits of the vinegar with Mother, so I’m excited to experiment more with Kombucha and see what comes of it. Next time I try something new, though, I won’t take such a ginormous gulp! LOL What was I thinking???

GASP!

How much are these drinks where you are, if you’ve been buying them??

Snack Time

As I was getting ready to pay for my Synergy tea up there, I spotted these goodies on the way out. From what I could see on the ingredients list, they’re RAW! They’re like snack bars, cut in squares. The chocolate one is actually carob, with nuts, pumpkin seeds, SPIRULINA, and I think a little fruit. The other one is almond with fruit and I think both of these had sunflower seeds in ‘em, too.

Carob Creation

Almond Awesomeness

Verdict?

Of course, I loved the carob one best. It was crunchy, chewy, and good. I’m still amazed that I don’t taste the spirulina! How’d they do that??? I’m not sure if I’d buy the almond one again–it seemed like it was lacking something, but I can’t figure out what. It just seemed like it needed jazzing up. Then again, my tastebuds may have been “off” after being freaked out by a big gulp of Kombucha I wasn’t used to!

I’m gearing up for more festivals so I’m going to take these along as a snack.

Want to learn more about these “Chunks of Energy” snacks? Visit the “Chunks of Energy website (www.chunksofenergy.com) or their blog.

Have you tried anything new lately? Have any plans for the weekend? Jump right in to the comment section and share!

Coming Up

You’ll be happy to know I have reviews and contests lined up, starting next week!

Want to keep up with Raw Juice Girl’s adventures + more?  Subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.