Raw Food Class - Delectable Desserts and Sweet Treats

A two hour demonstration making delicious and nourishing raw cuisine.

From 2 pm till 4 pm, Saturday 4th October 2014, this class is for anyone who would like to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence in making delicious raw, plant based desserts and sweet treats.

This is for you if:

• You wish to add to your repertoire of simple, quick and healthy food
• You wish to encourage yourself, family and friends to eat healthier
• You want healthy food which is delicious, versatile and nourishing
• You have a sweet tooth but don't want to "go without"
• You are trying to replace foods with refined sugar for better sweetener options

To whet your appetite, how does dairy free Ice Cream with Chocolate Crackle sound? Cheesecake, Fudge and Cream? Banana Cake, Chia Pudding and Cream? As well as a Slice and chewy Biscuits.

You'll enjoy some of the above for afternoon tea and take home the other samples in a goodie box for later (you might have to hide them).

All the desserts and sweet treats are raw and plant-based, ie no dairy or eggs. They are also gluten free and refined sugar free. Most recipes are Paleo friendly, too.

If this appeals to your sweet tooth as it does to mine, then click here for all the information you need about this class.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001

How to Make a Hot Chocolate with Nut Milk

Some days you just need a hot chocolate more than others. There’s something quite comforting about a creamy drink that nurtures the soul.

You don’t have to turn to processed drinking chocolate mixes to satisfy this beautiful craving. Here is an easy and lovely recipe for hot chocolate with nut milk. If you want dairy milk, go right ahead.

Nut Milk 
¼ cup nuts per person
1 – 1 ¼ c water per person (see notes below)
2 t cacao powder, rounded if you like dark chocolate
pinch salt
1 t sweetener
dash vanilla essence

Soak nuts in (extra) water at least two hours (nb - this is not the water in the recipe). Rinse well and put into blender with water. Whizz till milky and nuts have broken down as much as possible.

Strain through sieve that has been lined with a clean tea towel or use a nut bag if you have one. Put ‘milk’ back into blender and add cacao powder and coconut sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup. If you use dates for sweetener, check for pits and blend at the same time as the nuts. The sieving will catch any dates pieces the blender didn’t get.

Also add to blender salt and vanilla essence if you like it. Blend to combine and pour into a saucepan on low heat.

Whilst waiting for your drink to heat up to the temperature you want, pour boiling water into your mug to keep your chocolate milk from cooling down too quickly. This is especially important if you’ve chosen your drink to be at raw temp of 45 – 47C.

That’s it! Pour and enjoy, satisfied with the flavour and smug that you’ve made a healthy hot chocolate.

Notes:
1. For coconut milk, use ½ c desiccated coconut to 1 c water
2. If using cashews you can skip the sieving process as they usually grind down to almost nothing.
3. If using almonds, you can keep the meal and use in smoothies or other raw recipes. Dry in dehydrator or freeze until you need it. You’ll also need 1 ¼ cups of water for almonds.
4. If you want a shop drinking chocolate mix, I recommend Loving Earth.
5. For a creamier hot chocolate, use 1/3 cup nuts to 1 – 1 ¼ c water
6.      For a nut-free version use coconut (see #1) or use sunflower seeds to 1/4 c to 1 c water. Oat or rice milk will also do the trick.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com
____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________ 

A Spoonful of Sugar

So sang Mary Poppins in 1964. Little would movie goers realise that 50 years later that song would’ve been the ‘kiss of movie-death’ to any film suspected of promoting public obesity. It would’ve been shunned and picketed with pitchforks and flaming torches.

Fast forward to 2014 where sugar-anything is fast becoming the replacement evil for the anti-smoking brigade.

It was predicted to be a food trend earlier this year and so it has become. Well, an anti-food trend to be precise. But how far is too far in removing sugar from eating choices?

Carrots have sugar, so do potatoes, pumpkin and…..onions. It’s not the sugar, it’s the type of sugar that needs to be dealt with.

This blog is by no means a complete nutritional assessment of sugar, so with that in mind, please read on and sees what you think of my opinion.

For the most part, I am for reducing refined sugar where ever possible from my family’s diet and I know many others are, too.

Taking sugar away from tea and coffee is simple – unless you take sugar in your tea and coffee. Suggestion #1, reduce it little by little until it is gone or a mere suggestion of sweet. Suggestion #2, replace with coconut sugar either gradually or at once, whatever makes you panic less. Coconut sugar has a pleasant light caramel flavour and is loaded with minerals. It is a better GI choice than refined sugar.

No need to say anything about fizzy drinks. The media are saying it all at the moment. So here’s a replacement: half juice and half sparkling mineral water (or soda stream or soda water). Not sugar free but that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m aiming to lessen not eliminate.

Yes, I know it’s hard to get your child to swap over but here’s my mother-of-five-children advice: aim to reduce their intake not ban it. Choose your battles carefully. I would rather my teen chose ‘real’ coke than the diet versions because I know he ‘ain’t gonna’ ask for water at a party or youth dinner.

I rather like sparkling water by itself but it is an acquired taste.

Harder to eliminate, possibly because of disguise and subterfuge, is the sugar in processed food. Tomato sauce, soup, sauces, dressings and other savoury items that might surprise a shopper, because the same food cooked at home either has none or if so, minimal.

Biscuits, cakes, ice cream and confectionery – obvious sugar laden products. What about yoghurt? That’s good for you, right? Not so fast. Read the ingredient label. Ditto juice choices – when I checked recently, most had sugar added as well as the fruit. Never mind that some have flavouring….in fruit juice?

You can replace white sugar with coconut sugar in baking. Some recipes can swap out sugar for honey.

Agave syrup, coconut nectar and maple syrup are all liquid sweeteners. Yacon syrup is hideously expensive but if you’re a diabetic it could be a god-send and worth every penny.

Agave Syrup

Many raw recipes use dates as the sweetener. Stevia and xylitol make regular appearances. I saw stevia in a new tomato sauce last week, illustrating the power of consumer demand.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

How to Banish the Winter Blues

In the crisp air of this morning I saw a sight that made me smile: a Tui in the pink blossom up our drive. It reminded me that spring is on its way. Winter does not last forever, although it sometimes feels like it. Every winter is slightly different but one thing is sure: spring always comes.

Winter can be a tough season for many of us. If there’s a time of year you’ll get a case of the blues, this is it. I know that there are those of you out there feeling that now and I wanted to tell you that it’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with you and that this will pass. Spring will come to your winter, too.

When you see blossom coming out or a daffodil waving its pretty yellow bonnet, take this as your own personal sign that all is well and spring WILL come.

If you’ve got a case of the blues or know someone who has, you might like to read through this check list I posted earlier in the year.

As for me, it’s been a busy week getting ready for my raw food class next Saturday 26 July. I’m enjoying checking through the recipes again. This afternoon we double checked the Chocolate and Mint Slice, yum.

I also had a nice chat to the lady in the fruit and veggie shop asking her opinion about the strength of her chillies. I need to check them in the Thai Inspired Noodle dressing tomorrow. Chillies are not my speciality and I don’t want to have my class guests rushing for the kitchen to douse the flames of their mouth nor do I want it to register on their palate as ‘meh’.

Making and testing food – what a dream job!

Raw Lunch Class

The Early Bird rate has expired but there are still some seats available at the full price. Go here to secure your place as there will definitely be a cut off soon.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Honey Mustard Dressing and Raw food Class Early Bird Cut-Off

A reminder for those of you wanting to come to my raw food class, A Raw Lunch, the Early Bird rate finishes on 16th July with the full price of $120 pp applying as of 17th.

You can reserve your spot here.

Coleslaw is a great salad for the winter months. Sooner or later, the reaction can be “oh, no, not coleslaw again!”

Here are some ideas to jazz it up a bit:
* Use other types of cabbage with or without the ubiquitous green; purple or savoy both make new appeal for the eyes, and offer nutrients not in your green cabbage (especially the purple)
* Slice up a small amount of red onion into slivers and toss in
* Add a handful of sprouts
* A tablespoon or two of cashews or sunflower seeds
* Some finely diced fruit to taste. This week we’ve used pineapple for a coleslaw and mango for another

Changing one or two ingredients is all it takes to create culinary interest again and, suddenly you’ve presented gourmet coleslaw worthy of a restaurant or café.

If you buy a packet of pre-cut coleslaw from the supermarket, do yourself a favour and ditch the dressing that comes with it. Replace it with a healthier dressing such as Honey Mustard, home-made and raw (well, mostly raw). It has a strong warm flavour that is perfect for this time of year.

Honey Mustard Dressing
¼ c Ready-made mustard* of your choice or homemade
¼ c Extra Virgin Olive Oil** (I use Trade Aid or a NZ product)
¼ c Raw Honey***
¼ c Coconut vinegar or Apple cider vinegar** (I use Waihi Bush)
1 ½ t Himalayan salt (or other ‘good’ salt)
2 t chia seed**
Whizz all ingredients together in food processor or blender. Check flavour and make adjustment to suit your palate. Store in jar or convenient squirtee bottle. Keep in fridge. Lasts for weeks.
* If buying your mustard choose one that has the least amount of sugar and little or no preservatives or artificial colours.
** Available in my shop.
*** Raw honey can be bought from Waitemata Honey in Te Kea Place, Rosedale, Albany or try your local farmers market or health shop.

The chia seed was a recent addition to the recipe as DS18 wanted the dressing thicker so it didn’t “go everywhere” on the sandwiches he takes to uni.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com
____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Growing Food For Free and 'A Raw Lunch' Class

From the Grow More Raw files another couple of ways to get more food for free. There will be more next week, including an update of how I got on with my Grand Experiment.

Growing onions

Sweet potatoes/kumara



A Raw Lunch - a raw food class, 26 July. Lunch included in ticket, and what a feast it will be. Come hungry.

This is the only class this year that will teach raw lunch ideas for school lunch boxes, office lunches and for those working at home.

There will be three more classes this year. September will be Delectable Desserts and Sweet Snacks, October can't come quick enough because it's my favourite subject....Chocolate: raw, healthy and oh-so-divine.

November will be a Christmas class that will amaze you with seasonal food to mix 'n match with your traditional yuletide dishes. And there is no compromise in taste! This class was a huge success last year, so keep a look out for it.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.comwww.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

A Raw Lunch (raw food class)

A Raw Lunch....

A two hour demonstration making delicious and nourishing raw cuisine.

Running over two hours on Saturday 26 July 2014, A Raw Lunch is for anyone who would like to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence in making delicious raw, plant based drinks, savouries, and sweet treats especially designed for lunches.

This is for you if:

• You wish to add to your repertoire of simple, quick and healthy food.
• Lunch is the meal time which gives you the opportunity to eat as much raw and healthy food as you like.
• You wish to encourage yourself, family and friends to eat healthier.
• You want healthy food which is delicious, versatile and nourishing.

Some of you have been asking and patiently waiting for my next class on how to eat more fresh and raw food.

It is winter sure enough, but that's no reason to not eat more raw food. In fact, this is the time of year when you need to ensure to include fresh fruit and vegetables alongside your cooked choices. Your immunity will benefit, as will your waist line.

For all the information you need about this Class, click here.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com
____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________