Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

*clearly, not raw

Tonight was my night to make dinner, and I decided on a pretty simple yet (apparently) tasty meal.
I made a sauce with almond butter, ginger, garlic and other spices and poured it on whole wheat noodles. I also stir-fried a bunch of veggies and crispy tofu. My parents said it was really good!

It seems like an excellent dish to feed anyone you care about, especially if you're trying to get them to eat more veggies - AND see how delicious vegan food can be.

This meal is easy, scrumptious, and good for ya. Eat your veggies!







Serve with the noodles as the base, with a helping of veggies, and a bit of crispy tofu to top it off! Enjoy!






It had a kiwi, 3 cups of kale, an orange, some frozen strawberries, water and stevia in it. I topped it off with some dried coconut and goji berries. YUM!

I often write to newspapers, journals, authors, TV shows and companies with my thoughts on their articles, episodes and products.

If I see something I like, I let them know! And if I see something I dislike, I also let them know. Either way, they're appreciative and I get my vegan, environment-loving voice heard.

I've had my letters and whatnot published a number of times before (our family seems to have a knack for being presented in social media) but this time, I have a blog to show it in! Here's the article.


It's not a big deal, but for those of you reading - I say get out there and write letters! Tell authorities, companies, and influential people what you think is important and bad/good for your community. They want to know!

This letter isn't anything powerful or particularly important, but my point is that you should be active in your community =) It's fun and can sometimes lead to great things.

Anyhoo, not much else to report today. I had some trippy dreams last night about oranges, motorcycles and sugar. Tonight I ate a butt-load of broccoli with a yummy cashew-garlic sauce =) And I think tonight I will stay in and perhaps watch a movie. Maybe enjoy a few dates filled with nut butter:

Have a great Friday night!

YAY! So yesterday my mom bought me, my parents and my little brother our plane tickets to MEXICO!


We're going in late February. Less than a month. And it gets even better. A week before we leave for Mexico, we're going to Tofino (on Vancouver Island) for 5 days. We go to Tofino every year, and it's the ultimate west coast vacation. Cold, rainy and beautiful. Huge trees, big rocks, and a heck of a lot of ocean, sand, and surfboards. I will always love it. 
I'd live on Van island for sure, if only I could grow the bounty of fruit that I need to live =( That's okay though, like I said, we have been going every year since I was like 9 or something. We stay here.
 

And it's honestly the greatest place in the world!!!! AGHH! Sorry, I'm sort of freaking out right now, seeing pics of it and knowing it's that time of year when we return to our cottage. If you're thinking about vacationing in Tofino - stop thinking. Go. 

West Coast is da BEST COAST. Don't argue. 

Tofino for me means relaxing time with the fam; long, wet beach walks; hikes through ancient forests; hot chocolate; board games; and lots of laughter and memories. It has become a part of every member of my family, and will stay that way for ever.
(I hope to stay predominantly raw in Tofino, but I can't promise anything.)

On to Mexico! I'm so stoked. You don't understand. We're staying at this crazy-gorgeous resort with my uncle and aunt. I know, I know - big resort - "Oh, it's not environmentally friendly, there's no real culture, etc." I KNOW, OKAY. But I just don't care. I get to spend a week in the Mexican sun with my loved ones, and have a great time with all the fruit I could imagine... perhaps meet a gorgeous raw vegan Mexican boy? Fingers crossed.


And I was actually surprised and pleased to find that this resort has been given an environmental resort management award every year for the past few years! So it's not ALL bad. In fact, there ain't nothin' bad about this. This will be an amazing experience and I cant hardly contain my excitement!!!

I've been to Mexico once before (also with the parents and my lil bro) and it is something I remember fondly and day dream about a lot. Family, food, beach, dancing, memories. Just one of those times. I had so much fun, and I can't really describe it. But I'm sure you know what I mean.

In Mexico this year, I plan to stay all raw... HOW CAN YOU NOT?! Look at all that fruit. 50% of my excitement right now is about being able to eat all this exotic, fresh fruit for a week!!! I'm not gonna bring any technology with me (why would you...?!) so I won't be blogging during these two vacations. But I WILL be keeping journals every day and taking tons of pics - duh. So I'll be able to tell ya what happened when I get home.

Who could have imagined a handful of raw, whole foods could create such a beautiful and elegant dish? Well I'm not gonna lie... I could easily imagine it. But that's only because I'm so in love with raw desserts (and food).

Share this delicate and lovely cheesecake with your loved ones; and enjoy the tastes, textures, and simple happiness they all bring.

Howdy folks. So if you read my blog regularly, you probably have figured out I'm a bit of a hippie. Okay, a lot of a hippie. I can't help it - I am the quintessential flower child. And I ain't changin' any time soon.

Now having said that; what do you imagine a dirty, kale-munching hippie living in? Perhaps a colourfully painted VW microbus, complete with peace signs and psychedelic flowers? That WAS one of my original dreams: drive around the world in one of those puppies, with a bunch of friends, good music and no plan. I think I'll still do that sometime, but the plan has changed a tad.

My friend Amanda was at my house the other night, and we were planning on going to a party... but it was raining, we were tired, and we just didn't feel like going out anymore. So we were left with some free time, what to do? Amanda declared she wanted to bake "something crazy-awesome with swirls".

We ended up with a tray of Vanilla Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Frosting. Not too shabby.

We found this recipe. I modified it a bit: used oat flour instead of all-purpose, used more tofu, added some agave and left out some sugar, used real vanilla, and made up my own icing. They were REALLY moist, and not too sweet. The combination was a delight. These cupcakes were gone in a day.

You can't comprehend how decadent, creamy and INSANELY good this pudding is - until you make it.
Got a ripe alligator pear handy? Translation: avocados. They sometimes call 'em alligator pears because of their skin... makes sense.

Moving on: you like Jell-O chocolate pudding? You'll love this. Don't love Jell-O pudding? You'll love this. I know I say this about everything I make (and I'm telling the truth every time, I swear!), but this is SERIOUSLY THE BEST THING EVER.

I'm sorry. My taste buds hold no loyalties, thus they change their loves very easily and frequently. In short: often whatever I'm eating, is the best thing I've ever eaten. 
Having said that - I still like to think my taste buds DO have good taste (no pun intended?). So this pudding really is outta this world.

And guess what? Yep. You got it. This is uber good for ya. SO MAKE/EAT IT ALREADY!

Refrigerate til the chocolate hardens - and there ya go!

Raw Dark Chocolate with Goji Berries. Doesn't that just sound sexy?

Yes, it does. All this glorious chocolate has in it is cacao, coconut butter and a bit of natural sweetener. I added some vanilla, mesquite, sea salt and goji berries for extra decadence and some colour.Who would've thought eating chocolate could add nutrition to your diet? This chocolate may help you live longer (with healthier skin and hair, and less stress).One more plus? This is ready in minutes. I literally made during it a commercial break on TV: Dad: "What're you doing in there?" Me: "Making chocolate, I'll be like two seconds!" 

Okay, so my friends have sent me these videos on YouTube that are all HILARIOUS. Why? Because they are all videos of people making fun of people - just. like. me.

Vegans, raw vegans, "new age girls", and yogis. If you are any of those things - watch these! If you aren't - watch them anyway! That's all for today, folks.

Get it? Because they have no tops. Ha-ha. I should really spend more time developing my comedic talents, and less time making peanut butter and chocolate concoctions.

On second thought... bad idea. PB and chocolate always comes first. Last night I was thinking of ways to use the raw mesquite powder my parents got me for x-mas (buy it here). It has a light flavour of cinnamon and cocoa. I love chocolate, and I add cinnamon to everything, so it's perfect for me!

I decided to make peanut butter cups. But of course, forgetful me... I spooned out all the chocolate mix for the bottoms, and had none left for the tops. Woops. So they're wild and topless pb cups.



They're still just as delicious and comforting as regular ones. And WAAAY more nutritious than Reeses.
To compare, here's the ingredients in a Reeses:

Milk Chocolate (Milk Chocolate contains Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, and Soya Lecithin and PGPR (as Emulsifiers), Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, and TBHQ and Citric Acid (to Preserve Freshness) ---> Freshness??? What's fresh here?!

Here's the ingredients and recipe for MY "Reeses", enjoy, guilt-free! 
(Aside from the PB, they're raw. If you can afford raw jungle peanuts, go for it!)

My mom bought a loaf of chia bread at Cobs last week, and they gave her this free package of a chia shot. I thought it was cute. I love chia seeds. They're definitely the new goji berry of 2012, if ya know what I mean. (Never before heard-of "super food" that will soon be in health stores/magazines everywhere.)

I already have a good supply of chia seeds in the house but I figured I'd use the chia shot for my breakfast. A serving of chia is about 2 Tb, and that's what they gave me.
I added water to it, along with some goji berries, coconut flakes, and raisins. I spiced it with cinnamon and nutmeg. YUM! Simple and delicious.


One thing - of the many, many things - I love about chia is their insoluble fibre aspect. When you add water, they gel up. This is exactly what happens when you eat them too, and that's why they're great for keeping your bowels moving - yes, you understand. Basically they soak up extra "waste" in your digestive tract ... it's a beautiful thing. Flax seeds also hold this ability.

On top of that, they're a good source of omega-3's (EFA's), which most people don't get enough of. They also have a substantial percent of protein, like most other seeds and nuts. And of course, with any raw plant food you're gonna get a ton of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients.  

You can research yourself about the benefits of chia, and I've also found this link. It's pretty basic.

I'm not saying adding chia to your diet is gonna change the world, as if it's the missing link to superior health and longevity. However, it's a nutrient-packed raw plant food that's a heck of a lot better than cheerios for breakfast. I think everyone could benefit from incorporating some chia into their diet. If not, no worries.

Hello beautiful people! Nothing fancy or in-depth today (not that my posts usually are...), just salad =)
I took some lovely pics and wanted to share.

WHY IS SALAD SO GORGEOUS!? ...I know of many reasons, actually.

Every time I have salad (i.e. every day), I have to dance around and show everyone because it's so awesome - literally. Just throw some fresh greens together with a simple dressing and tons of veg. What do you get? Perfection and happiness. In a big, blue, clay bowl.

I'm the worst raw foodist ever! A couple nights ago, I was really hungry and since I don't fall asleep until around 3 AM now - don't ask - I wasn't going to go to bed for several hours. What was I craving for no reason? A big, fat sandwich (I don't even GET cravings, let alone eat sandwiches, so it was truly bizarre). What'd I decide to do? Make a big, fat sandwich.


It was so comfort food-y. Delicious.
First, I toasted some organic sprouted chia bread and put on lettuce and avocado. Then I baked some butternut squash mac n' cheese leftovers, and sauteed some tofu in Bragg's, homemade breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. Stacked it all up and cut it in half - then sat down and enjoyed.
I know! Even typing this out makes me feel indulgent. Oh man. This is the most unhealthy thing I've eaten in... forever.


 I'm comfortable with this, occasionally. I've written posts about this before: there's many reasons I'm not 100% raw. My living situation, my family, my lifestyle, and also what eating all raw means to me - because sometimes it's NOT for the best. When I eat 100% raw, I unfortunately become a little obsessive about it, to the extreme. I get too idealistic. This isn't healthy. Ultimately all I want in my diet is health. So for me, eating a percentage of cooked food is healthier mentally, than eating totally raw.

In the future I do want to become pretty much 100% raw, after I move out and buy all my own food (another reason I'm not all raw - it stresses out my family). But I need to get comfortable with myself and how I think of the diet before this happens, otherwise I'll be doing it for the wrong reasons. 

Note: If you don't care about raw food, sorry you have to read this! It probably sounds insane. If you're a raw foodist, I hope you know what I'm talking about.

These are totally delicious! Everyone in my family agrees, even Greg (my big brother) who has the pickiest palate of all. If you want to make a cute, sweet and tasty dessert for a party, or for no reason at all - make these!


As with most raw desserts, they're mostly nuts, seeds and dates... hur-RAW!
I made them specifically to post on the blog, actually. I feel bad because lately I've just been eating tons of salad, and a bit of fruit... wonderful for me, but not that exciting for you. We all know what a banana looks like, and how amazing salad is.

So I hope you like them! I like things sweet, so feel free to take out some of the agave in the frosting. And with all raw recipes, you can pretty much do/change whatever you want and they'll still turn out great.
The recipe does make a little extra frosting... but I'm sure this won't be a problem for you =)

*Check out more recipes for gorgeous skin here.*

Got clogged pores? Do a facial steam.
For me, sometimes they're the only thing that makes me feel like I really deep-cleaned my skin. You know when you go into a sauna or steam room, and feel great afterwards 'cause all your pores have been opened and cleaned? Same thing with facial steams.

They're so easy, and a great way to find 10-15 minutes to relax during your busy day. That's how I use the time anyway. All you have to do is boil some water, then add your favourite essential oils and herbs. Pour the water in a big bowl, put your freshly washed face over the bowl and put a towel over your head.


I usually use lavender, ylang ylang and lemon oils. They make the water smell divine. Like a spa.
Sometimes I add some dried roses if I have them. Homemade rosewater! They make it look pretty =)

Let your face perspire over the steam, cleansing each little pore, for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, rinse your face with warm water and soap. Then splash some toner or cold water on it and moisturize. Your skin will look and feel amazing!

If my directions weren't detailed or clear enough, here's a site with step by step instructions.

I've already posted about Kombucha, and will in all likelihood post about it again. Why? Because I love it!


It's totally up my alley. Fermented mushroom tea. You receive a baby mushroom from your friend, and are told to let it grow in a jug of tea for 2 weeks. It then has it's own baby, and you can start a new batch of tea. Read more here. 
If most people think it's gross, weird and they wouldn't want to try it - I'LL LOVE IT!

I mean, look at me.

So after my first batch of Kombucha, I started two new batches with my momma mushroom, and her baby. (Yes, I named them: Martha and Arnold)
I let these grow for almost a month, instead of the first time I did it when I let them grow for 2 weeks. You can grow them for as long as you want, and a good minimum is about a week.
These batches turned out wonderfully, and Arnold had a baby of his own! But at this point, I had so much Kombucha... I didn't know what to do. None of my friends or family are interested (it's pretty funny) so I decided to let my mushrooms get some fresh air - in the garden. Now they're decomposing into the soil, providing food and nutrients for worms, bugs and our fruits and veggies in the spring!

What a wonderful circle of life we are blessed with, here on Earth.


After giving our garden the three mushrooms, I thought I was done with them. I figured the next time I wanted to make Kombucha, I would just ask my friend's dad (who's been making it forever) or buy one.
But of course, nature is miraculous, motivated and powerful. So somehow - even though there were only a few specs of mushroom left in the Kombucha AFTER I filtered it, another mushroom began to grow! 
Until today, I had let the giant jug of Kombucha sit out because I'd been too lazy to put it into pitchers in the fridge. So when I finally got around it tonight, I noticed the fourth mushroom growing. Whatta determined little guy. I gotta keep him and let him grow in another batch. I think I'll name him Douglas.

Anyways, if you're thinking about trying out your own Kombucha - I say GO FOR IT! It's super fun, and the product SERIOUSLY tastes like apple cider and champagne. My dad, who was the only person in my family brave enough to try it, agrees.

But I'm not the only person in the world who likes it! To my delight and surprise, I was in the health food store the other day and actually saw Kombucha on the shelves! Check it. They claim it's raw, organic and made with "pure love". Cute =) They dilute it with water and add some sugar. I'm sure it's quite tasty, and I'd say buy it if you're curious.
But personally, I like to make things myself. I also like to drink it straight up. Who needs extra sugar anyways? Just eat some fruit. Anyway it was cool to see. People just keep getting more and more interested in health! It's gotta be a good sign, right?

Well... now I have quite a bit of Kombucha... Hurray!