Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

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!