Plumangoberry Smoothie

PEEEEAAAAACCCCCCEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Guess who's back!??

I couldn't remember my login to save my life...b.u.t I am here and it feels good!

There has been so much going on in the Cipher in the last few months; all of my Twitter fam knows what's up. *smile*

Let me bless you with a new smoothie video, this is so good and good for you!

Me and my Sick Cipher

Peace!

Our whole household is sick with the flu. Fever, mucus, all that nasty stuff. As of right now I don't have it nearly as bad as my boyfriend, who has pretty much been down for the count as of Friday, b.u.t I can feel it in my chest and I've been coughing since last night. My poor little baby has a fever, some coughing, b.u.t it's mainly to rid the mucus. Yuck.

*frown*

I think last time I had the flu was......I don't know. It's been a very very long time. All I know is that I don't like it.

There's lots of lemons, ginger, and cayenne circulating throughout the kitchen trying to alleviate some of our discomfort. I haven't even really been hungry. I just hope I don't get the full degree my boyfriend did. *frown*

I'm such a whimp when I get sick. =^_^=

Happy New Year (a day late!)

PEACE!!

Tomorrow is the end of our juice fast even though as of yesterday we're now officially Fruitarian. Woot!

I miss the whole concept of chewing so I put my coconut water in the freezer until it got nice and slushy and digging in. I never got to drink it yesterday either. =)

How did you celebrate the New Year?

Spring Equinox is the Next Level

Peace!

Spring is fast approaching and I'm really wanting to reap the best of this season and be in tune with myself more than I feel I have been recently.

My sweetie Divine, and I, will be partaking in a juice fast from March 18-22nd. The day after we will be eating strictly a fruitarian diet (I just keep going up the ladder, right?). We still get caught on the hook of occasional cooked food and I hate the way it makes me feel after I eat it (drowsy and sick). I'm tired of cleaning them skillets! =^_^=

I feel personally, this is the best way for me to stay raw. I'm still doing the knowledge on it, and if you'd like to learn more about it check out this link on how to become a fruitarian.

On a more positive note I am feeling better. I have been eating more broccoli and variety of greens and also squeezing a lemon (vitamin c) over the greens to help with the absorption of iron. =)

So this will elevate the remainder of my 120 day raw food experiment. I can carry my food around in my bookbag while out and about and not have to worry about leaky containers. Woot!

Raw when Anemic?

Peace,

Hmmmm....I think I'm anemic...again.

I have been in the past, especially during my pregnancies b.u.t if I am indeed going through anemia again, it will explain why I am so tired all the time.

Maybe I need to take an iron supplement or decide if I really do need to strive for 100% raw or not. When I was pregnant the drs tried to get me to eat red meat and THAT wasn't happening.

I will have to do some research to figure out my plan of action and how I can continue eating raw and getting the iron that I need in my system.

Any tips or ideas?

Peace

No Energy...

Peace Fam,

Today is Day 6 of my 120 day raw food challenge. Since the evening of Day 3, I've been so worn out and exhausted. I thought it was just from me being out all afternoon and evening chillin' and fixin' my brother's laptop (yes I am madd technical like that lol).

B.u.t the couple of days I have just been wanting to lay in the bed and rest all day. The last time I've been this exhausted, I was pregnant. Sooooooooo let's hope this go round, it's something else b/c the economy is just not right to add on to our cipher at this point in time. I've never been one to really detox either, mainly b/c I've been raw to some degree for a minute. B.u.t there's a first time for everything I guess.

I made a green smoothie this morning, ooooh it was so good. And my son wouldn't even let me enjoy it he kept pointing to my cup wanting some. At least he enjoyed it.

I sure do love my Flip camcorder. lol



Peace!

Day 3/120

Peace!

I'm about to make some tea and munch on an orange and apple.

The snow is still outside in abundance and I really miss the warmer weather that I became accustomed to during this time of year.

Yesterday I feasted on an amazing smoothie...it made a lot and made me think of the tropics:

Tropical Smoothie

• 1 mango diced
• 6 strawberries
• 1 kiwi
• juice of 1 lime
• bee pollen (optional)
• sweetner of choice
• Dole pina colada juice (not necessary b.u.t it's what I used)

Blend and enjoy!

Peace!

Officially on Youtube

Woot!



Tell me what you think!

In the Raw

Peace!

So yesterday we set out on our Raw journey; we probably should've eaten the non raw food in our fridge the day before to avoid it going to waste. The rest of our day prior to dinner time was raw so...I'm going to chalk that up to a 'test run' =^_^= Back to our regulary scheduled programming.

It's frigid outside and we got blasted by snow last night-so much for that springtime feeling just yet. I did purchase my video cam, and may do a smoothie video today to put up on Youtube.

I've created a new account, so request me as a friend and subscribe so I can keep you updated on everything from raw food, to the lastest artwork, culture and life in the Boro of Queens!

Jael Devine on Youtube

So this morning we're feasting on a smoothie made of carrot juice, mango, strawberry, banana and a splash of banana/pineapple/oj juice.

Lunch and dinner will be salads and/or smoothies.

That's pretty much it!

Peace!

120 Days 100% Raw

Peace!

So I've decided to stop b.s'ing b/c Spring is right around the corner and I would like to ring in the New Year (not the Gregorian New Year, b.u.t the Asiatic one) as in tune with myself (Earth) as possible. I've fluctuated in degrees of Raw for about a month, so on March 1st, I'm going 120 days of 100% Raw. The whole household will be partaking in this, especially since I'm the one preparing the meals!

At one point, I missed cooking. I missed the satisfaction of throwin' down and gettin' props on a bomb ass dish. To be honest now, I'm tired of it. I remembered how much time I spent in the kitchen (too much!). I'd rather use that time to build with my family or do something for myself.

I may actually cave in and get a video cam, and if I do, I will be documenting my journey on YouTube. Werd.

You may even come with me to Bed Bath and Beyond while I re-stock my culinary supplies (b/c they're still in Florida).

Peace!

Back on the Scene

Peace!!!!!!!

I needed some time off to attend to other things and get back on my Raw grind.

So I'm back!

I think what I've been missing are my lil' supplemental goodies that I coveted so much. You know, goji berries, coconut butter, all that good stuff. It made Raw more exciting. So I think this weekend I'll be placing an order, b.u.t for what, I'm not sure yet. Whatever it is though, it has to last, b/c if my sweetie gets his hands on some gojis or cashews, it's game over. They'll be gone in a few days. lol

So on Sunday my sweetie, babies and I went to Mecca (Harlem) to attend Parliament for Father Allah's physical Day. I was able to meet my buddy finally C'BS Alife Allah, who blogs on Black to Nature: Adventures of an Urban Raw Foodist. We go back to the GI2MR and SoulVegFolk days (which I'm hopping back on Give it to Me Raw woot!) so it was really peace to build with him and his alikes. Gave me more motivation to stand on my square and keep it raw!

Purple Powder all day Son. LOL

Peace!

Tamarind!

Peace!

I'll be the first to say it's taken me a longggggggggggg time to try this fruit. I had seen the frozen version in the grocery store in the Goya section mingling with the other fruits such as guayabana, morada and such that I would snag on occasion to throw in my smoothies; b.u.t something kept me from trying this fruit.

My sweetie brought a box home a few days ago and I was now face to face with either my new obsession or worst nightmare. How long was it going to take for me to buckle down and just try one? I mean, it's not like I'm about dig into a Durian**; how bad could it be? It says right on the box 'dulce'...

So I opened the box, and inspected the pods.

Cracked the outer shell and wondered just how the hell I was supposed to eat these...do I eat the whole thing or just scrape my teeth along the exterior?

Well, my method was to try the latter and I realized after eating the first one, it's like nature's caramel. I also realized I've had that taste before; when I've eaten authentic Indian food (like Samosas) they provide a dipping sauce (that is to die for) with tamarind in it (correct me if I'm wrong).

Ok so now I'm hooked on tamarind. Next step is to figure out what to do with it. I'm tasting a chutney or something....*creative spark*

mmmmm....

**(and for the record no I won't be trying Durian!)

Pineapple Cream Smoothie

Peace!

Had a really delicious smoothie this morning, and like always I have to share:

Pineapple Cream

• almond milk or vanilla rice milk (still haven't tried to make my own)
• pineapple (and lots of it!)
• orange juice (2:1 ratio of 'milk' to OJ)
• honey or sweetner of choice

Blend.

I didn't have any banana, and would usually add the banana to thicken it up, but I liked how this turned out with the flavors. Almost like a spin on the Creamsicle (aka Orange Julius) smoothie/popsicles I used to have back in the day. If you really want it thick, you can add the banana, or just add more pineapple.

Pretty soon I will be venturing out to a couple of health food spots like Linda's Organic Market in Kew Gardens. I've heard about that spot for a while now and I'm really in need of some flax seeds.

Hope you enjoy on this Superbowl Sunday!

Peace

Here's a tip...

Peace!!

Just passing a quick tip along today.

When at Sam's Club/Costco (which hasn't been in a while), or even the grocery store on occasion I tend to purchase the big plastic containers of salad. I hate having to dispose (recycle of course!) those containers so what I like to do is next time I'm at the store, I'll buy ingredients for a base salad (carrots, red cabbage and mixture of greens and herbs) and devote a half hour or so when I get home to washing/chopping all the veggies and putting them back into the salad container. That way if later in the week I'm on a time crunch, I can just go to the fridge, scoop out what I need from my base salad mix, and add on whatever other ingredients I'd like to use for that particular day. This also saves money from not having to go to the store every other day for more greens.

I keep my ingredients for the base salad very simple as well and don't include cucumbers, avocado, tomato, etc because I don't want them to wilt the greens and/or die off themselves while waiting to be eaten. Those I add later depending on what I'm craving. *wink*

Peace!

mmm...Hummus!

Peace Fam!!

I had the biggest craving the other day for some falafel (mmmmmmm) and Hummus, so today I'm soaking my chickpeas for some delicious raw hummus. I made it once before with canned chickpeas many moons ago and it was so delicious.

We eat a lot of veggie wraps here in the Kingdom, so I'm hoping my sweetie will like this alternate take on veggie flavor.

The version I'm in the process of making will be lemon/dill.

Normally I freestyle my recipes but I'll share with you how I intend to make it.

Lemon/Dill Hummus

• 1 cup soaked chickpeas
• extra virgin olive oil
• dill
• fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• water to help with consistency

Soak the chickpeas for about 24 hrs and let sit for 2 to 3 days to sprout. (I added a garlic clove to the water to infuse the flavor but that's optional) Add to the blender/food processor the chickpeas, garlic clove and freshly squeezed lemon juice. (no exact measurement, do it to taste but start with about a tablespoon). Turn on appliance then slowly add the olive oil and a little bit of water until it becomes the consistency of paste. Lastly add the dill (about 2 pinches of the fresh variety), salt and pepper. Adjust flavor to taste.

And enjoy!!

For those familiar with hummus, you can really take the creativity to the next level. You can add bell peppers (or even roasted bell peppers for an even better flavor), sundried tomato, curry, cilantro/lime...the choice is yours!

If you're on a time crunch, you can just throw in the blender the canned version but rinse off the peas first.

As for the falafel....mmmmm...I can't guarantee a raw version just yet but I will make good on that craving very soon!

Peace!

Creative Energies

Peace!

Just droppin' a lil' early morning gem on a delicious smoothie I enjoyed about an hour ago.

Yesterday while I was at the store, I picked up some Goya guava juice and figured it may be a nice lil' twist to a smoothie. Indeed it was. Normally though, I will use frozen fruit but was busy with a lot of errands and didn't have time to encompass the entire store.

Guavananaberry Smoothie:

• Guava juice or nectar
• Coconut water
• 2 bananas
• Strawberries

I have yet to venture out to the other boroughs to peep out any future addictions of mine b.u.t soon I will; it's too cold to be wandering aimlessly around Brooklyn and such with the Seed. Best believe when I do, I'll have pics to post.

**For all my Vegan alikes I will be adding a recipe blog to my Cipher. I've gotten quite a few inquiries on how I get down in the kitchen so look for that in the next day or two**

Peace!!

Heat is my best friend...

...indeed.

Peace Fam!!!

It is brick cold here in The Rock...and there is no heat in our building! For whatever unjustifiable reason, I am still freezing.

Heat is my best friend; anyway I can take it: hot shower, hot tea, hot soup.

I can now see why so many people choose to lower their raw ratio during the winter months, granted their King or Queendom is nice and warm. Last night we had ice on the inside of our windows from the condensation!

Today I made the two block trek to the store and picked up some fruit for smoothies in the morning but tonight I'm making some vegan empanadas (mmmm!), and tomorrow my brother is coming through whom I haven't seen in about 6 years and I'm throwing down some Vegan Cuban black beans, yellow rice and plantains just for the occasion. Aside from that I'm looking to consume as many raw fruits and salads as my cold body can withstand.

I'm eager to find out from others how they maintain their raw lifestyle in the winter.

Peace!

Back to Business...sorta.

Peace!!!

Feels like I've been gone forever.

Well, I'm back home (yay!) and so happy to be back in civilization.

This week hasn't been without it's adjustments though. I'm definitely more high raw now. Smoothies and salads are definitely an everyday thing, and hopefully soon I'll be able to experiment with more raw dishes. I've gotten accustomed to preparing Vegan dishes for my honey and I; I just need to find a happy medium between the two.

I have a confession to make.

*giggle*

I have a brand new love. I don't know exactly where you can find these outside of NY because I never remember seeing them in any other state I've been in, b.u.t OKF Aloe Vera King Aloe Vera Juice is soooooooo goood. There are little aloe vera filet pieces in there (organic of course) and honey and mmmmmmm....it is my new addiction.

Much more pleasant to drink than straight aloe vera juice. I couldn't find a decent picture of it online, so I'll just have to take a pic of it and post it later.

So that's the news for now. I'll be back tomorrow with some goodies to share!

Peace!

Pineapple and Papaya Salad

Mmmmmmmm.....

Salad...

Peace!!

This is a short post today, I'm leaving Michigan tomorrow and I am just all over the place trying to get stuff done!

Ok so this salad I made during the summer and found a picture of it stashed away in my old Flickr acct. The ingredients are as follows:

• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Spring salad mix
• Dulse flakes
• Olive oil
• Bean sprouts

With this salad, I used the juice from the fruit to serve as the dressing. With a lil' bit of olive oil splashed on there mmm mmm mm!. The dulse flakes served as the savory part of the meal. It was really delicious.

Mango is amazing on salad as well (if you don't do like me and eat it before it reaches the plate lol). A week does not go by that I don't throw orange slices in there as well.

Remember, creativity is key!!

Ok so a heads up, I will be on a mini 'vacation' of sorts until January 11th. Once I get situated I will have lots more things to discuss (finally!).

Peace and see you back in NyC!!!!