Karen Knowler * The Raw Food Coach

"What Do You Mean, Raw Ice-Cream?"

Raw ice-cream: Doesn't sound particularly attractive does it?... But really, it's just words. Let's forget the “raw” word for a moment and concentrate on taste - and only taste. Yes, raw vegan ice-cream may be super-healthy too, but let's face it, have we ever chosen ice-cream for health reasons?!

So, just for a moment, let's talk TASTE and indulge honestly and openly in all things cool, creamy and comforting.

I've been an ice-cream lover since, well, birth really. Strawberry was my childhood favourite, although I was passionate about Neapolitan for a while there. Then came the strawberry Cornetto (and occasionally tutti frutti) as my tastes got a little more sophisticated, and then, as adulthood drew nearer still, the almighty Feast became the ice-cream to be seen with! Chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate, a chilling chewy creamy caresser-of-taste-buds on a stick - oh, during my teenage summers I thought heaven resided in a newsagent's chiller cabinet! Hmm.

Well, obviously life has moved on just a little... And little did I know then but later in life I was to discover the deliciously decadent and hedonistically heavenly raw chocolate ice-cream that I now indulge in on a just-as-regular basis, every season of the year - with zero guilt and zero post-ice-cream-sickness-syndrome. Now that's what I call a RESULT!

And it's really all thanks to my new best friend, the ice-cream maker and four simple yet profound ingredients that co-create what is the best chocolate ice-cream I have ever tasted...

Here's how:

VEGGIE SPAGHETTI WITH PESTO SAUCE

SERVES: 1

Veggie spaghetti is a great wheat-free alternative to traditional pasta and much lighter too. Combine it with a fabulously fresh dairy-free pesto and you’re in for a real treat!

 

EQUIPMENT

Spiral Slicer and Blender

 

INGREDIENTS

2–3 courgettes (zucchini) OR ½ marrow for the “spaghetti”

½ cup pine nuts or macadamia nuts (or combination of)

½ cup olive oil

Half a handful of fresh basil

1 clove of garlic

Water to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

To make the spaghetti

Take your spiral slicer and set it on the fi ne spaghetti setting. Use any of the following

vegetables to create flavoured spaghetti or your choice: Carrot; Beetroot; Courgette (zucchini); Marrow; Sweet potato/yam. (A common favourite for using in conjunction with a sauce is either marrow or courgette as both soak up flavours very well and have a very mild flavour themselves which doesn’t interfere with the flavour of the sauce.)

To make the pesto

1. Blend all the ingredients (apart from the courgette/marrow!) together until smooth.
2. According to your personal taste, add more nuts for a deeper/creamier flavour, more oil for an oilier texture, more basil for a stronger flavour, or more water if it’s too rich.
3. Pour onto your spaghetti and toss well for even coverage then serve on a bed of green leaves topped with some olives and fresh basil.

 

Raw Coach Top Tips:

• Try this recipe with mixed spaghetti – half carrot, half marrow for example. 

© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS RECIPE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

How Much Energy Can Your Body Hold?

Now and again, in the quieter moments, sudden flashes of insight come along when I least expect them, reminding me of one of the main reasons I choose raw.

Today I want to share an insight I had a few years ago about how much “energy” the body can hold - and how and why raw and living foods make it possible for us to feel energetically “bigger” and more able to experience life in a more profound and enriching way.

To be clear though - by “energy” I don’t mean the “jump-up-and-down-all-day-like-a-maniac” kind of energy, but the deeper, sustained, electric kind of energy that it takes to hold a thought, an idea, a philosophy or a concept and to hold its promise and its power, and to explore its depth and potential to the max no matter where it may lead – all without recoiling, being distracted, dismissing it or simply not being able to “go there” in the first place.

I once read in a book that it takes 12 times the energy to hold a spiritual thought than a normal everyday “what shall I have for dinner?” kind of thought. While I’m not sure how on earth this could be measured, I’m sure that all of us can appreciate that different levels of thought require different amounts of energy, as we all know how poor our mental faculties can be when we are ill or run down – we simply don’t have the energy available to read a book, let alone ponder on the bigger issues of life.

MARVELLOUS MANGO PUDDING

SERVES: 1-2

Ever since childhood I’ve been a big fan of frozen desserts. The following recipe on par with my now-famous “Raspberry Passion Pudding” taste-wise, even if it is a very different recipe. Please, give yourself the huge gift of making this for you and your loved ones this weekend, and you'll be a much happier bunny for it!

EQUIPMENT

Juicer/Citrus Press and Blender

INGREDIENTS

4 cups of frozen mango chunks
1 fresh peach OR nectarine
1 ripe banana
2 Medjool dates
1 passion fruit
OPTIONAL: 4 strawberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Juice the lemons using a normal juicer, or hand held citrus press. You can juice with or without the peel still on (I made mine with the peel juiced as well as the  flesh, but you need to go easy on the peel as in excess can make you feel a bit queasy).
2. Prepare and chop all of the fresh fruit then place in the bottom of your blender or food processor.
3. Add in the frozen mango chunks and then process the whole batch until well combined and a thick ice-creamy mixture is created.
4. Serve in small bowls or large wine glasses and decorate as desired.

Raw Coach Top Tips:

• Feel free to keep adding or subtracting new fresh fruits to this recipe to find the combination that you love the most. Hours of fun await you and your taste buds!
• Great for kids, this recipe is really easy for them to make themselves (with parental guidance as appropriate) and they will love eating it and also sharing with friends.

© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS RECIPE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

Where the Raw Food Journey Really Begins: Self-Love

Going raw is not only about more than “carrots and apples” it’s also about way more than raw food.

As anyone who has eaten mostly or all raw food for more than a month will tell you, what inevitably follows the desire to eat healthier, is the desire to live healthier in all aspects – internally and externally.

And this all comes down to one central theme – self-love.

Self-love is vital for anyone seeking to live and be their best, after all if we’re not looking after ourselves then we can only ever get to experience a fraction of what’s possible.

So today we’re looking at why you shouldn’t just be focused on what goes in to your mouth, but just as vitally what you’re feeding yourself on every other level too – and here’s why: 

1)   You can only give what you have to give; if you don't love yourself first you are drawing from an empty well. If you want to love others in a big, love-them-large kind of way, then you have to love yourself large first. Period. Where do you start? Keep reading…

RAW LEMONADE

SERVES: 2-4

A refreshing drink that will keep for hours and give you a pep talk from the inside out!

EQUIPMENT

Juicer and Blender

INGREDIENTS

2 organic lemons
500 ml pure water
3-5 Tablespoons of agave syrup
OPTIONAL: Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. Juice the lemons using a normal juicer, or hand held citrus press. You can juice with or without the peel still on (I made mine with the peel juiced as well as the flesh, but you need to go easy on the peel as in excess can make you feel a bit queasy).
2. Pour 500 ml of water into your blender jug and add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of agave syrup.
3. Blend on full until well mixed. Taste test. Add more agave as desired. Add ice cubes if desired and blend again.
4. Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw for a great breakfast drink or hot day refreshment. Mmm!

Raw Coach Top Tips:

• Feel free to add apples for a sweeter twist on this tangy drink.

© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS RECIPE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

My Return to Raw

This week, something different.

A very strange thing happened to me this week – three different people shared with me that my “Return to Raw” Journal, published in 2005, is something that they found fascinating to read.

It’s essentially my day-by-day journal over a period of 40 days when I went 100% raw. In it I shared how I and my life changed as I upped from high-raw to all raw, and how it affected me on every level.

When my new web site goes live the journal may well be disappearing or it may be incorporated into a product, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to download it today, completely free of charge.

It’s honest, it’s interesting and it’s 100% raw in every sense.

Download your free copy here >>

© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

TRULY RAW COLESLAW

SERVES: Makes a good-sized container full

This recipe is quick, easy and delicious. What’s also great about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. You can use your coleslaw as a side dish, mix it into a salad for a whole new experience, or use it as a topping or filling for a “meatier” recipe such as a veggie-nut burger or a raw sweet potato salad recipe.

 

EQUIPMENT

Blender and Food Processor

 

INGREDIENTS

For the slaw:
4 large carrots
1 small onion
1 small cabbage

For the mayo:
1 cup of water
1 cup of macadamia nuts
1 cup of pine nuts
1½ cups of cashew nuts
½ teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt
1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop the carrots, cabbage and onion into fairly small pieces and place in a food processor.
2. “Pulse” until your ingredients are well combined and appear the perfect slaw shape and size.
3. Pour them into a large bowl ready for mixing.
4. Rinse your food processor then add the mayo ingredients. Be sure to mix very well adding more water if needed or desired. (It all depends how thick and creamy you like your mayo. NB: This mayo thickens VERY well in the fridge so make it a little runnier than you think for the perfect creaminess for you.)
5. When fully blended, pour three-quarters of the mayo on top of the slaw and mix with a large spoon (or hands!), see how well your mixture is coated. If it’s fi ne, you’re done. If you need more coverage, add more mayo.

 

Raw Coach Top Tips:

• Any left-over mayo can be used as a dip or sauce for other dishes during the week.
• Fridge life of mayo is 5–7 days; the final coleslaw mixture with mayo will be good for 3 or 4 days in the fridge.

 

© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS RECIPE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

How To Create a Raw Lifestyle Vision Board

One of my favourite coaching exercises of all time is teaching people how to create a Vision Board.

When I first introduce the concept of Vision Boards, typically half of my audience have heard of them and only a third, or less, has actually created one. With this in mind, I’ll briefly explain more about what a Vision Board is, how you can create one and how you can turn it into a Raw Lifestyle version if that’s where your focus is right now. (Trust me, this is GREAT FUN!)

A Vision Board essentially is a pictorial representation on card, paper, wall or board of what you would like to have show up in your world in the next chapter of your life (for this particular activity we’re talking twelve months). It can be literal (like a picture of the car or new home you want), ethereal (like a sense of the mood or theme you want your year to show up like), suggestive (a rough outline of something you know you want but the details aren’t so important – like a photo of a sandy beach or an attractive wo/man) or symbolic - like flowers for beauty, clouds for space, a Buddha for peace. It really doesn’t matter what other people might interpret it to be, what matters is that it means something to you (a LOT to you) and that you believe you can attract/create your vision and are open to receive it.