Monday, November 26, 2007

Back to basics



After chowing down on all that heavy holiday food (there are no more leftovers left), it is nice to get back to basics and enjoy a light meal. Tonight, I had a bowl full of veggies with a tomato corn salsa for dipping (I know; not the best food combination, but better than some of the combos I ate this weekend). It may not be the most exciting dish, but it was what my body was craving.

I don't know about you, but after eating a lot of heavy foods, I find myself wanting something light. For instance, when I've just polished off a rich decadent dessert, I often decide to cleanse my palate with a fresh and juicy piece of fruit (again, not the best food combination, but it works fro me). Even my husband, who does not eat raw, also will choose to eat something light following a heavy meal (sliced strawberries and bananas in a bowl is his favorite).

Last night, I finished off almost the entire salad my mom put out with our usual Sunday dinner, as well as a large amount of the veggie tray and fruit. She commented on how she didn't expect the salad to be so popular, and then I surprised her even more when I said it was mainly me who had devoured it.

But back to tonight, I must have satisfied my uber craving for salad greens, veggies and fruits, because I somehow ended the night with a simple, yet far from light, dessert: my "pot-o-chocolate," as I sometimes call it. That's just my fancy way of saying a simple raw chocolate mix in a small bowl (sort of like how some people call Target, "Tar-jai"). It's just raw almond butter, cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla and sea salt stirred together in my own desired proportions and quantity. It really takes care of a chocolate craving in a pinch.

Now that I calmed the chocolate beast, I am continuing my "back to basics" evening with some knitting. I never mentioned that I completed my first knitting project, the scarf I pictured on a previous post. I plan on giving it to a family member for Christmas, although I cannot say which one (you never know who could be reading this).

I have since started another scarf (baby steps; I'm not an expert yet), inspired by the bamboo one my mom made me (I'm wearing it in the Nov. 23 pic). I am using baby blue bamboo, which is soft enough for a baby, too. Here is what I have going so far. I really need to get back to work.

P.S. I just added a pole question to the left. Don't be shy; feel free to input your answer. I'd love to hear from you :-)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello, your site is "adorable!" You mentioned that your husband is not raw, can you do a post about how you got started with raw foods and how this works with your husband not eating raw? I have been married a little over a year and have been reading a lot about and "dabbling" in the raw foods lifestyle but my husband is not as interested. Any thougths or suggestions? Thanks!

shannonmarie said...

Hi liz. Thanks for the compliment. That's a great idea for a post; I'll try to do one on the subject soon.

I applaud your efforts in testing the raw food waters solo. It can be rather challenging at first, but if you have a supportive husband like mine, it can definitely work.

We still eat meals as a family, but I eat my raw dishes and he eats his cooked meal. My son does a little of both. It is not what we have on our plates, but how we spend our time together that makes it work.

I'll fill you in more when I post on the subject.

Unknown said...

Thanks Shannonmarie, I look forward to your future post. My husband is super supportive and we agree that it is more about sitting down together for the meal than what is on each our plates.

shannonmarie said...

You're welcome. Having a supportive husband is a major factor in sticking to this lifestyle. Check out my Nov. 28 post.