Who's your buddy?

When the weather becomes colder, it gets more difficult to stick with the raw lifestyle, especially if you are living it on your own. For instance, last year, I gave into many cooked temptations simply out of wanting to stay warm and fit in socially with everyone else.

First of all, a chill in the air always makes me crave hot soup, something I addressed in a previous post. Last fall, I immediately pulled out some of my cooked counterparts, when in fact, I've found that I am just as satisfied with the raw version. Adding a little spice and some warm, not hot, water, really does the trick.

Tonight for dinner, I threw together another version of my "what do I have in the fridge tonight" soup. It has a broth made from carrots, celery, onion, parsley, miso, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, a shot of Bragg's Liquid Aminos and some sesame oil. For the veggies, I tossed in some bean sprouts, thinly sliced carrot, celery, mushrooms, red onion and snow peas, and I topped it off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Not bad for a spontaneous recipe.

Another test of the raw foodie this time of year is the start of the holiday season. When you start getting bored of eating off small veggie and fruit (this time of year you are lucky just to find grapes on a cheese plate) trays, the chips actually start to look good (who thought that would ever happen), and its all downhill after that.

But, you can plan in advance for these events by eating a raw meal ahead of time, taking along a few snacks in your purse and/or offering to bring a raw dish to share. For example, I plan on bringing my own plate of raw food to Thanksgiving this year.

I meant to fix a few dishes to share with my side of the family, since they are more open to trying these things. However, it looks as though we will be dining with my husband's side, who would rather stick to their traditional fare. In the past, I would have opted to eat a baked sweet potato and green beans, but this time, I'll have my own plate prepared.

Having a good support system really helps you stay raw. My mom always makes sure to have plenty of raw fruits and veggies at every Sunday dinner (yes, we actually get together for a meal every Sunday), which I really appreciate. But, it would make it even easier with a raw buddy along for the ride.

Lucky me, I've finally found one. My coworker and friend, Robin, has been testing the raw waters for the past few months. She is the one that told me about the importance of having a raw food buddy in the first place.

She went to a women's herbal conference in August where she met Brigitte Mars, the author of "Rawsome." Since then, her growing interest in raw foods has inspired me to stick with the program and get creative in my raw kitchen again.

Thanks, Brigitte, for helping me find my raw food buddy.

To anyone reading this, who's yours?