Thinking of me

Now that title is definitely not in the holiday spirit (even if the holidays are just about over). I sound totally self-absorbed.

But, I didn't mean to ask you to think of me (I love that song, by the way). I was just so happy to share the fact that one of my raw foodie friends thought of me anyway.

You may already know to whom I'm referring; why of course it's Jenny, a.k.a. Wylde Girl. She turns everything into a work of art.

Anyway, she mailed me these raw nut-free (you'll never miss them; just check out this recipe) truffles as a surprise, and boy was I. They made it safely to my doorstep and into my tummy. Yummy!

Don't worry about me; I'll have time to polish them off before the new year. That's when I'll sample some juice recipes from April's new e-book. She was nice enough to send me a copy, which I can't wait to review for you.

Thanks for thinking of me, girls :-)

Don't forget the Chex party mix

As you know, 2008 is nearly over, and it's almost time to ring in the new year. What better way to celebrate than with some good old fashioned Chex party mix? That is, unless you're a raw foodie.

Growing up, I always made sure my mom made a batch of the stuff for all our holiday celebrations, especially New Year's Eve. Therefore, I just had to find a way to recreate the experience in raw form, of course.

It was fairly simple. I soaked some raw mixed nuts (always the best part of the party mix); marinated them in some olive oil in place of the traditional butter, Bragg's (my substitute for the Worcestershire sauce in the original) and a variety of seasonings (I used many of the same ones listed on the seasoned salt, but without all the unnecessary additives); and dehydrated them until "toasty."

Now, for the Chex part, you can use your favorite raw bread, cracker or crust recipe. I used a variation of the flatbread pizza crust in "Raw Food Real World," minus the hemp seeds and with the addition of the seasonings/marinade I whipped up for the nuts. I made sure to cut the flatbread into tiny squares, which were dehydrated until crisp.

For the last step, I tossed together the "baked" squares and "toasted" nuts with a little extra marinade and left the combination in the dehydrator for a while longer. The result was a snack mix worth the wait.

Hope you have a fun and safe new year :-)

The Pajama Game

I remember my mom had the soundtrack from that musical on vinyl when I was little. I used to sing along to it, as I danced around the house.

I have many fond memories of hanging out in my p.j.s on Christmas day, while we exchanged gifts, played with our presents and spun holiday tunes on the old school record player or 8-track.

Nowadays, we still go to my parents' house, where we open packages from each other, eat yummy food and burn off all those calories by running around like kids again.

Yesterday, we tested out the new air hockey table in their basement, chased each other around with toy guns (they shoot soft foam balls) and learned a few moves with the Wii Fit. I think we need to work a little more on our balance.

Today, Matthew, Jacob and I are having a pajama day at home. Still in our sleepwear, we're testing out Jacob's new toys, as well as pulling out some of the favorites from Christmas past.

Jacob even got some Mario props to help him get into character for playing Mario Kart. He looks like he's ready for some competition. Gotta go :-)

It's a Christmas miracle

After taking Martha Stewart's Christmas cookie style quiz, I discovered I'm a little fruity and nutty. I don't know how I should take that, but I guess it makes sense being that I am a raw foodie. Fruits and nuts are the main ingredients in many of my raw treats.

For instance, I came up with this raw fruitcake the other day while watching America Eats on the History Channel. There was a segment about fruitcake on the episode about the history of holiday foods.

You may be thinking, "why would I decide to make a cake with such a bad reputation?" Well, I figured if I made it raw, it couldn't be that bad.

And, I was right. This raw version tastes good to me. It's a miracle. Merry Christmas :-)

In the Nick of time

If you haven't gotten around to making those raw holiday cookies, you still have time, especially if you make some no-bake (no dehydrator required) cookies from this year's batch.

Although I did hold onto a few "baked" (dehydrated) gingerbread men from these decked out Gingercakes, the other three cookies (Cinnamon Mocha Crinkles, Raw Nog Creams and Hawaiian Wedding Surprises) can all be whipped up at the last minute (or check out last year's cookies; they can be made almost as fast).

Don't forget to leave some out for St. Nicholas, a.k.a. Santa Claus. You know he's coming tonight.

Survey says ...

It's time for a Christmas questionnaire, courtesy of Nicole Brenny from her Nicole Raw & Awake blog. Here are my answers. Feel free to share some of yours.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I prefer gift bags, because they are quick, easy and a good way to recycle. In our family, we hang on to all the bags we receive and reuse them to wrap other gifts. We have a Star Wars bag that's been making the rounds for about 8 years.

2. Real tree or artificial tree?
I hate to admit it, but although I love real trees, ours is artificial. Again, we continue to get use out of it every year. It's about as old as that gift bag.

3. When do you put up the tree?
The day after Thanksgiving, of course. Jacob makes sure of it.

4. When do you take down the tree?
When we get around to it. I just hate to admit that the holiday is over. But don't worry; I do take it down before the end of January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
I like the raw kind, especially in cookie form.

6. Do you have a stocking? What does it look like?
Jacob, Matthew and I all have stockings. They are knit like sweaters. Mine is red with a white cuff at the top and green buttons down the side. Matthew's looks just like mine, but the cuff is green. Jacob's is green with a red cuff and red buttons.

When I was little, my mom sewed all of our stockings out of red felt with our names down the side in bold white letters. Always with a good sense of humor, she made sure she cut the fabric to include toes at the end.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My husband is so particular. He also doesn't understand the concept of not buying things for yourself leading up to Christmas.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My mom loves anything I give her, or at least she lets me think she does.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes. It is a Fisher Price Little People set my mom gave to Jacob for his first Christmas. My sister just told me yesterday that she recently came across one of our missing figures.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
Mail is so much more personal, but it's also nice to receive e-mail wishes from those who do not know your physical address.

11. Most memorable gift you ever received?
My son was born not long before Christmas 2002. He is the best gift ever.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
"It's a Wonderful Life"

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I start shopping a couple months ahead of time. I hate to leave anything until the last minute.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Actually, I think I have.

Every year, my mom's side of the family gets together and participates in a game. We each bring a present and set it in the center of the room. Then, we all draw numbers and, based on the number drawn, select gifts from the pile in that order. When it's your turn, you can either decide to keep the gift, or swap it with someone else in the room.

This year, my grandmother had the idea of having us all bring items from our homes instead of purchasing new gifts. I think what I brought was something I received as a Christmas present a while back. It was a leather purse (I don't carry/wear leather), which I hid a $10 bill inside.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Clementines

16. Lights on the tree?
Of course :-)

17. Favorite Christmas song?
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" has been my favorite, since Jacob first learned to sing it. Now he won't stop. Ha ha :-)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
We don't go far, but we don't get to stay home either. I work Christmas Eve day, and then we go to Matthew's grandmother's house that evening. Christmas day is spent at my parent's house.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
You betcha. I was determined to know them all as a kid, and I still do thanks to this song:

"You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen,
But do you recall,
the most famous reindeer of all?"

You can't forget Rudolph.

20. Angel on top of the tree or a star?
It varies from year to year. Right now we have an angel Jacob made out of paper plates in school.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Presents are opened on Matthew's side of the family on Christmas Eve. Then, Santa brings toys on Christmas, followed by more gift unwrapping at my parent's house.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Having too much to do with not enough time to do it. I think I need some more days in December.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Little white Christmas lights

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Dessert

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Time with friends and family

26. Who is the most likely to respond to this?
Someone who cares :-)

27. Favorite Christmas tradition?
I like relaxing at home with my hubby and son the day after Christmas.

So you may be wondering why there is a pic of broccoli salad at the top of this post. Well, it just wouldn't be like me to blog without a photo. Therefore, I snapped a quick pic of these little trees I dressed up to share with my family. Happy holidays!

I can have my cake and eat it, too

If you've been following my blog all along, you are already aware of the fact that I'm the only raw foodie in my family. And, I'm not just referring to my household (although my hubby and my son will try a few things every once and a while). Neither side is raw, much less vegan.

So, how do I handle these family gatherings?

Well, my side of the family is usually willing to experiment, so I tend to bring a dish or two to share (last year, I brought a whole mini buffet). They also make sure to have raw fruits and veggies, and my aunt has been known to bring a good vegan salad every once and a while.

On my hubby's side, they like to stick with their traditional fare, although his dad and sister-in-law have been brave enough to try a bite of whatever I'm eating (I tote along my own raw plate). His mom always provides a veggie tray, and sometimes his uncle will set aside some green beans before he cooks the rest (occasionally he also bakes me a sweet potato, since it is one of the only items I'll eat cooked in the colder months).

Last night, we gathered at Matthew's brother's house to recognize Jacob's (yes, he's still celebrating) and Jason's birthdays. Of course, there was cake, so I needed to bring something for dessert.

Usually, I'd take some raw cake (I did have a few cupcakes in the freezer) or n'ice cream. Since I heard they were having ice cream cake, I decided to combine the two.

At the last minute, I opted to make an individual slice of raw n'ice cream cake for yours truly. It was easy; I just whipped up some banana-based chocolate n'ice cream in my food processor, shaped it into a square, added a layer of raw chocolate cookie crumbles, and topped it off with more n'ice cream, some leftover raw whipped icing (I always have some on hand these days) and chocolate rock shavings. Now that's a n'ice cake :-)