image by Ron Leishman: http://www.toonclipart.com/

I have always found replacing “bad” habits to be much more feasible than quitting anything. Quitting just leaves a void. Want, need, longing, fury, agitation, frustration - just to name a few - were my new companions in the void. Why not just find something I enjoy to replace the thing I enjoyed but found to be detrimental in some way.  It isn’t so much a question of will power as of energy.  Energy constantly transforms, but it doesn’t go away.  A habit is a pattern of energy.  It is constructive to work with it, creating change and transformation.

During the holidays I found myself inundated with ambivalence about all the sweets and treats I was confronted with constantly at that time of year. What should I do? I was tortured by the ice cream, chocolates, and egg nog. They made me suffer! - I want! I shouldn’t! I mustn’t! I want I want!

Ice cream was always one of my greatest addictions. Great in quality and size and challenge. Recently I have found a substitution which I find full-filling and delightful, leaving me without cravings. I make a shake. Not a milk shake! Young coconut banana shake. Delectable.

1 young coconut - water and meat
1 banana
6 pieces of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender or vitamix

For instructions on how to open a young coconut, you can search youtube.com or google.com. If you are a beginner, just be very careful!
The consistency of the shake will vary depending on the youth of the coconut - but I find all variations to be yummy.

Good luck and please post questions!

So at my next opportunity I experiment.  What makes this possible is the little Excalibur dehydrator I got on craigslist.org
I don’t know where I’d be without it.
Here is my latest creation. I have to mention that Margaret has inspired me by being inspired.
Inspiration works that way!

Hope you like this one.

4 large shiitake mushrooms
3 green onions
ginger - about 1/2″ x 1″ piece ( more if you are partial to ginger )
1 clove garlic
juice from 1/2 lime
3mm slice of serrano chile
1 tsp ground ancho chile (or your preference)
1/2 tomato
1/8 c olive oil
1 tsp pink salt

It is important with the spices, salt, and herbs of recipes that you adjust to your taste. For example you might like a little more lime or a little less serrano chile.

There is no right, there is only delight.

Chop shiitake mushrooms into bite size chunks
Cut the green onion into thin slices
Chop tomato into small pieces - about 1/4 size of your shitake chunks
Mince garlic, serrano, ginger
Add ground chile, salt, and olive oil

Mix well with your hands to get the olive oil and lime worked into the mushrooms. You may need more oil if the mushrooms are absorbing a lot. I am generous with olive oil, starting with less than I need and adding until a good consistency is reached.

Spread the mixture onto a teflex sheet on a dehydrator tray. Cook at 108 for 2 to 4 hours depending on the consistency you like. Try it after 2 hours. Again at 3. If it seems like it could go longer, let it go to 4.

I like this dish sharing a plate with a big green salad made with similar dressing ingredients and tomatoes.

It is good with a curry carrot and avocado soup, warmed by processing in the Vitamix.

Sauce:
Blend 2 chipotle peppers dry in a vitamix. Remove half of this powder to a food processor.
Strain and rinse the pine nuts - add to the vitamix with 1/2 c water, lime and salt. Blend until creamy.

Topping:
Reserved chipotle powder from the vitamix
Sorrano chile - Use as little as a 1 millimeter slice or as much as you prefer. Remember, these are hot.Jjuice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt (or more if desired)
1 tbsp olive oil
Soaked almonds (all)
1/2 c chopped pecans
6-8 large fresh basil leaves
1/2 c cilantro
2 tbsp fresh mint

Add the soaked almonds, salt, chili, lime, olive oil, pecans to food processor and pulse quickly so that you have a chunky mixture. Add the basil, cilantro, and mint and pulse a few more times to blend, still keeping it chunky.

Put it all together:
Rinse 2 packages of kelp noodles in a bowl, then strain. Put the noodles in a clean bowl and pour in the pine nut cream sauce and mix into the noodles using your hands to get them coated well. Serve (will make 3 large or 4 medium size servings) and add a generous helping of the topping.

This is a spicy dish! I love it this way, but you can adjust the chili component to your taste, adding a little at a time.

Kelp noodles are extrememly low calorie, so the substance or substantial part of the meal is in the nuts.  Many people get fearful about nuts because they think that nuts have a lot of calories.  Raw nuts, however, have enzymes and plant fats that our bodies need, because they are not degraded by heat nor mixed with low quality oils for processing and roasting purposes.  I love Raw!  Raw foods nourish and energize.  Don’t be bamboozled into eating processed foods because of fat myths.  We need healthy plant fats for cell health, brain function, and all sorts of things.

Now let’s do a reality check on the calories:
The total calories in the large portion of this recipe (when divided into 3 servings) is about 450.  The total calories when divided into 4 servings is under 350. For calorie amounts, these would qualify as on the level with someone on a diet.  The nutritional content of a raw meal like this is far higher than a small portion of lasagna. Take that Jenny!