Real Foods and Me

I have moved to greener pastures...

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:13:00 +0000

You can follow my adventures here at grassfedmomma.com!
Thanks

Deb

MY CANCER STORY UPDATE Interview with Anthony Anderson aka The Raw Model !!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:48:00 +0000

GREETINGs Friends !
It has been sssooooooooooooooooooooooo long since I updated that I need to share this interview so you can figure out what the heck I have been up to!
Many exciting things are happening for me and my quest for the best food on earth to share with you all!
Thanks so much to my bro Anthony Anderson who is an amazing man and a super good friend of mine.
Find out how Anthony is replanting Paradise at his blog The Raw Model
I love you all!!!!!!!!

Interview with Those Lovely SweetPeas the Lindenscchmidts!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:22:00 +0000

Attention Love Bugs!

I know I have not posted here in many moons but TODAY is a very special day!
The amazing team of James, Lisa Marie and Morgan Lindenschmidt, the very same Mead Crafters and Rite Chocolate creators are interveiwing ME!

The Lindenschmidts have a super fun and informative podcast called The SweetPeas Podcast. And I am a huge fan! Amazing people like Daniel Vitalis, Anthony Anderson, Heather Pace, Frank Giglio and his lovely Goji, Arthur Haines and so many more have graced the airwaves at The SweetPeas headqaarters in the beautiful state of Maine.

Please look on itunes and find the SweetPeas. My interview should show up this week sometime.

I am thrilled and honored to talk about my food journey and how I did it with my family etc etc.

LOVE YOU ALL

peas out
deb

The Craft and Lore of Mead!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Have you ever tried Mead? Think it's too hard to make?

James, Lisa Marie and Mo aka The Sweet Peas Crew!

Poppycock I say!

Let James Lindenschmidt of the Sweet Peas Podcast show you how!

Weighed down with information overload?
This 16-page mead-making guide gives you the concise information you need right now to make your first batch a success, as well as a powerful 6-step method framework that will grow with you for years to come!

This guide also includes a historical look at the lore of mead and a breakdown of the nutrition of fermentation. Advanced MeadCrafting techniques are also introduced every step of the way as signposts for when you take your meadmaking to the next level. Available as a PDF download.

I can't wait to make my first batch! Stay tuned for more info on that project.
LOVE and SWEET PEAS!
deb

Jack You will Be Missed, Thanks for the Memories

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:13:00 +0000

I grew up watching Jack LaLanne, every day when I was a kid.
Here Jack rocks out a raw dessert.

The world was a better place with you in it, rest in peace. Or doing Jumping Jacks :)

A Very Special Request: Selim G. Saab Memorial

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:35:00 +0000

Selim was a very generous, loving, kind, funny man. He will be sorely missed. If you feel you can, the family could use some help with this devastating loss. Please read through to the end for info on how to help them out.

With Much Love
Deb

Selim and Andrea

Selim Gabriel Saab

Date Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 2:02PM

Dear Family and Friends -
On Thursday, December 16th, Selim passed away.
He is terribly missed by his wife Andrea and her daughters, Alexandra and Amanda Maw.
There are no words....Thank God for the outpouring of love, hugs and encouragement from family and friends over these several days. Thank you for being here for us. There have been very few moments without big strong arms around us.
Selim asked that we bid goodbye to all of his friends. Under the circumstances, we have done our very best to share this news with you personally and are very sorry if we have not already been able to reach you.

Selim, Alexandra, Andrea and Amanda

He loved Andrea, Alexandra, Amanda and his three precious Goldens - Charlie, Max and Lucky, and our many family and friends.

Lucky, Charlie and Max Selim's Beloved Boys

We are holding a private memorial service to celebrate Selim's life in our home at Casa Paradiso in Paradise Valley, AZ on Tuesday, December 21 at 2:30 pm. Please let us know if we may have missed contacting anyone here in Arizona that may wish to join us.

Sam and Selim
We send our love, and our best wishes for the holidays. This will be our time for the three of us to reflect on the 10 years of amazing love that we shared with our Prince, Friend, Stepdad, Sage, Soul Mate and our Angel - it is a privilege for the three of us to have been loved so deeply - and to hold his love in our hearts as we look to our path forward. We know that path will have many helping hands and hearts - for that we are grateful.

We have received many offers for help. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness and appreciate your support and encouragement over the coming months. We know this will be a painful journey ahead for the three of us. Thankfully we have all of you to buoy our spirits - we are already being strengthened to move forward with full hearts and optimism!

Amanda and Selim
We ask that you please not send flowers and have established an account in support of the family in memory of Selim Gabriel Saab.
xoxo
In Love
Andrea, Alexandra and Amanda
The 'A' Team - Princess Warriors

International Wire:

Wire Routing Transit Number: 121000248
SWIFT Code: WFBIUS6S
Bank Name: Wells Fargo Bank
City, State: San Francisco, CA
Account Number: 2171187046
Name of Account: Alexandra Maw
Branch Address: 8675 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 480-443-3287

Domestic Wire (US):

Wire Routing Transit Number: 121000248
Bank Name: Wells Fargo Bank
City, State: San Francisco, CA
Account Number: 2171187046
Name of Account: Alexandra Maw

Branch Address: 8675 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 480-443-3287

PayPal for Credit Card:

No PayPal account required

Where I Spend My Time

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 02:06:00 +0000

With a title like that I am sure many of you are thinking "Not Here!". Meaning, my blogging has been sparse, lots of time between posts. Why? What in the wide world of sports am I doing?

Eating Lots of these...

Got a New Washer/Dryer set

Celebrated the amazing Juliet's big 5 0 with pals...

Ate lots more of this.......

and more........

In a word, Living.

First Day of Fourth Grade!

Living life, loving my family and friends, being with people who lift me up, who support my heart and stimulate my mind.

How about a few more pictures to make my point?

Got to meet and hang out with Johnny and Dana...

Ate some of this at Cru..raw brownie with raw strawberry ice cream.. Sam's First Bank Account...

Sam's Fashion Show!

Took the ladies to the Gardens...

Went to a raw food class in Malibu......with my friend Andrea

Finally met Sweet Heathy of Sweetly Raw!

and Gina LaVerde and Dougie!

More good times cutting Johnny and Dana's hair and have a raw dinner..

Farmer's Market with Philip, Anthony and Dolly....

Sam LOVES Uncle Tony and Auntie Dolly <3

Got off black tea, going for decaf green and rooibos spice..

Rescued an Elderly Scottie dog...for the weekend..

Helped at the school carnival.........

Made Slimy Green Smoothies for Sam's class Halloween party...

With the dynamic trio of Cook Girls....

Had a fun dinner with Philip and Heathy

Took the Family to Au Lac to celebrate Philip's Day of birth...

With gorgeous Bunny Anita....

Heathy and Philip at Au Lac

Lori, me and Heathy at Au Lac

Gina, Doug and Dougie, me and Sam at Au Lac

made Malcolm into Satan..

he's just a little devil that boy...

Listened to Sam play at her recital...

So that is a glimpse of the last few months.. not everything is here.. but you get the idea.

Take time to slow down and breathe, Take time to have Gratitude for all the riches of your life, especially your friends, your family, your amazing body and soul....

Take time to smell the flowers...

Dolly with flowers from my yard.

Take time for you and cherish each moment of your life,
love
deb

http://danaherbert.blogspot.com/

Anthony and I Talk about Food at Whole foods Pasadena

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:41:00 +0000

So sorry that I have been naughty and MIA, just so much life going on that I have not sat down to blog in eons!!

Anthony of Raw Model/ Blackbird Naturals fame came to town with his gorgeous gal Dolly a few weeks ago. We were so happy to have them here and guess what? Anthony and I told our stories about eating raw foods, moving into Real Traditional foods and sustainable living via food forests!
I talked about my CLL story, how raw foods helped me get better blood work..

Anthony shared his raw food days and his focus on Food Forests!

Be sure and get some of Blackbird Naturals Seed paks, they will get on the way to growing your own food in no time!

Here is the video in case you missed it:

Here's to good friends, good times and real food!

Little Big C

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:12:00 +0000

Just watched the pilot for "The Big C" on Showtime.. cried my eyes out. Why the waterworks? Laura Linney, one of my all time favorite actresses, plays a wife and mother who gets diagnosed with cancer but decides not to tell her husband, son or brother.
Here is the trailer:

The scenes with her son, who seems to just be a typical back talking, no respect teenager who drives her crazy and she loves dearly, really got to me. At one point, she pins him against the wall and tells him flat out that she is going to "Parent you so hard your head will spin" from here on out. And I cried. Because without the teenage boy part, the mom part is me. Totally.

Ever since I got my (alleged) expiration date stamped on my ass, I have focused on how I am going to squeeze a lifetime of love, guidance and parenting into my daughters head and heart. How will I make sure she knows how to take care of herself, how to eat right, how to sew, cook, clean, and man, forget about all the older kids stuff like driving, college, gasp! dating!!!!!!!!?
How to be a good person, how to tell when others are trustworthy, how to choose friends, how to keep them, how to be happy, how to be kind, how to share.. without being a doormat.. how to love, how to live. A tall order for any parent, but when you feel like the meter is running and you are out of quarters.. well, it feels near god damn impossible.

My Precious Angel

In another scene, Laura's character is telling everything to a dog, talking about how as a parent you always pray that you will die first, that you never want to endure losing your child. And yes, that is so very true too.. but it is just as hard to feel like you are leaving things unfinished, like a symphony that is missing the second half, truncated, not complete. Because no matter how beautifully written the first half is, the missing second half creates a void deeper than the Grand Canyon, an abyss of longing. And that sucks. And makes me cry.
Not for me you understand, but for her.

Kelp Noodles at Cru

I feel such a strong sense of responsibility somehow, not that her Dad cannot teach her, help her grow up, he can, he is a wonderful loving father.
But damn it, this is MY job.
The job I longed for, suffered for, gave up so much that I used to cherish for.. the most important job I have ever had. I sort of feel like the factory is shutting it's doors right before I get the gold watch and pension.

And I am scared, fearful, anxious. What I realized, whilst crying and watching the drama on the tube is, that way of parenting is exactly the OPPOSITE of what she needs. It makes me less available, instead of more. It makes me full of Don'ts, Shoulds, You Have To!, please eat what is good for you, please don't watch TV, please please please just let me Parent you so hard your head will spin......shit. Not the desired effect at all.

So I have to learn to relax and trust.. and fill her life with extraordinary people, who show her things by how they live their lives, talented loving hands who guide her mind, make her think, encourage her natural talents to grow.. and know that one day, when I pass the parenting baton, many caring hands will be there to take up the race.

Our BlackBird Family: Dolly, Anthony, Myself and Sam, Salim and Amanda and Andrea (photographer)

I feel better already..
with love and fearlessness,
deb

Happy Birthday to My Dear Dhru

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 01:44:00 +0000

There's a man in my life who is not my husband.
I never get to see him, well two times this year, but for the nearly three years we've known each other, that's it. I write him often, sending love and commenting on topics near and dear to our hearts. He is full of radiance, compassion, a truth seeker and just a genuine old soul at large in this crazy quilt world.

When I do get to see him, my heart sings, my mind reels with ideas, my soul is open and free. His smile is 1000 watts, his presence at once comforting and thrilling. I love him dearly and hope to have him in my life for the next fifty years. Did I mention that he turned 28 today?
Oh and Sam thinks he's pretty darn cool herself.

When he's not copying her that is...

Suffice to say that without his guidance, caring and support I would not be the same person I have become since we met.
Dhru, I love you.
Happy Birthday and please, have about 80 more will you?

If you want to meet my Dhru you can find him at We Like It Raw, his inspiring blog about all things raw and all things groovy.

with Big HUGS and Much Gratitude,
deb xoxooxoxo

It's Just Real Good Food...

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:32:00 +0000

and I want to share with you all the bounty of my table.
Here is a mini harvest from my small garden..the strawberries were delish, the rest will be devoured very soon.. and I will share. I want to post most of my meals here so you can get some new ideas.. don't worry, they may not all be raw but they will be plant based!

Today I ate watermelon, some halawi dates from Pato's Dream (Thanks Doug!), some berry/banana/coconut milk 'ice cream' and a fuji apple with some almond butter and a dab of raw honey and a few cacao nibs for a movie snack.

I took Sam to see Ramona and Beezus and I highly recommend it to families and kids, lots of fun, very G rated which is rare these days!

Dinner Time!
I was inspired by Nell Stephenson, an athlete, trainer and healthy eater. This is what I made for dinner, you can see Nell's version on her site.

Farm Fresh arugula aka rocket, with strawberries, sliced raw almonds and a small hass avocado. Dressed with a squeeze of lemon, some hemp oil and pink himalayan salt. Let's just say it was tasty and went fast!

In the oven I have a purple yam or camote.. this amazing root veggie is known to be a super-food and my pal Fernando introduced me to it.

It goes by other names, such as

Okinawan purple potato = Okinawan yam Notes: The flesh of this Japanese sweet potato is vivid purple. It's perfect for tempura, but it can also be baked, sauteed, boiled, steamed, or mashed. Substitutes: Japanese yam

By the time I finish this post, the yam will be roasted and ready for a bit of coconut oil and sea salt. I am experimenting with cooked starchy tubers for dinner, so far so good!

My Real American Hero series will be posted over on my other blog, Grass Fed Momma. I hope you join us and meet some true super heroes in the food world at large!

Our first hero will be none other than Anthony Anderson and his BlackBird Tribe!

Dolly with Prudence the wonder chicken, Anthony, Me, Selim, Amanda and Sam in the coop!

oh my, my yam is done, put some coconut oil and pink salt on it.. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

with Purple passion
deb

The Real American Heroes of Food Series Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:49:00 +0000

Sing along with me won't you?

' Real American Heroes.. ' yes, I am aware that song is for a beer commercial. But here at Debbie does raw, and at Grass fed Momma, those words mean much more.

This summer, I will be paying tribute to my own Real American Heroes, the men and women who inform, delight and just plain inspire me to greater heights!

Who are these heroes you ask?

Let's see..

Raw Model Food Forester Anthony Anderson and his Too Cute Blackbird Naturals crew!

Sugar Shock! author Connie Bennett

Matt Stone of 180 Degree Health!

Jimmy Moore of Living La Vida Low Carb

Alice Waters of Chez Pannise and The Edible Schoolyard

and Many Many more..
Great Minds think alike.. and I want you all to know the people behind all that thinking!

Stay tuned for the first post on Real American Hereos!
with super charged love,
deb

We Interrupt this Blog for Living Life

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:39:00 +0000

No time for blogging, got to get my life in gear. We are off to the beach for a few days of camping..

Hope you have a lovely week and get outside for some hot fun in the sunshine!

with Love
deb

A Message from Kris Carr: Rest!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:58:00 +0000

My mentor and Friend Kris Carr just posted this lovely vlog.. the topic is REST!
I try to get at least 30 mins of doing absolutely nothing each day. Sounds easy? Not for a whirling dervish mom/wife/hairdresser/PTA member/exercise maniac/cook/shopper/housekeeper/reader/blogger.. shall I go on?
LOVE YOU KRIS!!!!!!!!
Join us at the Wellness Center of the Universe at Crazy Sexy Life forum!
Ciao', gotta go find my sleep mask..

Lemon Larabars, um, make that LaraBalls and Lululemon on my 51st Bday

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Sat, 29 May 2010 20:12:00 +0000

Since 1959

Yesterday, May 28th, I turned 51 years of age. Old enough to know better and put make up on before I came downstairs to the sound of Altered Images singing "Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!" amid some random giggling.

He's Not Mad, Daddy just hates smiling. For the camera that is.

These two were up to mischeif.. the suspense was in the air..and Surprise! Daddy had the camera, Sam decorated the dining room and a big lovely bag from Lululemon was sitting there with my name on it! Awesome way to start the day!

I love me some Lululemon!

After getting Sam off to school and Dad off to work, I ate a BlackBird naturals Truffle and then did my one hour run, super energy from that one truffle WOW! It was a grass fed butter one, so that is all I will say on THIS blog.. more on them on my new blog Grass Fed Momma. Check it out for the other non vegan side of my Gemini life!

We went to Wood Ranch for dinner, I had their great coleslaw, it is super yummy. Another surprise awaited me, silly me, thinking that was enough for one birthday. And let me just say, Daddy got the video camera out and well, it's an interesting 30 seconds of fun.. just watch!

In case you are concerned that I did not indeed make a wish, just held that crazy face for a bit then blew the candles out.. I did make a wish after all the hullaballo. And it's a doozy. No I will not tell you. Everyone knows it won't come true if I do. Jeez!

Today I had a hankering for Lemon Larabars, all this lemon talk got me going! So here is my sort of on the fly Lemon Larabar or rather, LaraBall recipe. Enjoy, they are tasty little buggers.

Malcolm! Bad Boy!

oops, it's just Mom's Lemon Laraballs, sorry boy!

Seriously they are good, you can change the shape of course...

In your food processor toss 12 dates, pitted unless you are a thrill seeker, about 1/2 cup of Trader Joe's sliced raw almonds

(Note: I did not soak anything, it makes it all soupy in my opinion, but soak away if you feel better doing that)

Take a lemon slice(Meyer is best IMO), squeeze a bit o juice in there and throw in some peel for vibrancy and let 'er rip... taste.. add lemon if not zesty enough... add dates if not sweet or gooey enough..

Add about 1/4 cup raw cashews, process a bit until you get the world famous "ball effect". Taste, adjust, a pinch of sea salt may be nice :)

I rolled mine into balls, let them chill and try to eat just one.

I double dog dare ya. (Malcolm made me say that.)

With Undying Love for all of you

deb xoxo

Officially Over 50

It's a New Day: Why I am No Longer a Vegan

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:55:00 +0000

Note to all Vegans: you may not like what you read here today. Avert your eyes if you are faint of heart about non veganism!

So HI!
My blog is called Debbie Does Raw... and I do eat mostly (90% or so, sometimes 100%) raw foods and have done for about 2 1/2 years now. For the last two years my blood tests for my CLL have been stable.

Before I went raw vegan, they were steadily rising at a rate of about 2K every two months with a high reading of 29K, about three times normal white blood cell count. I shudder to do the math.. let's see, 12K rise per year times two years. .if I would have kept on my SAD/vegetarian/junkatarian style diet I could be looking at a white cell count of over 55K and possibly the onset of serious symptoms.

MY BEFORE: YIKES! Sam was about 2 here I think..

On April 7th, my oncologist clocked my WBC at 21K and said "We will grow old together!" which is for him the equivalent of Obama streaking the White House lawn. He is a very serious guy, not much joking going on.

So YEAH RAW! It is the best diet I know to reverse aging, heal illness and flip your disease "ON" switch into a "dimmer switch" setting. Why mess with that?

After my initial success of halving my white blood cell count in five months of raw vegan eating, I kept on doing what I was doing, went to Raw Spirit in Sedona and generally felt super fantastic. I did have a nasty persistent rash all around my eyes, mouth, chin and nose.. could not get rid of it..

Earth Hour 2009

I lost some weight but felt that the way I looked was right for me, about ten lbs less than I weighed most of my adult life. I exercised a lot, lifted weights etc, just was super active and feeling groovy.

After my Oct. 2008 blood test, holding steady at 16K or so.. I got an idea. I got the idea that somehow, someway, I could CURE my disease totally, not just keep it steady but blast it out of my body! So I did a six month experiment, in my human petri dish aka ME.

In this period of time I did regular enemas (yeah at home, party on Garth!) and had 12 professional colonics done and did some Hyperbaric Chamber time just to mix it up.

I set aside my fixation on medjool dates and all things Larabar or involving anything too sweet (easier said than done for me the Major General of Sweet Tooths!)

Raw Cacao Truffles

Looking like Slim Shady.. I can see it now, could not see it then..

I did eat fruit, lots of it. And I juiced like always, ate about a thousand salads etc. And I lost a bit more weight. It was pretty rough going at times. Sometimes I had side aches and upset bowels after colonics, so bad I did not eat at all. I kept exercising but did not really see any muscle gains or strength gains.

The moment of truth came at the oncologist office. I was so confident, so excited, so SURE that I would be CURED!! (that word, btw, should be banished. Cure is not a good focus, wellness is the only goal, IMHO) and guess what happened!? I got worse. My white count went up to 19K. Ouch. That hurt. Bad.
Because of this one reason: My Daughter, who needs me to stay healthy...

And as much as I said, just keep swimming just keep swimming, I knew that I must be doing something wrong.

I started looking into CLL deeper, searching for someone who cured themselves of it, who healed on their own. To date, I have only found two people who claim this in the world.

Both had all dental work removed (root canals and mercury fillings etc) and one, Steve Frier used Coral Calcium also. As I have had tons of crowns and root canals, this for me would pretty much mean dentures. . not an option. When I researched the dentist Hessel used in Australia, he stated flat out that "vegetarians/vegan will not benefit from the treatments and they cannot heal properly." Hessels food list contains butter, eggs and other animal products. What? I thought? .. hmmmm...

Mother's Day 2009

and a certain age that I reached last May....

meant there was no time to fool around.. and it was time to consider.. well non veganism. Funny enough I met a guy who told me all about raw milk kefir and how he made his own.

Then my research led me to Jerry Brunetti, a man who according to the drs should have died years ago, but healed his lymphoma with raw colostrum, raw milk and other healing foods. Check Jerry out here.

Another good friend from Crazy Sexy Life , Dana Herbert was also using raw milk in her fight against jaw cancer. Things were pointing me in the direction of (GASP)using animal products. I was scared to try them, afraid I would have mucous flow out of all orifices or terrible stomach pains.. but after a sip of raw colostrum.. nothing bad happened. To be honest, all the enzymes and enemas et al had made a bit of a mess out of my digestive system. It was not functioning well at all, even a simple green juice could leave me with hours of pain in my gut.

I started making my own kefir, thanks to a friend with grains, added in some raw butter and a few eggs here and there.. and I felt...... really really good. Better than I had in quite some time. What gives?

At the Screaming Cherry Blossoms gig to see Alissa

and better...

Notice my muscles are coming back?

I got stronger..fitter...gained weight...hmmmm..on not too much raw dairy a week, still mostly raw fruit and veg.. lots of fruit...

and I kept gaining weight..5 lbs in six months..

holding my own on the bike...

on the way to a talk on the benefits of raw dairy..notice anything?

next onc visit...just last month.. blood got worse again. and I gained 8 more lbs....argh.....

I quit all my raw dairy, went back to full raw vegan.. and realized that I had been eating all my fruit, dates, lots and lots of sweets, raw but loaded with sugars.. along with my increased raw fat/dairy. Ooops.

back to the drawing board...

Currently, I am using raw kefir, a bit of raw butter and raw cheese.. and (WARNING NOT RAW OR VEGAN) some broiled fish and bison..stay tuned.

Bottom line folks: Read Lierre Keith's Vegetarian Myth before you write me hate mail.

Read Daniel Vitalis's story of his long journey out of Raw veganism

Read Kai Lilla's story of her teeth saved by leaving vegan behind..

Read Raw Model Anthony Anderson's move to raw dairy and beyond!

Read J S and Heidi's journey into vibrancy and health

and for some really amazing storys visit Rhys at Let Them Eat Meat for many ex vegan interviews!

I want to live.

Period.

and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

You can judge me.

You can throw animal blood on me.

But unless you can keep me alive.. I don't really answer to anything other than that.

With Love and Compassion,

Deb

Hawaii= Raw While Traveling!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:15:00 +0000

Most of you know that my dear Jazmine moved to Hawaii to go to college and live with my in laws last June.. it was both happy and sad for us. We are so grateful to her grandparents for taking her in and helping her get started at college and learn to drive. We miss her.. so off we flew on Spring Break to see them all!

After the Prison guard like greeting at LAX, getting yelled at to take my sweater off, don't put that in the bin, put that in the bin etc.. we got to sit and wait.. then we were off! Hawaiian Air is Da Kine for going to Hawaii, so nice and they even serve a fruit bowl! We had a great flight and landed in the warm evening breezes of Honolulu.

The Girls are Re united and it feels so good!

Rawnola, cashew milk, apple bananas YUMMY!

The View from our Room

Blending up some Green love smoothie

My Jazzy, all grown up!

The Young Ladies

Daddy and His Girls

We went to the Kapolani Farmers Market, at Jazzy's college.. so wonderful and full of island organic produce!

Organic Greens, the collards were HUGE!

I got some Lilikoi Dressing.. all her stuff is organic and made with Lilikoi!

Yes, that is a jack fruit, also had black sapote and more exotics that I had never seen before! I bought a giant avocado for 4.50.. but it was worth it a few day later.

Naked Cow Dairy.. grass fed butter with toasted coconut....oh my...

Raw Food Goodies from Licious Delicous, they rawk!

Grandma, Grandpa, Jaz and Sam waiting for me to shop...

Jaz is studying for her drivers license, not so easy in busy Honolulu. Jaz, you did great!

We ate out and of course, Sam was thrilled!

Jaz and Dad, they got some golf in this trip!

The Young Family together again!

You know these two hooligans..

After a workout, nothing like a great green smoothie, Hawaiian style....

Organic honey, butter with toasted coconut, apple bananas, eggfruit(it was good!) and some greens and cashew milk, Yummy breakfast.......

We headed to the beach right by the hotel, it was gorgeous, not too hot and a small breeze...

Sam took time to meditate...

Salad fixins all from hawaii, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, thai basil and Lilikoi dressing.. it has a touch of mustard and honey too.

On the way to Makapu Lighthouse, it was really windy!

Hard to match this stunning sight!

Windblown but having fun!

We got a little lost, loved this billboard in a small town past Makapu..

On the trail to the lighthouse......

This is a prime whale watching spot.. sadly we saw none;(
windy fun at the top of the hill

I think this is an island too..
Sam in Action as Usual!

We went to the fairly new Whole Foods.. WOW.. don't expect the same prices as the mainland, everything was at least 35% higher, some things were double the price!

Sam's Favorite Dive
my fav book of the trip, reading by the pool

We visited Jaz at her workplace and it is so cool! Kokua market is a natural foods coop and one of the cooks is from Cafe Gratitude!

Check out the raw stuff, the macaroons were loved by all, even Sam!

Jaz works in the produce dept and makes all the fruit and veg look amazing! Good Job Jazzy!

Me going crazy shopping at Jazzy's work!
More shopping went on.. Sam got a new dress..

Then back to Grandma and Grandpas! We love hanging out at their house, Sam and Grandma are into makeup here!Sam got new tennies and discoverd the treadmill!We found this dress at the thrift store

Off to the North Shore. sisters at play! Turtle bay
the sudden rain!

Haleiwa.. and the smoothie place.. Sam takes notice of the signage..:)

Our last day.. off to the airport...missing our Jaz, Grandpa and Grandma Young..

Headed home, aloha and mahalo

Nice to be home..

next blog? can you guess?.. hint: Raw Model........

Love and Mahalo
Deb

Of to Adventures in Arizona!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:22:00 +0000

Hey Gang!

Short post to say that I am getting on a plane to see Anthony and Alexandra today!
They have an off the hook yummy raw truffle business called Blackbird Naturals and I MUST investigate!

I also hope to meet up with some Crazy sexy people, Austin, Lanae, maybe Ron? and one very special Raw Momma... stay tuned!
Love to all
Deb

Wendi Dee and KD Cat at the Young Raw B & B

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:13:00 +0000

Wendi Dee and KD Cat were on their way ....coming down the coast and things were uncooking in The Debbie Does Raw Kitchen!

Raw Samosas with Banana Tamarind Sauce from Raw Food Real World

The house was a buzz with activity the week before Wendi Dee and KD Cat arrived from Pittsburgh! I tried out the raw samosa recipe.. wanted to make sure it was just right!

The Spices are KEY!

WOW was it ever good, a family favorite for sure! Cauliflower, peas and a creamy spicy cashew cream..so very good! The coconut wrappers were a tad spicy but the overall flavor was incredible. We also love the mango chutney. You can find the recipe for all of it HERE at G Living, thanks Sarma!

The upstairs was ready, the bed made, the windows open, flowers in their vase and then, the door bell rang!

Wendi and Cat Goofing around..

Wendi and Cat had arrived and we were so very glad to see them! Wendi and I starting chatting.. seemed like we had always been friends.. then after a nice tour of the house and Indian lunch, it was time to head to the meet up for dinner at Cru! Good thing it took a bit less than an hour to get there!

We met up with some LA peeps, Diane Harrelson, Tamara and Puki.

Diane and I wait for our orders...

The service was less than stellar but the food was really good..

Cashew Cheese Raviolis with Arugula Salad

Cat and Sam got busy doing artwork..

Sam and Cat at Cru..
Wendi had the spring rolls and she liked them! We got home, Warner was there to greet us and got everyone settled in with some nice cacao truffles and chai tea. After chatting with Jim on the laptop we bid Wendi and Cat a good night. They were tired and excited for our trip to Santa Moncia the next day!

And what a gorgeous day it was! High 70's clear as a bell, some slow traffic but all in all, a perfect beach day!

Cat, Meet the Pacific Ocean!

We hung out by the carousel then we spied this crazy fortune teller.. she told Wendi to stay home and not travel!

We did go to Julianos but Snap!......... major snobby vibes there from the man himself.. just a note: if you want to do office work, get an office! He and his crew were all intent on their laptops right at the front of the restuarant and rather rude to my Wendi.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!.... we did not stay there long........
Much happier times and super food were had down the way at Rawvolution !

As we were ordering we noticed a few friends there, Elaina Love of Pure Joy Planet, The owner of Vivapura (oh that coconut creme!) Chris Whitcoe and Oryan. They sat and ate with us, go watch the video Wendi did of them on Pure Jeevan's blog!

Wendi, Chris, Elaina and Oryan

Top is my Raw Taco Plate, super tasty

Bottom is Wendi's Famous Big Matt!

Cat's Taco Salad, she ate the whole thing!

We got home, rested a bit, then had a Gianormous Chopped Salad with balsamic covered strawberries and some Lydia's Seasoned Nuts, really good, thanks Wendi and Natural Zing!

the next morning it was off to Spin class for me and off to Vegas for the girls...

All in all, the time was too short, full of fun, good conversations and major hugs!

We love Wendi and Cat and hope that next time Jim can come too...

Last Hugs!
Thank YOU!

Things are a bit quiet around here.....

.... the yard is in full bloom...

and that chair is waiting for our next guest!

Love from the Young Raw B and B,

Deb xoxo

I AM SO FAR BEHIND!!!!!!!!!!!!! APOLOGIES TO ALL

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:48:00 +0000

So sorry to say that I have so much to post that I don't know where to start!!!!!!!

I have tons of info and video of Daniel Vitalis at Erewhon,

I have a million pictures of Wendi Dee and Kd Cat's visit, I have a trillion hawaii pictures, I have new info on my "New Deal" diet and more Malcolm and friends and and and my time has been so full, I am SO Sorry!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I promise that tonight I will do the Wendi Visit and then in a day or so, get you all the Daniel you want.. then Hawaii.. how's that?

BTW, my last blood test and my three year canseversary were good! more on that in the New Deal diet post!

And next weekend I will on location with Anthony and The Blackbird Naturals crew so stay tuned for more hi jinks! with some extra special guests I will meet there!
whew!

love and peas
deb

Blackbird Natural Truffles RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:52:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HpQ54hK8e8

Karen Knowler on The Importance of a Mentor!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:09:00 +0000

THIS ARTICLE IS BY KAREN KNOWLER,
AN AMAZING RAW EXPERT!

If you've been struggling to go or stay raw then today I'd like to share with you one small but potentially VERY powerful tip that could make all the difference.

As the title suggests, we're talking about mentors here and to be clear this might be someone you actually work with or know, someone you learn from from afar via books, DVDs, podcasts etc, or someone who lives or has lived but you have never met and who greatly inspires you whether they have been prolific or not.

The power of having a great mentor, or mentors, cannot be overestimated. Usually people chosen as a mentor have a huge amount of experience in a particular area and totally walk the talk. They know as much about the lows as the highs, they know what they do inside out and when you think of them, see a picture of them or even meet them face to face they leave you feeling "wow", effectively showing you that there is so much further to go on your journey and inspiring you just by their very presence that it is worth pursuing your journey so you can be like they are, too.

In general, I recommend that every person chooses a different mentor for every area of their life. For example you might choose one for any or all of these: raw food, fitness, relationships, parenting, finances, personal or spiritual development - the list goes on. What's important is not that you choose a large number necessarily but that you choose the right ones for where you are right now and what really speaks to you and your desired goals or destination. Also know that as you evolve and progress in your own journey, your choice of mentor can and will change as you change - and that's a good thing. This way things can never get stale.

Today we are talking specifically about choosing the right raw food mentor, or mentors, and you can choose them for different areas. For example you might choose one to be your food teacher, someone whose recipes you love, you love the way they are in their kitchen, how simple/ delicious/ quick/ artistic/ impressive/ nutritious their recipes are. It would be great to have one of these wouldn't it? Well you can! You just need to be clear on your criteria first. While you could certainly choose more than one, I believe there is more power in singling one person out at a time and then giving full attention to learning from that person until you feel that you have outgrown them or what they teach is no longer relevant to you. This person could just as easily be a raw food friend as someone more high profile - that doesn't matter. What matters is that they inspire you to go to the next level and beyond and that what they have to share really excites and moves you.

One Of My Mentors: Anthony Anderson of Raw Model!

Then there is the area of health and radiance. Perhaps there is one person into raw food who for you totally embodies vibrant health in all its aspects. If you are a female you're more likely to choose a female and vice versa, but this isn't a given. Even if you've never met this person but believe or consider them to be incredibly vibrant, then find out more about them. What do they do differently to other people and other raw foodists? What are their secrets? What are their beliefs? Make it your mission to find these things out because the findings can be truly fascinating and potentially take your life in a number of exciting and lifechanging directions.

Next on the list could be fitness. While fitness is not necessarily on everybody's raw food agenda, it really should be. In this instance you would choose someone who you know to be super fit to the level you aspire to be and/or maybe someone whose body you consider to be totally amazing (one that you'd love to have) and just by looking at their abs/ biceps/ flat tummy/ gorgeous legs you are inspired to get your butt to the gym or your feet to the road!

Although there are many other directions you can go here depending on what your own personal interests, values and priorities are (like peace, environment, veganism, we*ight lo*ss, healing yourself of a particular condition or disease, spiritual inspiration, or even a raw business person), the final suggestion I am going to bring to the table is "all round great raw person!". Is there one person who you just have fallen in love with in some way? (Not literally I hasten to add, although I guess you might!). Is there someone who embodies all of the things that you aspire to be that just by seeing them or seeing a photo of them you are massively inspired by who they are in a heartbeat and brought back to pursuing your journey and own limitless potential?

Chances are that as you read through these ideas one or some people are already jumping into your mind. Again, these may be people who aren't famous in raw food, or they may even be deceased (Ann Wigmore or Norman Walker, pictured above, are two amazing individuals who spring to mind for me - it might even be the Essene Community of centuries ago). It doesn't matter who you choose so long as you choose the right person or people for you. You have to really feel as if there is a big space between where you are and where they're at (or you perceive they're at), so that you have sufficient and abundant reasons to be inspired and a sense that there is still so much left to pursue, learn and transform into - with their help!

When you have chosen your one or more mentors, I highly recommend that you grab some card, scissors and glue and create yourself something we'll call a Raw Mentor Vision Board (for more about vision boards and another FAB idea for one to create, click here). This will be incredibly powerful on many levels just in the actual creation of one but having it to look at every day can be even more powerful still as you'll see in a moment.

To get started simply find pictures of your chosen people (on the web, out of books or magazines etc.), and perhaps some other pictures of things that you associate with them or "power words" that hit the spot and paste them onto your card in a way that really speaks to you. What you are aiming for here is a captivating pictorial reminder of these people and why they are so inspirational to you. You want them there by your side so you have that inspiration to draw on whenever you are lacking.

So why would we do this?

Because this kind of information often never makes it beyond the subconscious and therefore its power is limited. For example in the past you might have thought "Wow, she really looks great/ healthy/ fit" about a raw foodie you've met or seen, but it never became more than a thought. By bringing that thought to your conscious mind and taking it to the next level - such as "Why does she look great? What does she eat? How long has she been doing it? What other things contribute to her looking so great that aren't about food?" and so on, you can then potentially open up doors that previously were not even visible.

As for the Raw Mentor Vision Board, well hopefully this speaks for itself. With something as inspiring and beautiful as this pinned somewhere in your home or kept in your bag or wallet you can use it for a number of purposes:

1) As a visual and inspiring reminder of who you've chosen and why
2) As inspiration to get reading one of their books, ask them some questions, get on their web site or whatever else feels like the next step
3) As a reminder that real people can become inspirational - and so can you!
4) To give you a sense of "I have so much further yet to go" which can actually be incredibly powerful as it can make you get out of comfort zones like nothing else (as in "wow, I've lost 6lbs but look at her, she lost 40!") This can really be a wakeup call if you've been setting your sights too low.
5) And perhaps most useful of all: When you're faced with a question or dilemma about your raw food journey, you can ask yourself "What would s/he do in this situation?" or "What would they say?" It is AMAZING how you get an answer that is likely to be way beyond what you might have come up with "alone" and yet it really does seem to have come straight from them as if by magic! (Try it, it's very cool!)

And finally a powerful reminder: There is a popular saying in the personal development world "You become most like the five people you spend most of your time with" and I really do believe this to be true.

MY number ONE MENTOR IS KRIS CARR!

The good news is, you don't have to physically be around these people. It doesn't matter where they are on the planet. If you're reading their books, watching them on YouTube or on a DVD, going to their events, reading their web site and so on, it's entirely possible that at least one or two of those mentors could be one of those five people you spend most of your time with! Just think who you could become with one of those guys or gals almost permanently at your side!

So find some mentors and Get your RAW on!
love deb

ARTICLE BY KAREN KNOWLER, RAW FOOD COACH!
© Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach 2010, www.TheRawFoodCoach.com, and let people know that they can join the list at www.therawfoodcoach.com if they want more.

Back Soon You Little Leprechauns!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:04:00 +0000

Quick Update:
My two hour spin for Ride2Recovery went AWESOMELY well, thinks to my incredible instructor Ms Roya Katz! Love you Roya! and thanks to all my fab sponsors too!

We had two mighty special gals with us.. you may know them from Pure Jeevan?

If you have not seen this mind blowing transformation video about my dear friend Wendi Dee, take a few minutes and watch it now. Sorry if you need tissues afterward.

And Remember everyone, say NO to
Shamrock Shakes, unless you make
them your own raw self!

more soon,
don't get pinched in the bum today.
unless you like that sort of thing.......
later
deb xoxoxoooooooooo

We Have TWO Winners of the Race2Recovery Drawing!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:17:00 +0000

This just in.. my lovely assistant Ms. Samantha has picked the winners of the Glass Dharma Bent glass straw and the SPARK book dvd set!!!
Here she is, doing the drawing in a very scientific, third grade manner:

and the Winner is.....................KAT!!!!!!!!!!! I will hand deliver this item to the most gorgeous Kat!

so Who won...The SPARK Book/DVD set???
Sam?

Big Congrats to Ms. Tonia Webb!!!!!!! I will send your set out and hope it helps you on your health journey!!!!

BIG ups to Kat, Tonia, Jeanne', Becky B, Jenny, Lauren, and Claudia for supporting my ride tomorrow!
Thanks to Glass Dharma and Hay House for the wonderful prizes!

Stay tuned to this very blog to see pictures of the event and most likely a very sweaty me :)

You Spin Me Right Round,
deb xoxooxoxoxoxox

That's The Way Au Lac It!:The One Where Dhru Comes to Town!

noreply@blogger.com (grass fed momma) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:58:00 +0000

Ben, Disa, Dhrumil, Anita, Me, Lou and Courtney at Au Lac

A few weeks ago a very important meeting happened, an east coast/west coast thing if you will. For my entire raw food journey, one man has been my leading source, a valuable assest and community leader and most valuable of all, a true caring friend. We have emailed, commented, talked on the phone, texted, twittered, facebooked and talked via forums. I even introduced on of his podcasts by calling him "cuddly"!!!! but never did we actually get to see each other for a hug.. until now!
I love you Dhru!

The fantabulous Chef Ito set aside a wonderful corner of Au Lac for our meet up. Dhrumil invited a few friends and he brought his own fierce posse, Ms. Courtney Pool and Mr. Ben Tseitlen. Now Imma let you finish, but let me say that this group was beyond cool and Dhrumil really knows how to throw a mixer! :)

I nervously waited for the man himself and when I finally got that hug it was SO big that Dhru lifted me off my feet! And I think we did a that a few times.. just so good to actually see each other finally!

There were so many good conversations, amazing people and off the hook food items, here is a peek at what went down..the magic of Ito combined with the Dhrumil too live food crew!

Finally!!!

I made Dhru a jar of Frankie G's Curry Cacao truffles..check this out the recipe is here!

Ms. Disa, looking so fine and sporting the best sandals ever........! LOVE!

Dhru and Lori Painter mixing It up.....

Ben Introducing His Bad Self...

Disa, Needs No Introduction and thanks for the AWESOME green tea Macroons!

The Most Beautiful Teacher around, Anita!

Raj, such a good sport! Sorry Rawj for making you Blush :)

Gorgeous Courtney Pool!

Dhru Hanging with the Ladies

The Shot Glass of Elixer.. what's IN that thing????

Jasmine samples the World Famous Raw Garlic Bread!

Wow Anita, three plates????

Beautiful Lori of Inspire 2 Act and Eben, her Mystery Date..

My Go To Au Lac Fav: Humanese Soup! Delish!

Another Amazing Ito Creation..Basil Trees and Islands of raw goodness!

I mean, seriously ridiculous how Handsome this man is, so not fair to the other guys...

We had such a great time, and I wish we could do it more often....

Saying GoodBye is So Hard! Susan, Courtney and Howard

Lovely Jasmine and Courtney share a laugh..

And just when you thought it was farewell, This event happened!

You have to watch to see the serious craziness that went on.. and the testament to raw power!!!

Sorry for the darkness, the camera has no light.. hope you can see it ok!

Thanks to everyone For being there
much love
deb