The World of Raw

Obesity Ranking: How does your State rank?

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:01:00 +0000

State Obesity Ranking - How Fit is Your State?

We'd like to think that we at Brad's Raw Foods can help lower Pennsylvania's State Ranking!

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity.
1.Mississippi (34.4%);
2. Alabama (32.3%);
3. West Virginia* (32.2%);
4. Tennessee (31.9%);
5. Louisiana (31.6%);
6. Kentucky** (31.5%);
7. Oklahoma** (31.4%);
8. South Carolina* (30.9%);
9. Arkansas (30.6%);
10. Michigan* (30.5%);
11. Missouri* (30.3%);
12. Texas** (30.1%);
13. Ohio (29.6%);
14. North Carolina (29.4%);
15. Indiana* (29.1%);
16. Kansas** (29.0%);
17. (tie) Georgia (28.7%); and South Dakota (28.7%);
19. Pennsylvania (28.5%);
20. Iowa (28.1%);
21. (tie) Delaware (28.0%); and North Dakota (28.0%);
23. Illinois** (27.7%);
24. Nebraska (27.6%);
25. Wisconsin (27.4%);
26. Maryland (27.1%);
27. Maine** (26.5%);
28. Washington (26.4%);
29. Florida** (26.1%);
30. (tie) Alaska (25.9%); and Virginia (25.9%);
32. Idaho (25.7%);
33. (tie) New Hampshire (25.6%); and New Mexico (25.6%);
35. (tie) Arizona (25.4%); Oregon (25.4%); and Wyoming (25.4%);
38. Minnesota (25.3%); 39. Nevada (25.0%);
40. California (24.8%);
41. New York (24.7%);
42. Rhode Island** (24.3%);
43. New Jersey (24.1%);
44. Montana (23.8%);
45. Vermont** (23.5%);
46. Utah (23.4%);
47. Hawaii (23.1%);
48. Massachusetts** (22.3%);
49. Connecticut (21.8%);
50. District of Columbia (21.7%);
51. Colorado* (19.8%).

Source: F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011
Available at: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2011/release.php?stateid=TX

Note: 1 = Highest rate of adult obesity, 51 = lowest rate of adult obesity. Rankings are based on combining three years of data (2008-2010) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to "stabilize" data for comparison purposes.

This week in a photo

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Want to know how our week is going? I think this photo about says it.

Facebook Tagging Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Hello Readers!

We are have a Facebook contest going on RIGHT NOW!

Tag yourself in one of the 3 photos.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150818501910594.740699.165498130593

We will choose a winner from which ever flavor of Leafy Kale gets the MOST tags. For example, if Naked gets the most tags, then the winner will be someone who tagged themselves in the Naked Leafy Kale photo.

So you ready to know what you can win for just a click of the tag button? Drum role please.....6, that's right! Winner chooses any 6 Brad's Raw Food products. Yes, we're giving away over 50 dollars worth of delicious goodness for just a simple tag.

Be sure to tell your friends to tag themselves too! Contest ends October 6 at 5pm EST. Who's ready to play?

Happy Tagging! *You must be 18 years or older and live in the contiguous USA to win.

How to Prepare for our October 10 Juice Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:06:00 +0000

We are still feeling the good vibes from this weekend's Expo East and now we're looking forward to our next 7-day Juice Fast, starting Monday October 10th.

We will provide a daily pick-up service to locals ONLY. Our juices are made fresh daily and packaged in our plant. You will receive six (6) 16oz juices for 7 days. Your mind, body and soul will feel and be much lighter.

How should you prepare yourself for the Juice Fast?

FIRST, commit to it. For a successful Fast, determination and discipline are key. The effects will be amazing, as long as you go about it in the right way. And we at Brad’s Raw Foods are here to guide you.

There is no way to sugar coat this, the Fast will NOT be easy especially if this is your first time trying a juice fast. (For those who are seasoned in Fasting, it will be easier.) You WILL have ups and downs, but the end result will be worth it. At the end of your Fast, you will feel revitalized and given new energy.

To get you started, we cannot stress the preparation period BEFORE a juice fast enough. If you prepare a head of time, you’ll get much more out of the fast, than if you don’t. You don’t want your system to go into shock, especially if you haven’t been eating very ‘cleanly’. Easing yourself into it prevents you from going from one extreme to another. Make it easy for your body to make the adjustment and you won’t experience the dreaded ‘detox’ symptoms that you might have heard about.

What kind of easing are we talking about?

At least one week before the fast, increase your raw food intake and decrease the following (we suggest by half every day until two days before the Fast):
*caffeine
*cigarettes
*alcohol
*sugar/artificial sweeteners
*salt
*any processed food (fried, baked, or otherwise)
*meat (especially red meat) and dairy products
*bread
*gluten food also including barley, wheat, rye and oats
*sweet/baked desserts (pies, pastries, cakes, candy, chocolate)

The 2 days before the Fast:

We advise that to get the most out of your fast, one should not consume any caffeine or alcohol, or smoke 2 days before the fast and during the fast. Also during these 2 days, you should eat when you are hungry, but try to keep it to raw food, or very light foods. Heck, it’s only 1 week, right? Might as well make the most of it!

Still unsure?

One of the great things about Brad’s Raw Foods is that we have our own Health Coach on staff. If you feel like you need additional guidance or support, please contact us. Planning and preparation can be very simple, if you allow it to be. We also have a Facebook group that will be doing the Fast with you, or have done the Fast, whom you can reach out to and receive support.

What do you have to lose? JOIN US for a Juice Fast today!
ORDER YOUR PROGRAM TODAY!
(We are limiting the number of participants for this Fast to 20 people. Get in now!)

Expo East Excitement

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:44:00 +0000

We are so excited to be able to share this news with you. We had a fantastic time at the Natural Products Expo East this past weekend. We are riding the wave of positive energy that we received this weekend and are so PROUD to be the recipient of the "Most Innovative" Product Award.

You can read about the Expo and our award here. Thank you EVERYONE for your support and positive energy. We are deeply humbled and couldn't do it without all of you. THANK YOU.

Vegetarian Protein Sources

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:47:00 +0000

We at Brad's Raw Foods are pleased to present this article by guest blogger, Michael Shaw. We suggest following a plant-based diet. Whether or not you subscribe to a raw food diet, we believe you will make tremendous strides in the investment of your future health. We hope you enjoy the read!

Vegetarian Protein Sources

If you grew up at all like me, then you were told on a regular basis – especially if you were on the thin side – that you needed to be sure and get enough protein! The subtext here was not only that you needed to eat more, but specifically that you needed to eat more chicken, and maybe eggs too. Not only is this mantra of worry not vegetarian or vegan-friendly, it’s also a bit of an old wives’ tale: for most of us, a healthy, balanced diet based on fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains provides completely ample vegetarian protein sources. When you do a little research, you’ll find that myth debunked frequently, by well-established diet and nutrition experts.

There are so many categories of non-meat-eating diets these days, though, that each one needs its own guidelines, whether you practice ovo-lacto vegetarianism, veganism, or a raw food diet, each progressively more challenging (and potentially time-consuming).

Where to get your vegetarian protein sources

Let’s start with the easiest:

Ovo-lacto vegetarian diet

This diet is for vegetarians who also eat eggs and dairy products, and it obviously equates to lots of protein options, as eggs and dairy are for the most part foods high in protein. If you are an ovo-lacto and many of your vegetarian protein sources are eggs are dairy, try to be conscious of your foods’ sources: if you have eggs regularly, don’t just buy cartons from your average supermarket, if possible: seek out eggs that don’t come from factory farms, but instead from smaller farms where the chickens can roam around and aren’t cooped up their entire lives. Here’s a great resource for finding high-quality egg sources: Organic Egg Scorecard.

Health-wise, it’s important to recognize that Greek yogurt is an especially good source of protein as compared to milk and cheese (and more basic, lesser-quality yogurts), which tend to be pasteurized/processed in ways that good quality Greek yogurt is not. Even with eggs, yogurt, and the occasional cheese and milk, though, ideally they won’t make up the entirety of your protein sources—there’s still legumes (various beans, peas and lentils), grains (quinoas, brown rice, millet), and soy in numerous forms to mix into your diet as well. And all of the above are gluten-free if gluten is a protein you want out of your diet.

Vegan diet

With eggs and dairy off the shelf, so to speak, vegans are more dependent on legumes, grains and nuts for vegetarian protein sources. There’s also the aforementioned soy, as well as seitan, which is gluten-based so quite clearly not gluten-free. From my perspective, the key question for vegans to ask themselves is: how do I get along with soy? Soy has many incarnations, from tofu to tempeh to textured vegetable protein, and from soy milk to edamame, but how much soy can your own individual digestive system take? For some, it’s not an issue…they can have soy milk in their cereal, have soy-based veggie burgers for lunch and tofu for dinner. But for many, it’s more like: OK, whoa, that’s enough- easy on the soy! They become oversaturated with soy, and from then on they either can only have it mixed lightly into their diet, or not at all, at least for a while. Vegans should be aware of this, and regardless of their soy sensitivity, it’s probably best to rotate great-tasting grains like quinoa, or legumes like lentils or kidney beans, in with
their soy intake. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Raw Diet

Raw diets obviously pose the greatest challenge as far as finding consistently solid
vegetarian protein sources, as not only are eggs and dairy out, so are most legumes and whole grains, since they need to be cooked. Tofu, too, isn’t raw diet-friendly (it’s for the most part processed), but sprouts, which provide relatively high protein doses, are. Nuts tend to become a much more significant player in a raw diet, primarily cashews and almonds, as well as walnuts (cashews, as you may know, are a raw food staple used to substitute for pasta and bread-like dishes). As with soy, however, some people can become nut-intolerant (for those of course who aren’t already downright allergic), and so raw foodists should monitor their reactions to nut intake on an ongoing, conscious level.

Going back to the original point of this article, though, raw food adherents will tell you that there is plenty of protein to be consumed from green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale) and other vegetables and fruits. And, in addition to sprouts, seeds are another raw food-friendly protein source: primarily pumpkin, flax, and hemp seeds, the latter of which is said to be a great overall source of protein, and one that makes a great protein powder (with no added sugars like typical protein powders) that can be added to juices and smoothies.

More so than with the other diets, a raw food diet should also be monitored in terms of its effects on your health; for some, the raw food path is the perfect way to go, producing all sorts of vibrant energy, great skin, and so on. If you do go the raw food route, keep good tabs on how your body is responding, and be open to pulling back to a semi-raw diet, if necessary.

(Michael Shaw writes about vegetarian-related fare, and also focuses on healthy alternatives to refined flours and sugars on his website, No Flour, No Sugar Diet.)

Which Juicer is right for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0000

submitted by raw chef Stephen Hauptfur

During Brad's Raw 7 day juice fast challenge, there were quite a few questions about juicers and which one is best to get. Depending on where you are at with juicing, if you are new to juicing, curious and want to try it out, or if you know for sure that you will be juicing for a long time to come, there are a few things to consider and I have different suggestions.

If you are new to juicing and want to try it out at home, there are quite a few less expensive juicers that work very well. Some extract juice better than others but in general, they are all pretty comparable. Keep in mind, with the lower end of the juicers you will not have many options to expand later on but they will get the job done and hopefully will become a bridge to a more active juicing routine and another, more qualified juicer purchase in the future.

If, however, you are pretty sure already that you will be juicing quite a lot and for some time to come, I would seriously recommend thinking about other longer term options, such as, the quality of juice you really want along with how much juice and how frequently, you will be making juice..

Centrifugal vs Masticating juicer:

Choose a Centrifugal or Masticating style juicer based on what you will be juicing. A Centrifugal juicer uses a spinning motion to grind the fruit or vegetables into pulp and then push the juice out from the center of rotation. Masticating juicers use a slow grinding-kneading motion to squeeze out the juice. So, something to consider, will you be juicing more fruits or greens? If greens are your thing with smaller amounts of fruits, a Masticating juicer would be better for your needs. If the opposite, more fruits and less greens, then a centrifugal juicer is ok for your use.

Centrifugal or Masticating style juicer based on the quantity of juices you will be producing, meaning, is it just you or a whole household that you will be making juices for.. If it's just you, a Masticating juicer is fine, however, if you will be making 4-5 or more juices each time and especially multiple times a day, you may want to go with a Centrifugal juicer as they are much quicker equaling less time spent making the juice..

Another thing to consider, here in the raw world especially, the quality of the juice or Nutrient value you are getting from the fruits & vegetables you are juicing. A Centrifugal juicer spins very fast and it is said the high speed can produce too much heat which can damage the enzymes in the juice. I cannot confirm or deny this statement, one thing that is for sure though, a Masticating juicer will definitely not create the same friction that a centrifugal juicer does.

Centrifugal juicers tend to cost less in the short term, however, they operate less efficiently while Masticating juicers work much more efficiently, requiring less vegetables to create more juice. As a result, you spend less on vegetables over the long term than you would with a Centrifugal juicer.

A Masticating juicer is much more versatile than a Centrifugal juicer, as a Masticating juicer squeezes the items you put into it, you can also use a Masticating juicer to(with blank plate attachment) make baby food, grind nuts and seeds into butters, process ice creams and with a bag attachment, grains into flours..

Finally, there is what many consider to be the ultimate in juicing health, or if you will, the Rolls Royce of juicers: the Norwalk hydraulic press. Originally made in 1934, according to their own site, it produces 50-100% more juice than other juicers from the same quantity of produce with little to no heat or oxidation, minimizing loss of enzymes & nutrient value.

Pricing juicers:

Centrifugal (At the low end $40 - 100 or so) the Jack Lalanne series is good, Cuisinart and Waring all make good in-expensive Centrifugal models as well.

Commercial Centrifugal juicers can be as expensive as the Norwalk press, but they are designed for high out put hours and hours a day.

Masticating juicers ($200 - 600) are more expensive but more versatile. Champion, Greenstar and Omega all make great juicers.

The Norwalk hydraulic press ($2,500) would be a serious commitment for many but definitely an investment in your overall lifetime of good health.

Be well!

Beat the HEAT!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:25:00 +0000

The weather this spring has been really wacky. Too hot, then a full week of rain, then cold with drying breezes, then hot again. Brad and Dan discuss the implications.

The cold weather vegetables really don't like it. The heat makes salad greens taste bitter. Also, too much heat makes this.....

'Bolt' and grow this...

... which is not supposed to happen. Once it does, it's not good anymore. Instead of making a head, it's going to seed. It's supposed to look like this:

Good thing Dan picked the romaine and arugula last week. 28 pounds of arugula to be exact. Here's the remaining romaine bed...

The peas are next.

Dan's doing the best he can to help the crops. The peppers got a nice refreshing drink from the irrigation lines.

After checking on the kale...

...there isn't much left to do except help Dan with the weeding!

Despite all of the challenges from this season already, Dan has a lot to be thankful for. He has quite an impressive garden!

... And the rest of these crops are 'in waiting'. Maybe they'll go in, maybe they won't. It all depends on what the weather does. Amazing what a little seed packet can yield!

After the Rain...

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:25:00 +0000

Put those shovels to work! With all the rain, the crops soaked it up! We know that a lot of farms in the area haven't put their crops in the ground yet, or are just getting started. One really great feature of Swallow Hill Farm is that they are on top of a really big hill. The garden is situated at the very top, and it slopes gently downward so the water runs off quicker and faster. Hence, they can get started earlier on their crops. Lucky for us!

We checked on the kale this week.

And they're doing great!

It was such a rainy week that we were afraid that Dan wasn't able to do much in terms of getting plants into the ground. But as you can see, there aren't a lot of plants left in the greenhouse! (But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of work still to be done...)

Dan preps the soil.

And the tomatoes are finally in the ground!

Until next time, we leave you with these lush, green images. Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Daggone Rabbit!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:37:00 +0000

It's a wet, rainy, soggy week here in Bucks County, PA. Beautiful, it is. Green is amazing. But the wet soil, for planting, not so much. Dan isn't able to do much when the soil is this wet. So, we have to sit back and wait for Mother Nature to finish pouring on us.

Nothing like a huge bed of spring salad lettuce

Or Spinach

Or Arugula

The fennel is coming up quite nicely. The grass clippings will go down soon. Remember this post?

Dan has 4 kids of peas growing in his garden. The first is Patriot. This variety does not need to be supported as the tendrils play a role in supporting the beans and the plant doesn't get very tall. The other 2 varieties, the sugar snap and snow peas need to be supported. The last variety is called Green Arrow. It's a late shelling pea.

Now on to the kale.

A portion of the kale is covered up.

Why? Because a persky rabbit got at 50 plants. FIFTY! Fortunately, Dan has others waiting to replace them... AFTER the rabbit fence goes up.

So our Tale of Kale continues... stay tuned!

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

From Seed to Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Here's a little treat for you before the weekend: A video montage of the first 8 weeks of the growing season at Swallow Hill Farm.

Do you have garden photos you'd like to share? Do you have gardening questions? Send them to media@bradsrawchips.com.

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

Asparagus, Fennel, Potatoes, Kale... and a sneak peek you don't want to miss!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:04:00 +0000

Now is the time to get locally grown asparagus here in Eastern, PA. Unfortunately, our season isn't very long. 2 more weeks, and that's about it. Look at the asparagus that Brad got from Dan and Rose's farm! Have you ever had raw asparagus? If not, you should. It is delicious! Here's a recipe for a raw Asparagus Cooler.

Driving up to the farm there were these mounds all around the field in front of the house.

Dan and Rose let the grass grow really long in the field then they cut it to make mulch for one very specific plant in their garden. Need a hint?

Dan uses the grass clippings as a mulch, but more importantly to keep the dirt out of the middle of the fennel. The bottom of fennel is like celery or leeks where dirt and sand can get in between each of the leaves and be quite difficult to clean. The grass clippings keeps all of that out of the fennel.

You say po-tAy-to, I say po-toh-to.

These fingerling potatoes were planted just a day after this photo was taken. These also happen to be the 'best fingerling potato' in Dan's opinion. Also known as the Austrian Crescent.

Important things to remember about potatoes:
1. Green them before planting. Meaning, expose them to light. Dan had his potatoes exposed for about a month already. Last year, the potato sprouts were really fragile and would break off. But, lesson learned. When the potatoes are greened, the sprouts that grow out of the potato are much stronger and won't break as easily when the potatoes are planted.
2. Out of each 'eye', a sprout can grow. Once a sprout grows, you can cut the potato into 4, 5 even 6 pieces and plant them in the ground. So one potato goes a LONG way!

Dan also has other potatoes, including Corolla and Valeza, Now, Dan has a very unique root vegetable/tuber that he has growing on his farm. You won't find these anywhere else but at Swallow Hill Farm. They are the Bintje potatoes, and they are one of the best potatoes. Dan tells us that no one else in the area will have them, but him.

Never to be forgotten - the KALE! Guess where they are?

They are happily in their new home, the soil at Swallow Hill Farm.

There are still a lot of plants that are waiting to be put into the soil, including parsley, tomatoes, and peppers.

I don't know about you, but when someone mentions parsley, it's easy to also think of cilantro. However, this is not the season to plant cilantro as it is a cold weather plant.

But those crops that have been in the ground for a week or more are totally thriving.

The apple trees are also in full bloom, while the pear trees have lost theirs. (Remember these pear tree photos from last week?

We want to take this time to also tell you that Dan and Rose do ALL of this by themselves. Maybe they get a little help from a volunteer or two, and only sporadically. The majority is done by Dan. Boy, has he been busy!

Back at the shop: Exciting things are happening here at Brad's Raw Foods. We leave you here with this sneak peek:

Gardening with Reptiles!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Mother Nature is an amazing lady. It's been a wet few days here in Bucks County which makes gardening very difficult. Dan hasn't been able to plant anything in the last few days because the soil has been so wet. He isn't able to till the soil, which is necessary to aerate it before the plants go in. Before this wet spell, we had a few days of scorching heat which unfortunately has hurt some of the crops. Here is Brad checking out the damage. You can see that the leaves toward the center of the row are yellow.

Brad also helped with a little housekeeping. These are the leftover stalks from last year's kale.

You can see that there is kale starting to grow from the old stalks, but as with other things in life, these won't be as bountiful as younger plants. So they need to come out to make space for other crops.

Brad checks out Dan's other plants (lettuce, dill, onions, fennel, etc.) which seem to be doing really well and need to go into the ground, as soon as conditions allow.

Oh but the kale! It's looking great. Brad's one happy camper.

Look at it all!!!

But let's not forget the other plants on the farm. The flowering trees and shrubs are all in bloom. The azaleas are about to bloom, and so are the redbud trees. The RedBud is indigenous to PA so we are happy to have it around.

Also on the property are apple trees and Japanese pear trees. If you haven't had a Japanese pear before, you MUST try one. They are delicious!

...And the flowers. The middle photo is the same as the 1st photo on this entry. It's is called a Trilliam and is a favorite of Rose's. Columbines are also blooming and this one has found a unique spot, in the rocks, overlooking the road. Both the Trilliam and Columbine are indigenous to PA.

Now onto the critters (reptiles) portion of this blog. This little garter snake was out sunbathing and we almost stepped on it!

If you haven't already seen it on Facebook or on our previous post , be sure to watch Brad save this turtle.

We are all hoping the weather will warm up and stay dry for at least a day or two so Dan can get some more crops in the ground. It doesn't look promising with all of the tornado warnings... stay tuned to see what happens over the course of the week...

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

Brad saves a Turtle

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:22:00 +0000

Spring Break!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:58:00 +0000

Before we head out to enjoy the holiday weekend, we wanted to leave you with some footage from the farm from the past 2 weeks. For those of you who are following along, these are photos from Weeks 4 and 5.

The kale isn't in the ground yet, as they are taking a while. During the transplanting/separating process, their roots were inadvertently disturbed. So it is taking longer than expected for them to really take off. But with some TLC, they should be adult plants in no time. Goes to show you how really delicate the root system of seedlings really are.

However, other vegetables are doing great.

The lettuce, onions, fennel, cabbage, broccoli, peppers are all ready to be put into the soil, but they'll have to take their place in line because Dan (and Brad) needs to get the Butter Crunch Lettuce in the ground first.

Dan starts with some ORGANIC fertilizer made up of Garden Tone, alfalfa and lime and adds that to the bed.

Then the lettuce is ready for planting. Dan shows Brad how he does it.

And then it's Brad's turn to have a go.

Looks good Brad!

Don't forget the all important ingredient, which we have control over, WATER!

Kale! From seed to smoothie!

Lastly, a little tribute to the birds for which this farm got its namesake: the swallows. They weren't really noticeable until Week 4, at which point they were vying for birdhouses and doing their mating dances and calls.

Yes, this is a 'bluebird' house, but not to worry. Dan explained that contrary to popular belief, bluebirds and swallows CAN coexist and that swallows do not bully bluebirds. Bluebirds are the stronger species and if they want to kick out the swallows, they will! Just a little aviary factoid from Dan. Happy Easter, Happy Passover everyone!

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

Signs of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, it is that time of year where people plan their gardens and start their crops from seed. The threat of frost hasn't entirely passed yet, but cold vegetables like salad and kale should do ok.

A few weeks ago, Brad paid a visit to Dan and Rose from Swallow Hill Farm, and thus the beginning of our documentation of the growing season. The farm doesn't look like much right now, very bare... but just wait.

Dan and Rose took us inside the house where they had been busy starting the crop for the year, not to mention the KALE for Brad's Raw Leafy Kale!

Because the nights do get rather cold, Dan uses a heater to keep his seeds toasty warm to help germination and then growth. Brad's checking out the dial for the heater and if you look closely, the growing containers are sitting on a pink 'sheet'. This is like a heating pad for the seeds.

In previous years, the deer (that are prolific in Bucks County) were quite a nuisance and created havoc in the garden. Between our 1st and 2nd visits, Dan had an amazing deer fence installed. Apparently the deer can still jump over this fence if they had to, but it should be enough to keep the deer out of Dan's precious crops!

It's amazing how much growth can happen in a matter of a few weeks. Take for instance Dan's peppers. This is over a period of 3 weeks.

And look at the KALE! You can see in the 2nd picture that they had grown quite considerably. Dan transplanted the kale to spread them out. Keep in mind that between the 2nd photo and the 3rd photo that we had a nor'easter come through and bring us snow on April 1. So plant growth is a little slower. With any luck, the weather will stay on the warmer side and the kale and all of Dan's other crops will start to grow exponentially in the coming weeks. We are at Mother Nature's mercy.

I mentioned earlier that the nights are still rather brisk and the threat of frost is still a reality. However, there are crops that can withstand the cold. By the third visit, Dan has already planted his lettuce and arugula, and covered them to shield them from the cold.

Dan also planted a row of peas, which you can't see right now, but he promises they will shoot up and we'll have something to see at our next visit. Here is Dan tilling the soil and getting it prepared for, I don't know... KALE?

I only wish I could describe to you what the farm smelled like during our 3rd visit. It smelled so good, so organic. The birds were chirping, bluebirds were about, and the bugs (persky but necessary) are out already.

People ask us about how truly local the farms are that we source our produce from. We firmly believe in supporting our local farmers. So when we can, when the seasons allow, we source from local farms like Swallow Hill Farm. We can't get any more local than Swallow Hill, as it is literally up the hill behind the current offices of Brad's Raw Foods. Swallow Hill is also the former home of the Brad's Raw Foods factory (remember this post?), so Dan, Rose, and the farm really hold a special place in Brad's Raw Foods history.

We will be visiting Swallow Hill Farm regularly throughout the growing season to show you how much care and attention goes into our produce before it even enters the Brad's Raw Foods facility. Please stay tuned (next time there should be some tomato plants to see). Enjoy

PS - As a reminder, we are having a giveaway for a 9-tray Excalibur Dehydrator. Enter today!

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

Brad's Raw Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:39:00 +0000

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATS TO DAB! All that tweeting paid off! PLEASE GO TO http://www.bradsrawchips.com/pages/brads-raw-contests FOR OUR OTHER CONTESTS.

This is a Brad's Raw-Sponsored Giveaway...

Watch the video to find out what you have to do. When you've completed the requirements, report back here and post a comment below (if you don't post a comment, you can't win). Have fun and good luck!

Click here to tweet this

The links you will need:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bradsrawchips
Blog: TheWorldOfRaw.blogspot.com (subscribe any way you want to)
Newsletter: www.bradsrawchips.com (go to the very bottom, enter your email, AND confirm your subscription)

After you have completed the 3 required items, report back here, enter your EMAIL below in the comment section: http://theworldofraw.blogspot.com/2011/03/brads-raw-giveaway.html (Please choose the Anonymous option if you do not have any of the listed accounts)

Remember you MUST do all 3 things to be eligible.

BONUS ENTRIES:
Follow us, and Tweet about us (be sure to include @BradsRawChips in the tweet) and let us know you did by leaving a comment here. You can do this daily!

IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY PROBLEMS SUBMITTING A COMMENT, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT TO: contest@bradsrawchips.com. We would be happy to add your comment for you.

One Year Later... Time Flies.

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:27:00 +0000

Has it really been a year... already?! Yes, it's been a year since Brad moved his business from Dan and Rose's single car garage to the current home of Brad's Raw Foods.

A lot has changed since the days of the one car garage. Here is Brad in front of what used to be the door to the factory.

One year. One year! It's still hard to believe, but exciting to imagine what will be, another year from now...

Dan and Rose's farm, Swallow Hill Farm, is set up in the hills behind the Brad's Raw Foods office. During peak season, it isn't unusual for Brad to send someone from the office to go up to the farm to pick kale for the day's production. If you haven't been to Bucks County, PA, it is an area rich in history and culture, and is dedicated to land preservation. Throughout the county, you will find open farmland like Dan and Rose's farm. Here are some photos from the short drive to Dan and Rose's.

Even on a dreary day, Bucks County is still so picturesque. And we're happy to call it home. Stay tuned, because this year is going to be EXCITING!

Blog Photo credit: Copyright © 2011 APMC. All Rights Reserved.

Dust has settled

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:09:00 +0000

Welcome home, Brad and Jaime!

Now that the dust has settled from the excitement of Hollywood and Expo West, we wanted to make sure we highlight a few items that might have gone unnoticed.

Our March contest ends 8 AM EST Friday, March 25th! Brad has a very cool trailer that we like to tote our chips around in! How many bags of chips do you think can fit in this trailer?? Closest one wins Free Chips! Go here for a photo of the trailer. Email contest@bradsrawchips.com with your guess. Good luck!

Special thank yous go to:
SusieQT for her really fun review.
Leslie Loves Veggies also for her review and for hosting a giveaway for us.
Laeticia Butler for this mention!

We are so excited to be listed among these really amazing Raw Organic Food companies.

This week in Tastings...
Out from behind his desk is Walt Gruger with Arnold from Arnold's Way. Walt sampled Brad's Raw Chips at the "Taste of Green" at Portolese Family Chiropractic.

Brad and Jaime back at it, this time at Whole Foods Market in Chelsea, NYC.

Love the photo of the customer taking a shot of Brad's Raw Leafy Kale!

Here is Brad with one of our NYC samplers, Elizabeth.

Weekend Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Brad and Jaime's CA Weekend Wrap Up...

First up, here are some photos of the booths at Expo West. Next year, there will just have to be one of Brad's Raw Foods!

Here's a photo of Brad, Jaime and Denny Horn from Natren.

And here is where we leave Brad's aunt, Gabriele Agustini (Please visit her website and blog.) Bye Gaby, we miss you already!

Aaaand... we're off! Photos from Santa Monica.

Photos from Venice and the Pacific Coast Highway

BYE MALIBU! (Jaime, put that laptop away you're holding up the line! That guy behind you looks soooo happy. Between Brad on the phone and you on your laptop...)

CHEERS, Woman!

Welcome home, Guys! Two small pieces of business back at the shop...

We are well into our Brad's Raw 7 Day Challenge. Hope you have all been enjoying our recipes. To see what our challengers are doing and their creative ideas and recipes, please click here.

Last but not least, our March contest is still going on! Brad has a very cool trailer that we like to tote our chips around in! How many bags of chips do you think can fit in this trailer?? Closest one wins Free Chips! This contest ends 8 AM EST Friday, March 25th. Go here for a photo of the trailer. Email contest@bradsrawchips.com with your answer. Good luck!

a Raw Portobello Recipe and an Orange Ginger Stir Fry recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:44:00 +0000

Jane Karuschkat submitted this great beginner recipe.

Stuffed portobello mushroom
Wash the mushroom, grate some fresh ginger into nama shoyu and marinate the portobello in it.
Stuff with guac, tomato, onion, a little red pepper, serve.

Simple. You can put anything you want in it and it's a great meal.
There are no rules here !!!

Here's an Orange Ginger Stir Fry recipe from Daniela Troia of Zia's Cafe.

Orange ginger stir fry
1 daikon sliced with a mandolin or spiralizer
1 Carrot- fine julienne
1 Red pepper- small dice
1 cup Asparagus – angle slice
½ cup oyster mushrooms
½ cup Peas fresh or frozen
½ bunch Cilantro – coarse chop
½ cup Spring onions – diced
2 thai hot peppers seeded and angle sliced (optional)

Sauce
Fresh ginger- piece size of a quarter ½ inch thick
½ cup Coconut amino acids
¼ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Fresh oj
¼ cup raw sesame seeds soaked 6 hours
sea salt to taste
Blend until all ingredients are incorporated in a blender

Plating
Use half of the sauce to toss with your daikon “noodles”
Then toss the other half of the sauce toss with vegetables
Place “noodles” on plate then top with vegetables

Garnish with thai hot peppers, cilantro and spring onions

Erewhon and Expo West!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:16:00 +0000

We have been having a great time in CA, meeting with good friends, AND family. Here is a photo montage of our journey thus far...

Thursday morning's breakfast at Joey's Cafe with... George Clooney?!

Meeting up with Chef BeLive and Erica Oshun at Erewhon.

Jaime and Brad outside Erewhon, Brad and Edwin, Jaime and the beautiful endcap that they built while they were there, Brad and Juan (the store manager).

We have arrived! Expo West, get ready!

Here's Brad with Dr. Shawn Miller, author of You're Never to Old To Be Young.

Brad with John and Katrina Frey of Frey's Vineyards.

Jaime with Nutiva Naturals

Jaime taking a break and getting a henna tattoo!

Brad can't put his phone down, not even to take a photo with a monkey :)

Brad and Jaime are so excited to be hanging out with Brad's aunt, Gabriele Agustini. She is an incredible artist, who makes gorgeous handpainted silk and velvet accessories. What woman wouldn't want to wrap themselves in this luxury? Please visit her website and blog.

You have to see these photos of Gabriele and Jaime. Not sure what's going on here, but they are very funny!

The "crew" having a great time!

Time to take a load off and have dinner. We always have our computers out... even in bed :)

Brad's Raw 7 Day Challenge - recipes from the Sustainable Feast and Angela Stokes-Monarch

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:36:00 +0000

Mint & Fudge Vanilla Raw Vegan Cheesecake
by Justin Feldman www.justntheraw.com

Use 8” pie pan with removable bottom, Food
Processor, and High Speed Blender

CRUST
• ½ c soaked and dried walnuts
• ½ c shelled hemp seeds
• ¼ c buckwheat flour (soaked, sprouted, dried,
blended oruse 1/4 c more coconut shreds instead)
• 10 pitted dates
• 3 T coconut shreds
• 3 T fresh mint or 3 drops of peppermint oil
• 1 T ECO Maca Powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 T ECO Raw Cacao Powder
• 1 T honey
• ¼ t cinnamon
Put all ingredients in food processor and blend. If
too dry, add more honey or dates to moisten.

VANILLA
• 2c soaked ECO Raw Cashews
• 2c NUTIVA Raw Coconut Oil (melted)
• 1/2 c raw honey (or ¾ ECO Light Agave)
• 6 T lime juice, or lemon juice
• 2 t apple cider vinegar
• ½ t ECO Vanilla (scraped)
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 drops stevia
Blend in VitaMix Until Smooth

MINT FUDGE LAYER
• 1 cup soaked ECO Raw Cashews
• 1 1/2 cups NUTIVA Raw Coconut Oil (melted)
• ½ cup ECO Raw Cacao Butter (melted)
• 1 cup ECO Raw Cacao Powder
• 1 T ECO Maca Powder
• 2 T ECO Mesquite Powder
• 1 T ECO Lucuma Powder
• 1/2 cup ECO Light Agave Syrup
• 1/2 cup ECO Coconut Palm Sugar
• 6 T lime or lemon juice
• 1/3 c fresh mint leaf or 15 drops peppermint oil
• 2 t apple cider vinegar
• ½ t ECO Vanilla Beans (scraped)
• ¼ t cinnamon
• pinch salt
• dash cayenne pepper
Blend in VitaMix until smooth

Decorate with mint leaves :)

Sweet Treats, Savory Hors d’Oeuvres, California Wine & Kombucha
presented by featuring Gourmet Raw Chefs
with ingredients supplied by & products supplied by Thai Lettuce Wraps
by Diana Stobo www.DianaStobo.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups raw walnuts or raw almonds (soaked, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, minced
1/4 cup Scallions, minced (greens only)

SAUCE
1/4 cup Raw wild honey, or coconut syrup
• 1/8 cup Nama Shoyu
• ½ teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoons red pepper flakes

GARNISH
• 1 head of Lettuce, Butter, Bib, or Romaine
• Mung Bean sprouts
• Carrot, grated

DIRECTIONS
• Gently pull apart lettuce leaves, wash and let dry on paper towel
• Prepare sauce in food processor with s-blade. Add all sauce ingredients and pulse 3-4 times.
• Add nuts to processor & pulse 4-5 times until nut meat is consistency of ground meat.
• Add vegetables to processor & pulse 3-4 more times until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Place 2-3 lettuce leaves on plate, scoop 2-3 tbs. of walnut/almond meat mixture in to leaf.
• Garnish with Mung Beans, and grated carrot
Makes 4 servings

From Angela Stokes-Monarch: Here are juice recipes for 1-2 people, depending on how much you want to drink...
------------------------

'Chocolate Milk'

1 bunch spinach
1 head romaine lettuce
6 medium carrots

Juice 'em up and serve - tastes *just* like chocolate milk (depending on your taste-buds ;) - can be made sweeter with more carrots or even with apples if desired.

------------------------

Summer Quencher

1 head celery
1-2 apples to taste
1 cucumber
small chunk of ginger, to taste

This is a very light and refreshing greeeeen drink for summer...just juice it all up and suck it in - your cells will thank you ;)

------------------------

Pine Green

1/2 head celery
1 cucumber
1/2 bunch parsley
1 big bunch of whichever leafy greens you have available, e.g. lettuces, spinach, kale etc
1/2-1 pineapple, to taste

This is one of my *favorite* juice combinations - greens with pineapple. You can really use any greens you have available...then add in the pineapple juice at the last moment before drinking, as the enzymes in the pineapple start to break down the green juice very quickly...drink up and enjoy ;)

------------------------

Brad's Raw 7 Day Challenge - Recipes from Philip McCluskey!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Our Brad's Raw 7 Day Challenge begins on Monday! Are you in?

To help us, as there are a lot of newbies joining us, these recipes were shared with us by Philip McCluskey, a "motivational speaker, author, and raw food expert who inspires and educates thousands worldwide about the raw food lifestyle, or, as he calls it, “the world’s sexiest diet.” After thirty failed diet attempts and the looming prospect of gastric bypass surgery, raw food saved Philip’s life, transforming him from a morbidly obese 400 pounds to a fit, energized, and glowing 185 pounds."

Thanks so much Philip!

Raw Spinach Bisque recipe

Raw Seaweed Salad recipe

Raw Salt of the Earth recipe

Hello Hollywood!

noreply@blogger.com (Brad's Raw Foods) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:12:00 +0000

If you haven't noticed, we have been extremely excited here at Brad's Raw Chips. And for good reason. Brad and Brad's Raw Chips were invited to attend the grand opening party of Kirstie Alley's new store Organic Liaison, an innovative new organic weight loss company. Here are some pics!

Brad, on and off the Red Carpet!

This is Diana Stobo, Raw Foods Chef

Good friends of Brad's Raw Chips, John and Katrina Frey of Frey's Vineyard

Brad with Laura Fox

Brad with Sacred Steve from Sacred Chocolate