CHEESY KALE CHIPS ANYONE?

I have a confession to make. I've got a serious addiction to these Quite Cheesey Kale Chips. You guys know what I'm talking about! And like any addict who needs her daily fix, I decided I desperately needed to find a way to recreate these super awesome kale chips.

So I took my obsession to my raw kitchen! I wanted to play around, give this recipe some Mila love and see what I came up with. The result, ridiculously good, super cheesy crunchy mouth-watering kale chips! I've gotten such a response from people asking for my recipe, I couldn't resist sharing it ♥

Super Cheesy Kale Chips

4 cups purple kale, torn into bite-size pieces (stems removed)

1 cup cashews (soaked 1 hour)
1 red bell pepper 
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
Pinch cayenne

Blend all ingredients, except for the kale, in a high speed blender until smooth. In a separate bowl drench your kale in the "cheese" sauce and mix well to incorporate. Spread the kale evenly on a teflex sheet and dehydrate on 115 degrees for 16-20 hours, or until dry and crunchy. I like to fluff them up about half way through to make sure they get evenly dehydrated.

A DAY IN THE RAW - SOCAL

Heading up the California coast, we stopped by 118 Degrees in Costa Mesa for a refreshing light breakfast. I fell in love with their raw coconut crepes... amazing!

Next up was Santa Monica for a beautiful raw lunch at Juliano's Planet Raw. They have the most amazing freshly brewed herb/honey kombucha... beyond words!

And our final destination was Au Lac for a fabulous raw dinner by Chef Ito! While awaiting our appetizers, who do I spot walking into the restaurant? A few familiar faces including Dhrumil of Give it to me Raw, Lori Painter, and Courtney Pool. I couldn't believe it!

After some good laughs, Dhru kindly invited us to join them for dinner... an absolute highlight of the day! It's amazing how much synchronicity I see in my life when I open my heart and stay in the flow ♥

---------------------------- From the streets of Santa Monica, CA
raw food, natural health, healthy living, culinary arts, raw foods, beauty, living foods

THE ULTIMATE ECO DIET

Check out my article, The Ultimate Eco Diet, featured on the EcoDiva blog at TheEcoDiva.com

The Ultimate Eco Diet

Embracing a natural eco-lifestyle is more than just shopping organic, it is a whole new approach to the way we choose to live. It is about making conscious choices on all levels and in all aspects of our life. Yes ladies, that even includes diet! Why? Because the more we align with a clean natural way of eating, the fewer resources are wasted. Simple as that!

But with all the latest fad diets out there, which is the healthiest and the most eco-friendly diet of all? Without a doubt it is the raw food diet. Not only is the diet pure and natural, but more importantly it is unprocessed and hence far more sustainable! Let’s break it down and see what the raw food diet is all about. Read more...

EcoDiva, founded by Elena Lipson, offers a wealth of information on ethical luxury in the world of beauty, fashion, and eco-conscious lifestyle! TheEcoDiva.com

ECOPOLITAN

Good eats at the Ecopolitan Raw Food Restaurant in Minneapolis... from my recent holiday travels across MN!

ON MY JUICE FAST MENU

As some of you may know, today is my second day of a 10 day liquid fast I'm doing to kick off the New Year. It's a variation of Shazzie's 10 Day World Juice Fast, check it out Shazzie.com/blog

I'm loving this cleanse so much I thought I'd share with you my menu for the next few days. By the way, it's not too late to join in! Visit us on Facebook.


MORNING
10 oz water w/squirt lemon juice
1 quart (4 cups) low-glycemic green juice (see recipe ingredients below)
2 oz coconut water kefir

MID-AFTERNOON
Juice of 1 young Thai coconut
10 oz savory raw V-8 juice (see recipe ingredients below)

LATE AFTERNOON
10 oz water 
1 quart (4 cups) low-glycemic green juice (see recipe ingredients below)

EVENING8 
oz nut/seed mylk (see recipe below)


*LOW-GLYCEMIC GREEN JUICE
Wheatgrass, purple kale, dinosaur kale, chard, collard greens, dandelion greens, beet greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, parsley, cilantro, broccoli, fennel, celery, cucumber, carrot, apple, lemon, LOVE


**RAW V-8 JUICE
Celery, tomatoes, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, cucumber, parsley, cilantro, spinach, romaine lettuce, lemon, red onion, garlic, ginger, pinch Himalayan salt, LOVE


***NUT/SEED MYLK
4 cups water
1 cup almonds (soaked overnight)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (soaked overnight)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp flax seeds
1 Tbsp hemp seeds

Blend well and strain through nut bag. Make sure the nuts/seeds are raw and organic!

LOVE IS THE WAY WE ROLL IN 2010

I love this time of year... what a perfect opportunity to dream and create a new vision for the year we welcome ahead.

It's become a tradition at the end of each year to dejunk and declutter my life, letting go of all negative energy, opening myself up to beautiful new experiences. I usually take this time to give thanks for all the wonderful opportunities of the previous year, and create a new theme for the year to come. What's my theme for 2010? Love.

The theme of love represents a mindset in which we can choose to approach life. It is the highest vibration at which we connect to all the beauty and magnificence of life. Love after all, is the heartbeat behind the natural flow of life!

To kick off the New Year, I'm also taking part in Shazzie's 10 Day World Juice Fast that starts tomorrow Jan 3rd. A juice cleanse is a lovely way to hit the reset button on our health, for a clean new start.

You can check out Shazzie's 10 Day World Juice Fast and join in on the fun at Shazzie.com/blog

With a cleanse and lots of love fueling my New Year, some of my goals for 2010 include getting creative in my raw food kitchen, advancing my yoga practice, signing up for a local organic CSA buy in, and now that I'm getting ready to move into a new home with lots of windows and natural light, I plan on doing some indoor gardening with fresh organic herbs and sprouts. ♥