PAPAYA FACE MASK

The other day I found myself craving a juicy papaya, so naturally, I made a trip to a local heath food store and picked out a nice soft organic papaya.  But when I got home and cut it in half, it turns out it wasn't ripe at all... the flesh was pale yellow and tough!  Sigh.  

I have to say, I was pretty saddened but I wasn't discouraged!  Instead, I got creative and made myself a beautifying papaya face mask using a few organic ingredients I had on hand.  My skin felt so amazing, I thought I'd share the recipe.  Looks like my skin was the one craving the fruit ; )  

Papaya Face Mask

1/2 small unripe papaya (peeled, seeds removed)

1 Tbsp raw honey

1 tsp coconut oil

Using a mini blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Apply a thick layer avoiding the eyes, leave on for 20 minutes.  Rinse with warm water.  

Enjoy this beautiful and nourishing treatment before bed! 

MY WEDDING PHOTOS!

Alexo Photography: www.alexostudio.com 

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/AlexoPhotography

RAW RADIANCE CUISINE ON FLICKR

RAW CHEF STEPH INTERVIEWS ME

Have you guys met the beautiful raw chef Steph?  Watch out for this girl, she's one awesome lady on a mission to spread raw vegan love!  

Steph recently contacted me for an interview (you can read the interview on her blog at RawChefSteph.com).  I love connecting with like-minded women doing amazing things!  It's always such a gift when we can support and uplift one another. 

What I love about Steph is her kind and genuine presence, not to mention she's an awesome raw chef!  Just check out her vid below and you'll see what I mean.  Those kickin' kale chips look amazing Steph!

SUPER RAW LIFE (FREE MAGAZINE)

I'm so excited for the second issue of Super Raw Life Magazine!  This is a FREE publication featuring articles and recipes to help inspire you on YOUR raw food journey!  

I'm so grateful I've been asked to contribute to this beautiful magazine again! The March 2011 Issue kindly features my Raw Chocolate recipes (along with wine pairing) from my Raw Chocolate & Wine ebook!  Be sure to download a FREE copy and check it out! Just subscribe as a member at SuperRawLife.com to access your FREE copy!  Easy as pie. ♥

Super Raw Life Magazine is a source of information with the vision of inspiring you to transform your lifestyle and body naturally.  It is released quarterly and the e-magazine is available internationally at no cost.  When there is so much abundance there is no need for lack.  Our quarterly e-magazine is a platform to highlight those who are making a difference and in the process enable us to share and inspire our readers.

- SuperRawLife.com

FREE CHEEZCAKE RECIPE EBOOK

I've been secretly working on a FREE Valentine's surprise gift for the past few weeks!  I thought it might be fun to share my love of raw cuisine with all of you on Valentine's, not to mention it's super fun just to share recipes!

The ebook shows you how to prepare this delicious recipe in one of two ways, as an elegant cheezcake or two romantic martini parfaits.  So if you're looking for a healthy dessert this Valentine's, this is one recipe you can't go wrong with!

Regardless of how you choose to prepare it, you’ll absolutely love this luscious, rich dessert.  It's that good!  And unlike most raw desserts, there's only one nut ingredient in the entire recipe - so it's much easier on the tummy!

To get your FREE copy, all you have to do is subscribe to the Raw Radiance eZine. It is my newsletter with articles, updates, my favorite recipes and so much more!

Just subscribe below, and I'll personally email you this delicious ebook!  Already a subscriber?  Not to worry, you should already have your copy waiting for you in your email inbox!

RAW GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

When Hugh and I first started dating just over two years ago, he was crazy in love with green tea ice cream.  But as he gradually transitioned to a healthier lifestyle, he slowly gave up most dairy products.

Recently, while out at a sushi restaurant, green tea ice cream somehow came up in conversation... something tells me he missed his beloved ice cream!

So a few days ago I surprised him with a huge batch of RAW green tea ice cream!  Wow, neither of us could believe how good it turned out... hands down better than the real thing!  I was so inspired, I ended up going a bit crazy in my kitchen making all sorts of raw ice cream. 

I spotted some beautiful organic, local peaches (currently in season), how could I resist picking a few up for some raw Peaches 'n Cream ice cream?  I also made a batch of raw Coconut-Banana ice cream, by far my favorite of all three!

I had a few requests on Facebook to share my recipes, so here they are, each using a slightly different technique for the best dairy and soy-free ice cream...

Raw Green Tea Ice Cream

1/2 cup water

1 packet green tea (preferably matcha)

Cut open a small packet of green tea, and stir in with the water.  Set aside to "brew" for 20 min.  Transfer into a blender and add the following ingredients...

 

1 cup cashews (soak 2 hr)
1 cup almond mylk
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup raw honey

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Rinse and drain soaked cashews.  Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Pour into an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions.  That's it!

*If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze it in a glass container overnight... comes out just as good!

RAW CHOCOLATE PARTY!

Okay, so for the longest time I've wanted to throw my very own raw chocolate party!  And with my 30th Birthday, what better excuse to get out the cacao and indulge the night away!  So I brainstormed some recipes, called up my girl Solnce to see if she'd perform live for us... and the result, a super awesome Raw Chocolate & Wine party!

I was in the kitchen for two straight days (and nights) handcrafting the most amazing raw chocolates and infused cacao treats.  On the raw chocolate menu, we had everything from chocolate truffle mousse with strawberries, chocolate macaroons, Mexican-spice chocolates, cacao elixirs, orange-zest chocolates (see photo), goji superfood truffles, and so much more!  And wow, everything turned out so good!  Best part was seeing my friends indulge in organic, raw chocolate for the very first time... they loved it!

I got such great feedback, I thought hey, everyone should throw themselves a fabulous raw chocolate party!  It's such a fun way to introduce your friends and family to raw foods.  Plus, you'll get show off your raw culinary skills!  Who wouldn't want to impress their friends as a chocolatier for a night? ☺

So I had this idea, why not make a Raw Chocolate & Wine Recipe ebook with a menu ready to go for the ultimate raw chocolate cocktail party?  I've perfected the recipes everyone liked best to make sure they're fool proof and definite crowd pleasers!  If you've ever seen my recipes, you can count on them being super easy and delicious!  And no, you don't have to be a professional chocolatier to throw an amazing raw chocolate party of your own!  

I'm just finalizing the last details of the ebook... so be on the lookout in the next couple of weeks!  I'm so excited, I can't wait for you to see what's on the menu!

TASTY HARMONY

I recently spent a few days in Fort Collins, CO where I had a chance to try out Tasty Harmony.  This place is awesome!  It's an all organic, sustainable veggie restaurant with an impressive menu.  They're known for their amazing jackfruit tacos (not raw). 

We had the Green Zinger and Refresher juice, the Rawsome Plate, and the Living Falafel Hummus Wrap... mighty good!  

If you're in the Colorado area, or just passing through, this place is a MUST try!  www.tastyharmony.com

MY BIRTHDAY GIFT TO YOU

In celebration of my 30th Birthday today, I wanted to do something fun! So I'd like to offer a 30% discount on my latest SpaFusion Cleanse Program, which includes 30 delicious SpaFusion recipes! 

You've never done a cleanse like this!  For two weeks you'll enjoy beautiful, refreshing recipes inspired by Spa Cuisine!  It's like having a mini-vacation right in your own kitchen!  

Unlike most raw food recipes that typically mix nuts and seeds, and often oil all in the same recipe, SpaFusion recipes use little or no oil, and only one fat ingredient (nut, seed, avocado or oil) per recipe to keep it light.  Plus, there are no complex or dehydrated recipes... so it's super easy!

And with 30 delicious SpaFusion recipes, I can't think of a more delightful way to rejuvenate and hit the reset button for a healthy, fresh new start!  Here a complimentary recipe from the SpaFusion Recipe ebook...

Berrylicious Sorbet

1 young Thai coconut (meat only)
1 Tbsp raw honey
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen blackberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup frozen strawberries 

Freeze organic, fresh berries overnight.  Blend all ingredients, adding coconut water if needed to help blend.  Serve immediately! 

Save 30% off of the price listed below!
Offer valid  ONLY until midnight, July 10th! 

SpaFusion Cleanse Program ($19.95)

(IMPORTANT: You will receive the program materials
within 24 hrs of purchase.)

 

IN MY OWN WORDS

In the following video I wanted to share with you my thoughts on how beautiful and vibrant I find the raw food lifestyle to be.  

How could you NOT want to live in nature's sweet perfection?  If you ask me, a greasy dead pizza can NEVER taste as vibrant as the foods nature creates so abundantly and so masterfully!  

I hope my words inspire you to see just how beautiful living foods really are! ♥

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Purely Delicious Raw Food Lifestyle Magazine is currently running a tell-a-friend/spread-the-word promotion for a chance to win a 1-year magazine subscription!

Purely Delicious is searching chat sites, videos, blogs, Twitter and Facebook for anyone mentioning Purely Delicious Magazine!

Open to all countries, the promotion expires July 15, 2010. There will be a total of six 1-year magazine subscriptions awarded. The more you mention Purely Delicious, the greater your odds of winning!!!

So join in on the fun, and be sure to get your copy of Purely Delicious Magazine Spring 2010 Issue, in stores NOW! www.PurelyDelicious.net

SUMMER-READY BODY CHALLENGE!

I don't know about you, but with summer just around the corner, I'm ready for a refreshing spring cleanse to slim down in time for summer! I thought I'd do something fun to get us inspired, so I put together this Summer-Ready Body Challenge!

This is a six-week program that I will personally do with you, step by step! This challenge officially starts April 15th and ends June 1st, just in time to hit the pool!

I've created some delicious recipes for us to enjoy over the next few weeks inspired by Spa Cuisine (light, fresh and simple), with no complex or dehydrated recipes, for lighter digestion!

Unlike most raw food recipes that typically mix nuts and seeds, and sometimes oil all in the same recipe, SpaFusion Cuisine uses little or no oil, and only one fat ingredient (nut, seed, avocado or oil) per recipe to keep it light.

Here’s what the Summer-Ready Body Challenge program includes:

SpaFusion Weight-Loss Guide ebook
SpaFusion Recipe ebook - 30 recipes!
FREE subscription to the Raw Radiance eZine
60 minute coaching call with me! (Optional)

I'll share with you some helpful tips I’ve picked up along the way, that have significantly helped me slim down over 35 lbs! (See My Weight-Loss Before & After Video) I'll also include tips on controlling emotional eating. I'll reveal my most treasured secrets on living a magical life, plus you'll get FREE Bonus Affirmations for healthy living!

And with 30 delicious SpaFusion recipes, slimming down never tasted so good! Here’s just a taste of what you'll get…

Infused Citrus Mint Water
Mango Raspberry Twist Smoothie
Tropical Fruit Salad & Pineapple Crème
Apple Fennel Soup
Spring Rolls w/Sweet & Spicy Mango Sauce
Rawsian Borsch (my collaborated recipe featured at the Living Light Cuisine Cafe)
Summer Arugula Salad & Sweet Mango Vinaigrette
Sweet Vanilla Cream Cheese & Crushed Raspberry Parfait

The Summer-Ready Body Challenge program is only $85, coaching included! You receive two ebooks with tips on weight loss, a week by week guide, 30 SpaFusion recipes, FREE subscription to the Raw Radiance eZine, FREE Bonus Affirmations, and a 60 minute coaching session with me - to address all your questions and ensure your success!

Otherwise, you can purchase the program materials without coaching for ONLY $25... that's a steal!

So if you're ready to shed some serious pounds in time for summer, don't miss out on this delicious opportunity! I hope you're ready to take on this challenge with me, because I can't wait to see your amazing before and after pics! Here's mine...

SUMMER-READY BODY CHALLENGE (CHOOSE ONE)

Program $25.00 Program & Coaching $85.00

(IMPORTANT: You will receive the program materials
within 24 hrs of purchase.)

WHAT'S YOUR WISH?

Are you ladies as excited as I am about this exclusive FREE online event? I am so there! Check it out...

What happens when you get the World's Leading Experts in Health and Wellness together to share their wisdom with women around the world? You get W.I.S.H. (Women's International Summit for Health).



On March 8, in celebration of International Women's Day, for 10 consecutive days thousands of women around the world will tune in and nurture their lives like never before!

Sign up for FREE!
http://www.wishsummit.com/

Think back. Think waaaaay back to a time before to-do lists. Remember how it felt to dream, believing anything is possible? What happened? Oh yeah, juggling laundry and dirty dishes is what happened. As women, our to-do lists are longer than ever, and often the things we need most to nourish our souls end up last on our list.

W.I.S.H. is about prioritizing YOU. It's about setting aside 10 days to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as you need for a boost in all the right areas of your life. With more than 40 interviews, W.I.S.H. promises to be the BEST event of its kind for women! We're giving you a mega dose of what you'll need in the areas of...

Health
Attitude
Beauty
Spirit
Food & Nutrition
Money
Relationships
Fitness
Sex & Sensuality
Family

Ladies, you've got to check out the lineup... these interviews will be amazing! Speakers include Rory Freedman, author of Skinny Bitch, David Wolfe, Marianne Williamson, Dr. Mercola, Victoria Boutenko, Rainbeau Mars, and Neale Donald Walsch just to mention a few! And the best part, it's FREE! Join me along with hundreds of women around the world for this one of a kind event.

How does it work?

Every day for ten days, we'll provide a series of recorded interviews available in our private online listening salon. All you have to do is get cozy near your computer, turn up the volume and soak up the wisdom! Simple as that, so be sure to sign up!

Sign up for FREE!
http://www.wishsummit.com/

FLICKR GALLERY

I just uploaded new photos to my Flickr Gallery! Check out some of my recent raw food creations! www.flickr.com

A DOSE OF LOVE FOR MAGIC & FLOW

As some of you know, I've declared 2010 my year of infinite LOVE. And I'm not just talking about romantic love, although there's plenty of that in my life, but love as a state of mind!

Choosing to live in the mindset of love is like flowing downstream along the current of Life, rather than struggling up against it, as Abraham-Hicks would say. This is the best way I can think to describe what this feels like.

I find that the more I step into love, and act out of love, the more synchronicity shows up in my life! It's as though I no longer have to force things in my life to fall into place, they seem to just conveniently happen. I can't explain it, things just flow! Now who wouldn't want that?

Luckily, none of it is a mystery. It's actually rather simple! Here's what I've come to understand about love. There is only one energy field, with love on one end of the continuum and fear on the other... but it's all the same energy field, just expressed in different frequencies. Love, of course, being expressed at a higher vibration.

Love is an infinite expansion of light energy, while fear is light energy contracted. And we know this to be true... notice how love makes us feel light and free, while fear leaves us feeling tense, as though everything inside of us is contracting.

So when you open your heart to love, you shift and transform fear into the frequency of love and expansion... which just so happens to be of a similar frequency of magic and flow! So the more we align with the vibration of love, the more we align with synchronicity.

But the secret to flow is not just in a loving state of mind. A clean, natural diet must accompany your new found love. Why? Because you need a clean body, free of toxicity and stagnation, for love to flow through freely. Together in sink these unlock a world of magic!

So as you love your body with beautiful nourishing foods, give your heart and mind an extra dose of love, and watch the magic unfold! Play and have fun with it, and treat yourself to a beautiful, loving Valentine's Day! ♥

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

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!