Healing can Happen in the Kitchen

Have you ever walked into a kitchen , felt your heart lighten, your spirit soar and your energy level increase?
I know to many those words may sound corny, out there or make them go hmmm? But, that is exactly what I felt the moment Elizabeth ( Girl Gone Raw ) opened the door to to welcome me to my Alissa Cohen Level 1 Class. Her smile was as bright as the brightly colored walls of her enchanting studio. The warmth of her heart could be felt on the coldest of days. I felt home, alive and so very happy to be on this Rawsome Journey.
Her kitchen smelled of spices, earthy , rich and so very healthy. The low soothing hum of the dehydrator contained the most awesome raw pizza that would make even a meat an tater man drool for.
Warm Herbal Tea offered, introductions to three enchanting, beautiful women..stories of how, why and when we began our interest in the Raw Food world. There is nothing more healing , than the sharing of our stories. I was blessed today to be apart of some amazing stories from some amazing women.
Elizabeth proceeded creating art out of food that was as beautiful as the art hanging on her walls ( that she painted). We feasted like Goddess's !!!! Tropical Green Smoothie,Zucchini Hummus,Spaghetti ( Angel Hair Pasta) with marinara sauce and Girl Gone Raw Parmesan Cheese . As our palette's were singing with joy, Elizabeth is smiling while moving on to Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps, topped with her Guacamole. When I saw those mushrooms my heart started beating a little faster, and my mind racing..I REALLY DISLIKE MUSHROOMS!!! I took a deep breath and told myself get over it, your 52 years old and you've waited a long time to take this class..you are going to try them ! So, with the loving support of all in the room, I lifted the fork, opened my mouth and .................wow...not as bad as I thought... I tell you Elizabeth has some magic going on in that kitchen, as now I can say , I may just eat mushrooms again.:) Never , never to old to teach an old dog new tricks :)
Purple Pockets, Broccoli Soup, Fudge Balls, Chocolate Mocha Milkshake..oh my!!! The energy from all that wonderful healing food is still with me this evening. I feel like I could stay up all night. I want to create all those foods in my kitchen tonight, but will refrain from doing so till tomorrow:) The mirror tells me I'm a middle aged woman, but my body is telling me I'm young, wild and raw :) :)
The three hours flew by, an abundance of wonderful food, laughter, conversations and memories made to last in my heart for years to come.
What a Wonderful Day!!!!!!!!!!! I am proud to say I received my Alissa Cohen's Level 1 Certification ..No stopping me now :)

Rawsome Happenings

Has been been over a week since last posting. Many wonderful moments, results of raw detox . The raw detox is going fantastic. Not my first time going this path, but finding the second time even better than the first. I know that many do not agree or find this way of eating possible for them, believe me it is not easy everyday for me. But as each day goes by, I find it easier to do than not . If  I take the easier path and revert to a non raw food item, my body tells me right off that it much prefers raw:)
I won't say that I will eat 100% raw for the rest of my life, but truly feel that I will never go back to the foods that left my body crying out for better treatment. I truly can say that I have no desire to eat out or run , the food just taste over processed, too much salt and lacking energy. For sometime now I have been feeling blah, finding it hard to get going in the morning and running out of energy by 5 P.M. ..But since I have started eating raw again , I feel so full of energy, lighter, happier and ready to make more positive changes in my life.. Can food really make such a big difference? YES ..it can :)
I'm taking my raw food life style a step further ! Tomorrow I will attend a class to become certified in preparing Raw Food. I want to learn more and more, to teach others how to meal plan, grocery shop, and prepare raw foods for theme selves and family. To lose weight , to feel more energy, to really take charge of their food choices and health...My husband and I lost over 20 pounds each over a year ago when we went raw.. The weight came off without worrying about calories, hunger or becoming bored with food choices.. It was fun and meals were always different .
After my class tomorrow I will post on here daily, food ideas etc... so excited !!!
Simple Changes you can make : pick one a week and see the difference :)
1.Drink 2 green smoothies a day
2.Make your own milk ( almond milk)
3.Eat Tempeh in place of meat
4.Eat your veggies raw ...

Till next time: Rawsome Healing to You ...and get out there and enjoy the day!!!

When you rise in the morning, look out your window , nature is best enjoyed in its raw form and so is food !!!

Raw Detox : Day #1 ... Grocery List, Detoxing Kitchen, Mindfulness

Hmmmm......... Did I really broadcast to the world that I was going to start a 21 day Raw Food Detox? Yup! Unless I want to feel really bad about myself, then guess I'd better get started.
To start out , I have been detoxing my kitchen. Taking inventory of my ref and cupboards, surprised to see that it's not as bad as I thought it would be. As I looked over my counter tops, I felt the beginnings of a panic attack coming on as my eyes fell upon the coffee pot. I love my coffee and would be lying if I told you I was giving it up. But I am going to make some big changes in that area. First, coffee pot is going into storage and French Press is taking its place. It will make it more time consuming to make the coffee , which I hope will cut down the amount that I drink. Second, will not allow myself to drink that first cup of the day until I drink hot water with lemon...http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/lemon-water.html . Drinking warm water with lemon is known to help with caffeine withdrawal, weight-loss, healthier skin and liver..
Grocery List to get Started :
Bananas, Granny Smith Apples, Kale, Carrots, Almonds, Oatmeal, Flax seed, Celery, Cucumbers, Red Cabbage, Bragg's Vinegar, Green Peppers, Garlic, Onions, Broccoli, Cauliflower,Watermelon, Grapefruit, Oranges,Lemons,Medjool Dates, Grapes,Romaine and Red Leaf Lettuce , Parsnips and Celery Root...Ginger Root.... there are other ingred you will need as time goes on but these are ones that will help get me started ...
Below is Menu for Tuesday Morning (real first day of detox)
2 cups of hot water with lemon
1 cup organic oats ( this I will cook, my husband doesn't , but I just can't do raw oats yet :)
1/4 cup almond milk ( for oatmeal)
fruit smoothie ( 2 banana, 3 kale leaves, grated ginger, drop of organic raw honey) add water as needed to get blender going ...

Lunch

Large Glass of carrot juice ( 6 carrots, 1 granny smith apple, grated ginger )
Rawsome Salad.... ( broccoli, cauliflower, onion, green pepper, romaine lettuce mix, celery, walnuts, cabbage, carrot...with garlic rosemary vinegar.. ( just grate garlic, add dried rosemary to Bragg's vinegar ) Oh yes make sure you add Flax Seeds to your salads daily !!!!

Dinner

Large Rawsome Salad ( as above)
Carrot Juice ( as above)
Bowl of Oatmeal w/ almond milk

Evening Snack

Fruit Smoothie  ( after I get beyond the first few days of raw diet, I will start to add flax seed crackers, hummus, raw cake etc..but want to keep simple to get started....

Please, if at all possible use only organic fruits and veggies!!! The idea here is to become healthy ! I purchase most of my groceries from Square Root in Poland, Axis is Auburn or Fair Share in Norway... you certainly can purchase from chain grocery store, but please be careful as they may say organic but have found non- organic items in the organic fruit and veggie bins...:( http://fruitsticker.com/ ... print off this and carry in pocketbook so you can check code to make sure organic ....

If you don't have a juicer, then you can buy carrot juice put in blender and add peeled , diced apple... there are many kinds to choose from in store...organic and free of added fruits is best... it is expensive this way, but until you decide if you want to juice daily then this will work for you....  You also can buy organic almond milk ( very inexpensive to use for oatmeal or smoothies ) ... I will post demo on face book group showing how to make almond milk very soon ( as soon as I figure out how to do it ...lol )

Mindfulness Tip

Think of your food the way you want to think of your body !
Take time to display your meals in pleasing way... I am going to use one bowl, plate and my wooden silverware for the next 21 days....
Turn off the TV, turn on music to your liking ...light a candle , use special placemat ...what ever will bring you more mindfulness to the fact that your eating for health not just to eat! We all eat far more than our bodies require and for most of us we don't even remember the meal we ate..other than how we feel after, or the scales...that is not what this is about... It's about changing the way we look at food, how , when and why we eat.... and how we FEEL!!!
For those of you with children, meal times together are so important, but a healthy mom is even more important so enjoy your rawsome meal while eating with them and maybe even getting them to eat some of it too.... HINT for Children !!! Give them there own special place setting, plate and silverware...cut veggies and place on plate to look like a happy face :)

Rawsome Day to You !!!

New Year, New Day, Same Hope, Faith and Dreams !

Can't believe that  last date I posted on this blog was June . So many memories been made, days of laughter and tears since then. I stopped blogging for few different reasons. But, the main reason being that I just didn't know how to put into words all the jumbled feelings that I was having. I would sit and stare at the computer screen, wanting so badly to pour out my heart , then would get angry at myself . What did I have to feel sad about..I was not the one in pain, the one that had to endure the terrible healing process of liver surgery. Not the one to once again struggle with the horrors of cancer ! I didn't want to take one moment away from Kylee's healing journey...she is the one that has had to endure it. But my sister said something to me last night that really hit home...She said but Deb, you have a different story to tell. Yes, I do have a story, we all do. Mine is a story of a mother's pain and fear of seeing her child go through the past 2 years battling cancer. ..It's a long story and to many emotions to go into at this time. This blog post is just to give reason to why I have not blogged for months and to encourage all to tell their story. To share is human, we all suffer in one way or another. Sharing makes the suffering easier some how...we all need to believe that we matter. That someone cares, understands or can relate to our lives.
Many people suffer in silence, behind closed doors, alone. They get up in the morning, put on their happy face and lead others to believe that their lives are prefect..Well no ones life is prefect, no person is prefect and we all feel sadness, fear and alone at times... I don't want to feel that way, I don't want you to feel that way..If I open my door , let you see my imperfections, my humanness than maybe it will help others to do the same...
So starting tomorrow, I will be blogging about my 21 day Raw Food Detox journey, fears, sadness, happiness or other emotions that I encounter through my day.. Well maybe not everything :) I am so far from prefect that at times I lose myself in the imperfections!
I'm 52 years old, raised two beautiful daughters, been married for 32 years...Been at my oldest daughters side for past 2 years while she has battled cancer...been too far away from my youngest daughter, lost a job that provided much needed income to my household....which has led to many other changes in my life..BUT...guess what .... I still laugh, love, dream !! Have hope, faith and believe that my story is worth writing...regardless if others read, learn, or dare to tell their story.. I've paid my dues..I am woman now here me Roar :)

Kylee's Rawsome Healing Speech from Dance

Kylee’s Rawsome Healing Speech


June 4th, 2010

Fundraising Dance @ Hilton Gardens





Would like to take a moment to give special thanks to my family.

Jay for putting up with us wild women and loving me thru and thru. April, for always being true to nature, true to herself, inspiring me to be a better person. My Mom, for making things happen and loving so big. My Dad, for not just going along with us strong willed women for many years but, for always willing to learn and try new things along with us.

And Todd, my husband, not so much for your fighting me on certain things , but for being man enough to acknowledge that it’s not about giving in and just doing what I want but being willing to trust me and for staying by my side. You could have turned and walked the other way many times. But you haven’t and I am blessed in knowing that we are in this together. Thank you for being there even when you were uncertain or scared. We will heal together.



Saying thank you simply isn’t enough to express my gratitude. Usually I’m one of many words, always talking. But when I look out at all of you and reflect back on the past five weeks, I’m in awe of the out pouring of love and generosity. Some from those who have known me for years, maybe my whole life, others who have known me for a short time, probably through hockey or Todd, and the rest who don’t even know meat all.



Well. God knows me so well, that he knew without all of you I may not have done the researching, done the hard work and deep searching within to choose this way. That I believe is His way. Many times I’ve had the conversation with Him asking,” Are you sure God?”” It’s not really what I want to do but if this is what you want, what you have willed for me, make it known , PLEASE! And He knows how bad I can be at making decisions and choosing what’s right. He never leaves me in question for long because in those desperate moments of wanting a solid answer I would get a text of encouragement or see a message on facebook. Someone sharing their time, their love, donating, or expressing their support and how cancer has affected their life. Those things taking place were the only answers I needed.



I remember waiting for test results the second time around, only a year after my first diagnosis. This time I wasn’t in a hurry to find out. God knew I needed the time to listen, to hear from others, to hear Him and to see what was taking place around me so that when I made my choice I could state my case boldly and firmly. To stand firm in my convictions if and when others may doubt my choice of treatment. During this time of wonder, I realized that this is about so much more than just me .It’s about reaching out to those who have lived in their thinking that “ ignorance is bliss and what I don’t know won’t hurt me.” I was very much living my life this way until I sat in the doctor’s office and heard that I have cancer. My first response was “I just want more time. But I also had to realize that it wasn’t about getting more time, it needed to be.” what am I going to do with the time I have been given-how am I going to be – who am I going to be in whatever amount of time I am given.. That’s when I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to know more! I wanted to live by knowledge, because knowledge is power and I’d rather be powerful and know the truths, then be ignorant to what is going on around me. I started asking why people getting cancer and other dies-ease are. Why do the things that supposedly kill the cancer make you so sick, killing the good in you? Not only waging war on your organs, but on your mind. So this time around I have made the choice to know everything I can, to find the truth and toe end the suffering. Not from cancer, but from the chemo and radiation I endured. I now choose to know and I choose to change.

There is a saying that my mom has been inspired by, “Be the Change you want to see in the world.” That’s what this is really all about. This is what I am setting out to do! My destiny, I have questioned for a long time. It is my responsibility to grab it and put it to work. Everything is possible for he who believes! If or when there are days I’m tied or weak, I will be reminded of this night, this weekend and all of you and I will KEEP ON!! I will be praying for each of you that I do not gain from this journey alone, but that each of you and your families will use my experiences with cancer and my healing journey and make it your own. We all have a story and I can’t wait to one day hear yours. God is working something so divine right now and I pray you grab it with both hands always is a part of what you all helped to create!! God Bless You All and KEEP ON!!

Strength/Faith/ Belief/ Hope/ Love

For every dollar, auction item you donate on, every prayer, donation of goods and services/ every hope and dream is giving her the chance to BE!! To be a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend....!

Because of you , she will heal, and pay forward the healing. As her Mom, my dream for her to heal, so that when her battle is won, with her, my daughter April, and all of you by myside. We can together change more than just her life, we can change many !!! Today, what you are doing for my precious child, you are also doing for the future of her precious children. This will never be forgotten, nor will it stop here...My mission for the rest of my days, are to form a foundation . A foundation that will give your mother, your child, or spouse, or friend the chose to seek alternative healing. Please know that you have all given our family strength, faith,belief, hope and we can't say thank you enough !!

Gentle Man

This post is dedicated to a wonderful father, friend and husband ! My girls and are I are such lucky women.
We have been blessed with a man in our lives that is always there, even when you don't know he is. His quiet , gentle presense felt by all of us. He is a man of very few words, but his smile and laughter say more than words . When our girls were growing up, he never had to be pleaded with to play outside with them, he always put them first. He never demanded they be the best, he supported them in what ever their dreams were. He loved them for who they were, and always encouraged them in what ever they did.. He never pushed them to be the best , in order to make him shine ..he just gentley guided them to find their own shinning star.. they both always knew that dad was there cheering them on, crying tears of pride when they won blue ribbons in the horse show, slid in to home plate, made a speech about woman's rights in front of a crowed room, when his little horse lover spend hours in frezzing cold lugging hay and water buckets...
He never complained about dents and dings in car, that know one knew how they got there :) or the house full of noise, bathroom he could never use, buying the wants ,that he really didn't have the money to buy..
No, is a dad that just gentley and quitley stood by, letting them know, that he was always by their side..

He is my husband, best friend . He brings me back to where I need to be.. When I rant, rave and see only the dark. All I need do is feel his gentle breeze , to bring me back to me.. He does not ask for attention, nor to be in the spotlight.He does not ask that I be a perfect housewife, beauty queen, he always loves and supports me even when I know that he may disagree...

He  is my husband, a true GENTLE -MAN and brings me to the quiet safe place where I'm always loved, safe and able to rest my weary soul...

I love you my gentle-man , thank you for letting me fly ..!