Fruit Pie... Yummy Yummy (to the tune of the Wiggles "Fruit Salad" song)

Pie for Breakfast? You betcha. Lunch? Sounds good! Dinner? Absolutely... Really there is no bad time for the fruit pie. The recipe from "The Rawtarian" is really for the crust, and the filling and toppings are up to you. Let your imagination run wild :)


Ingredients:
1 Cup Dried Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Raw Walnuts
1/2 Cup Dates
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt (do not omit)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well processed but still slightly mealy/chunky. Next, press into your pie plate (we do individual pies). Fill with desired filling and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

* Our favorite filling is fresh mango. We blend it in the Cuisinart to make a saucy filling and then top it with strawberries, bananas, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (whatever we have). Last but not least, we ALWAYS sprinkle the top with more coconut... it's a must.

The Crowd's Response: Makes the 6:00 am wake up call a little bit easier. An all around crowd pleaser. 

Hail to the Kale- Chips

Nothing makes me happier than when my children fight over the last kale chip (sometimes, I actually have to hide them in my house). We like to think of them as nature's Cheetos, but MUCH better. I used to buy kale chips in the grocery store, but they are so expensive, and my children will eat the whole bag in five minutes. This led me to experiment with making my own kale chips, and it has been very successful. I tried many recipes, but my favorite is from thedeliciousrevolution.com. These are SO good, and everyone who has tried them agrees they are far superior to the store bought ones. These "cheesy" and crunchy little snacks take the gold ribbon in the lunch box snack competition. They are rather simple to make, and I like to dehydrate them overnight.

Ingredients:
1 Large Bunch of Curly Kale
1 Cup Cashews- Soaked for 2 Hours
1 Red Bell Pepper- Seeded and Chopped
3-4 Tbs. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbs. Agave
3 Tbs. Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions:
Wash kale and tear it into bite sized pieces. Let the kale air dry on a dish towel while you make the sauce. Blend all the rest of the ingredients into blender until smooth. In a large bowl, pour the sauce over the kale and massage with your hands to make sure all the leaves are well coated. Place the leaves in a dehydrator (I love my Excalibur). Dehydrate at 115 degrees over night. Make sure you store in an air tight container to keep them crispy for as long as possible!

The Crowd's Response: Are there words for this? How about "MINE" or "Mom you're doing raw? Where are the Kale Chips?" We even have friends stop by when they hear Kale Chips are in the house. Must make. 

A NUT-ritious After School Snack

Every day after school, they come home so hungry they could eat their own arms. A super healthy and yummy snack is raw vegetables with a macadamia-cashew "cream cheese" dip. Use whatever vegetables your family likes (or what you have in the fridge). This a favorite and always ends with empty plates. This is super easy to make ahead and will stay good in the refrigerator for at least a week. I learned this from my yoga teachers, so enjoy and namaste!

Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Macadamia Nuts
1 Cup Raw Cashews
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic
1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
1/2-3/4 Cup Water

Directions:
Put all ingredients except water in a blender (I adore my Vitamix). Slowly add water to desired consistency.

*Add fresh basil, rosemary, parsley, or chives for extra flavor if that appeals to you.

The Crowd's Response: "Is there any more? Can we have this tomorrow too?"

Lettuce Turnip the Beet: Day 1

Armed with a few raw "uncook" books and an active imagination, we headed to the health food store. Grocery list in hand, we filled our cart with kale, berries, mangos, ginger, avocado, watermelon, a variety of raw nuts, lemons (lots and lots of lemons), and more kale. Who knew raw nut butter could cost so much? Hours later, we headed home to make dinner- a family favorite with a twist, the RAWesome Kale Caesar.

Ingredients:
1 Head Dinosaur Kale- Sliced Fine
1 1/2 Lemons- Juiced
1 tsp. Dijon
1 tsp. Capers- Drained
3 Tbl. Olive Oil2-3 Cloves Garlic- Pressed
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1/8 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions: 
In a large salad bowl (I like my wooden one), mix all ingredients together except the kale and sunflower seeds. Add the kale and toss. Let it sit for 5ish minutes and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Feeds 2. YUM-OLA! 

The Crowd's Response: One lover, one leaver. I had one child licking the plate while the other returned it almost untouched. To be honest, this may not have been the best starter, as the dressing has a very strong garlic flavor. However, I LOVE it, and my oldest daughter does too.