• Feel – Josh Boots
• I’m Yours (Acoustic) – Jason Mraz
• Constellations – Jack Johnson
• 1234 – Feist
• You, Me & the Bourgeoisie – The Submarines
• Help I’m Alive – Metric
• Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
• Starlight – Muse
• Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
• Over & Out – Newton Faulkner

You can also listen by clicking on the iPod in the right-column of my blog.

***

The Journey

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice – -

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”

each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations – -

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice,

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do – -

determined to save

the only life you could save.

This recipe also comes from the Thrive Diet. He is trying out as many recipes as he can from this book and will also start following the suggested meal plans tomorrow. We have been mostly trying the shakes, toppings and burgers. Following the meal plan will introduce some different types of foods such as raw Vegan pancakes, pizzas, soups and other things. It should be an interesting week, made even more interesting because of the mandolin we bought today. Can we say zucchini pasta??? Yay!

***

Chocolate Almond Smoothie (antioxidant-rich)
from Brendan Brazier‘s Thrive Diet

Simply blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Smoothies can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days, thought they’re best when fresh.

1 banana
2 fresh or soaked dried dates
2 cups cold water (or 1 ½ cups water plus 1 cup ice)
¼ cup almonds (or 2 tbsp raw almond butter)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp hemp protein
1 tbsp roasted carob powder (or cacao nibs to make smoothie 100% raw)

**Dave also added 2 tsp rice protein, 2 tsp coconut oil and 1/2 tsp maca root powder.**

Makes about 3 ½ cups, or 2 large servings

This salad tastes great! I even like the chili pepper flakes.

Wakame Resources:

• www.livestrong.com/wakame-seaweed
• www.greenfootsteps.com/seaweed-health.html
• www.powersuperfoods.com.au/wakame-seaweed.html

***

Wakame Seaweed Salad
from 1001recipe.com – Wakame Seaweed Salad

Dried Wakame seaweed: 3/4 ounce (20 grams)
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
Red chili pepper flakes: 1/2 tsp
Rice vinegar: 3 tbsp
Soy sauce: 1-2 tbsp
Sugar: 1/2-1 tbsp 

1. Soak dried seaweed in cold water for 20 minutes or until soften. Drain and cut off any hard spine. Chop and set aside.
2. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar together well. Taste and adjust the soy sauce and sugar.
3. Pour the dressing over seaweed and mix.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds and red pepper flakes over the salad, and serve.

***

Bee Protein Shake
from Sarma Melngailis‘ Raw Food, Real World

Serves 2 to 4 (I halved the recipe to make one portion for my morning shake)

“This shake is full of good stuff! The hemp provides a hefty dose of protein along with all the essential amino acidsl the almond butter adds more protein along with vitamin E, magnesium, folic acid; and the bee pollen gives still more high quality protein, essential amino acids, and enzymes. Raw honey is rich in B-complex vitamins; vitamins C, D, and E, and is a great source of the enzyme amylase, which helps to break down sugars. Bananas add potassium, while mangos are full of vitamin A and are one of the richest sources of carotenoids, which help ward off colds and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.”

2 heaping tbsp almond butter
2 cups coconut, or filtered water (I used filtered water)
1 cup diced mango
1 cup frozen diced banana
1 heaping tbsp hemp protein (I used Ruth’s Goodness hemp, maca and  sprouted flax powder)
1 tbsp bee pollen
2 heaping tbsp raw honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt (I used Himalayan pink salt)

In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth and creamy. (I also added 2 ice cubes after initially blending and blended until smooth).

And now, we give you two more recipes for your enjoyment. Both of the recipes are from Brendan Brazier‘s Thrive Diet. They taste amazing!

***

Cayenne Dill Tahini Dressing
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

“This is a full-flavoured dressing with a bit of bite. The tahini offers a good amount of calcium, and the cayenne pepper helps  get the blood flowing.”

1/2 clove garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup hemp oil or EFA Blend (we used EFA Blend)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp dill
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp agave nectar
Sea salt to taste (we used Himalayan pink salt)

In a blender, blend all ingredients together. The flavours will take up to a day to combine completely. [...] They stay fresh for up to a month.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

***

Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

“This is a great burger topping. Full of flavour and nutrition, this pesto can also be used as a pizza sauce or even as a dip for crackers and vegetables.”

2 cloves garlic
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping (see below)
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp hemp oil
Sea salt to taste

In a food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth.

Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Variation: Roast the peppers, lightly coated in coconut oil, for 30 minutes in a 300F oven before blending. This will intensify the flavour.

Makes about 2 cups.

***

Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

1 part Nutritional Yeast
1 part sesame seeds

Blend in coffee grinder.

Some of the more interesting things we bought today are:

• Wakame
• Dulse
• Kamut flour
• Sucanat sugar
• Himalayan pink salt

This week, I plan on making the following (and will be posting recipes as I prepare them):

• Wakame salad
• Vegan Chili (Thanks, Angela @ Oh She Glows!)
• Strawberry Oat Squares (also from Oh She Glows)
• Bee Pollen Protein Shake (From Sarma Melngailis’ Raw Food, Real World)

Dave will also be making other food and I’ll post photos and recipes as well.

In the meantime, here’s what our pantry and fridge look like after buying for the week…

***

Chocolate Blueberry Energy Bars
from Brendan Brazier‘s Thrive Diet

“High in antioxidants and flavonoids, these bars help reduce free radical damage in the body and improve cellular recovery.”

1 cup fresh or soaked dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup roasted carob powder (or cacao to make it 100% raw) – we used 1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp protein
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Sea salt to taste
1/2 cup sprouted or cooked buckwheat (optional) – we used cooked
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

In a food processor, process all ingredients except buckwheat and blueberries. If you prefer a uniformly smooth bar, process longer. If you would rather a bar with more crunch, blend for less time.

Remove mixture from processor and put on a clean surface. There are two ways to shape the bars: You could roll the mixture into several balls, or shape it into bars. To shape into balls, use a tablespoon or your hands to scoop the mixture (however much you like to make one ball); roll between the palms of your hands. To shape as bars, flatten the mixture on the clean surface with your hands. Place plastic wrap over top; with a rolling pin, roll mixture to desired bar thickness. Cut mixture into bars. Alternatively, form mixture into a brick; cut as though slicing bread.

As the bars dry, they become easier to handle.

Makes approximately 12 1-3/4 ounce bars.

You can individually wrap and store in freezer. These bars do not freeze solid so you can grab from the freezer and eat right away.

Knead buckwheat and berries into mixture by hand.

Lunch consisted of half a burger patty, a salad made of romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mushroom, baby carrots, sunflower seeds and pecans with a tangy dressing Dave made earlier. I finished the meal off with a small cup of apple sauce made with our Vitamix. We simply tossed in a few cored Empire apples and watched them turn to apple sauce before our eyes. Nothing else added.

I feel great. I look outside my window and  it is a beautiful sunny day. As I open my windows to let in some fresh hair, I hear the birds chirping, I feel a light breeze coming in and I know that Spring is on the way. How lovely. I think I will go for a walk and bring some nuts and seeds down to the river as an offering to the great Willow and the squirrels that live by the water before getting back to work.

Here’s the recipe for a Ginger Carrot Dressing, also from the Thrive Diet.

***

Ginger Carrot Dressing
from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Diet

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup hemp oil or EFA oil blend (we used hemp oil)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

In a blender, blend all ingredients together. The flavours will take up to a day to combine completely. [...] …they stay fresh for up to a month.

Makes about 1 cup.