"Fourth of July" RAW Cupcake-Size Pie

Happy Fourth 2015 !!

This year, I made a bunch of small cupcake-size pies.


Ingredients:

Pie crust - almonds and dates

Slices of banana

Whipped cream - a can of coconut milk

Toppings - blueberries, rasberries and coconut flakes


Direction:

1. Crush almonds and dates in food processor until they stick together well when you squeeze them.

2. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Then, put in the "almonds-dates" pie crust. (Press the pie crust well.)

3. Place a "slice of banana" in.

4. Cover the pie with a coconut milk whipped cream (c.f. How to make coconut milk whipped cream)

5. Decorate with blue berries, rasberries and sprinkle of coconut flakes!



Enjoy the holiday weekend with healthy meals and desserts! :)

Raw Cashew Tofu

Raw Cashew Tofu

I had just a cupful of cashew left, so decided to make a "Cashew Tofu!"  The way you make is similar to "Goma Tofu."  (See my previous post: http://rawmariko.blogspot.com/2014/05/goma-dofu-tofu-i-love-shojin-ryori.html)

I made a round one this time. :)

Ingredients:

Raw cashews --- 1.5 cup
Kudzu root powder --- 1/2 cup
Distilled water --- 2.5 cups
Sea salt --- a sprinkle
Toppings --- ginger, cucumber
Sauce --- ginger kudzu soy sauce


Direction:

1. Soak the cashews in distilled water for a day.

2. Drain water.

3. Blend cashews with 2.5 cup water.

4. Strain blended cashew water.

5. Get as much 'clear and strained cashew water' as possible. (You can use a 'strainer cloth' for better result)

6. Pour the "cashew water" and kudzu powder in the saucer pan. First, dissolve the kudzu. Then, heat the content in low-medium heat. Keep mixing till thickened.

7. Pour the content into a container of any shape you like. (I used a half moon cooking mold) Cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or longer (till hardened)

8. Serve chilled with ginger-cucumber garnishing with ginger-soy sauce!

Don't throw away the "cashew pulp!" 

You can use it in smoothies, salads and cooked meals!

I made a salad!

(banana, avocado, apple and cashew pulp salad with strawberry cashew dressing!)

Enjoy deliciously healthy living! :)

Oh Christmas Tree, OH, CHRISTMAS TREEEEE!!!! (Raw Vegetable Christmas Tree)

Oh Christmas Tree, OH CHRISTMAS TREEEEE!!!! (Raw Vegetable Christmas Tree)

Since I LOVE Christmas Trees so much, I sometimes make Christmas Trees with food! Edible Christmas Trees are better, right? :)

This year, I made one with Broccoli !!!

You need:

2 broccoli stalks
red, yellow (and orange) bell peppers
1/2 carrot
coconut flakes
double-sided toothpicks

How to:

1) Place larger-size broccolis on a plate as "Tree Base" using toothpicks

2) Stick toothpicks like the pictures here and start building broccoli blocks

3) As the Tree comes toward the top, cut the stems short like the picture below 

4) Let's place Christmas Ornaments (Cubed red/orange peppers) on the tree! 

5) Put a BRIGHT YELLOW PEPPER STAR on the Christmas Tree!!!

6) Carefully place the shredded carrot tinsels on the tree, and sprinkle the shredded coconut flakes to add 'snow effect.'  (If you want more showed tree effect, you could use a melted coconut oil over the tree so the tinsels and snow could stick well on it)

"Merry Christmas!"

Apple Cider Vinegar Toner & Fresh Basil Toner!!

Apple cider vinegar toner & Basil toner!

Known for acne-fighting, anti-aging.  Just dilute the apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's) with water (I use distilled water). At any ratio you'd like. With basil toner, I grind the fresh basil leaves and add water. I use the strainer for clarity for both both toners. I use apple cider vinegar toner in the morning, and basil toner at night.

Homemade Natural Hand Sanitizer

Cold Season is here. Both weather and flu. It's time to be extra cautious about keeping ourselves from germs!

First...

KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN!!!

What you need:

(The amount depends on the container you'd be using to store the hand sanitizer. The key ingredient is Tee Tree Oil.)

For example,

Tee Tree Oil --- 30 drops

- Aloe Vera Gel 

- Witch Hazel 

(You can determine the amount of Aloe and Witch Hazel by what container you'd be using. I wanted my ingredients to be gello-y so it's easy to grab. But, for a bottle container, I'd make the ingredients more liquid-y.)

- Essential Oil (I used grapefruit essential oil. Commonly used is lavender)

How to:

Mix the ingredients!

KEEP WARM, KEEP CLEAN, KEEP HEALTHY!!!

"BLOODY MOON" - Raw and Healthy but Gross Halloween Dessert Recipe

In the spirit of Halloween, I decided to make "Raw and Healthy but Gross Halloween" Dish. Here is the recipe!


I tried to make a dessert dish, inspired by early October's "Blood Moon" event. Since the ordered silicone half-moon mold didn't arrive in time for making the dish, I struggled to make it work with the ingredients. First one didn't come out right, BUT it came out perfectly gross! So, I took a picture below:

Looks like "stuff" came out of a brain!  Ew!

The second time, I used a "chawan" bowl, and it came out in perfect shape!  Here it is!

"Bloody Moon" inspired by "Blood Moon" event

Ingredients:

For MOON

1/2 cup White sesame seeds 

1/2 cup Arrow root powder

1 Frozen banana

For BLOOD

Raspberries

Beets

Blueberries

For FINGERS

Cashews

Walnuts

Pecan

Coconut oil

Sliced almonds (for nails)

Direction:

1. First, MOON! Make "Goma Tofu" using white sesame seeds and arrow root powder (See: http://rawmariko.blogspot.com/2014_05_01_archive.html)

2. Blend the frozen banana to make "frozen banana ice cream" (See: http://rawmariko.blogspot.com/2014/09/i-have-desserts-before-meal-ginger-ice.html)

3. Mix the above with blended raspberries (for color) and freeze till hardened (Note: Save some blended raspberries for BLOOD to paint the fingers and for decoration)

4. Blend Blueberries also. Juice the beets (Both for BLOOD paint).  Keep the "foams" from juicing the beets (for gushy gut decoration)

5. Blend / food process the nuts and mold them with coconut oil into fingers. I mixed cashews, walnuts and pecans to give different shades to a little "decomposed" fingers. (I recently played a "dead body" in a feature film, and watched and learned how a Hollywood makeup artist turn me into a dead person!)

6. I bent one of the fingers for a little variety. Made creases for the joint areas, and added a slice of almond on each finger. 

7. Now the fun part! Paint the fingers and splash the BLOOD all over! Add the "foam" to the fingers...Ewwwwww!!!!!

...... Although it's all healthy ingredients, I must confess that it wasn't appetizing to eat this at all. It tasted good, though. 

Have A Happy Fun Halloweeeeeen!!!!!

Raw Apple Pie!

It's APPLE SEASON~~~!!!   How about some Raw Apple Pie? ;)

Ingredients:

A dozen apples
Nuts (I used walnuts and pecan)
Dates
Cinnamon powder
(Optional: coconut whipped cream... YUM!!!)

Directions:

1. Make the pie crust --- Blend (or  with food-processor) the nuts and dates, and stick to the bottom of the pie container. (I put coconut oil on the container first.)

2. Slice apples

3. Blend some of the apples to make apple sauce. Sprinkle cinnamon in this.

4. Layer the sliced apples and apple sauce on the pie crust (See below photo of a pie slice). Done! (Optional: Add coconut whipped cream!)

After a day in the fridge, the apples get browned and looks like it's baked...haha!

Enjoy this gorgeous fall season and the season's harvest! :))