egg, plant.

http://www.rawsimple.com

Raw Eggplant Bacon

• 1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/2 dried chipotle chile, soaked at least 2 hours
• 1/2 cup soaking water from the chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons nama shoyu
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• pinch black pepper
• pinch cayenne

let the strips of eggplant soak and then dehydrate until crispy! I used this recipe, but used different amounts just kind of threw it together depending on how much eggplant I was using.

Raw Baba Ghanoush

• eggplant (remove skin, freeze, and thaw to make it softer and less bitter)
• 2 tbsps raw tahini
• 2 large cloves garlic, or more!
• 1 tsp cumin
• salt to taste
• juice from 1 lemon
• fresh parsley, or dry
• 1 1/2 tbsps olive oil
• water for consistency
• pepper to taste
• smoked paprika for more traditional taste

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and it's ready!

biggie smalls.

my body amazes me.

We all have issues with our body, whether it's our arms, thighs, love handles, or whatever else we find with our critical eye to not be absolutely perfect. We work so hard to fix all of these issues that we have with ourselves, but why aren't we happy with the way we are right now. To me, our bodies are so perfect and miraculous. They do all of these amazing things throughout the day, whether we are sitting, running, sleeping, or eating, our bodies are functioning in such amazing ways. I have issues with myself just like everyone else, but I learn to love myself for the way I am right now more and more everyday.

Look at yourself, your imperfections, your brilliant beauty, and send love to every piece of yourself. Stop looking with a critical eye and look in awe at the amazement that is before you.

mmmmm.

DELICIOUS dinner

grilled eggplant

pretty self explanatory..cut the eggplant however you like and grill it with some garlic or whatever other seasonings you want!

crunchy green beans

sweet yellow pepper chopped

a little onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

fresh field peas

cayenne pepper chopped

put a pan on low and just let these get a little warm and then throw the green beans on just so they can get warm and let the flavors soak, then add

just a tad nama shoyu

a tad honey

pinch himalayan sea salt

stir and remove from the pan, so that nothing gets too soft, the stove was just to get them warm and let the flavors mix. I then drizzled just a tad of sesame oil. THIS IS SOOO DELICIOUS

Salsa

cilantro

red/orange cherry tomatoes

lime

cracked pepper

food for thought.

For some reason I am feeling stressed out today, or more just unsettled. I don't really know what it is, but I guess we all have those days or moments where we feel a little disconnected. It is probably because I did not do yoga this morning and then was stressed out about a test. Anyways, doing something for someone else always makes me feel a little bit better and gives me something to use this busy energy on. I also try just spending time in the sun, working out or doing art, but the creative juices weren't flowing onto the paper today, so I turned them to the kitchen.

I love making my family healthy dinners, so I used all local produce that we had picked up from the farmers market. My dad like very hearty food, so I wanted to use the okra we had bought and make a heavy and hearty meat like dish.

"Hearty Okra"

I brought water almost to a boil, turned the water off, and basically blanched the okra quickly, just to warm them and soften them slightly.

Next I melted ghee in a pan with fresh chopped garlic

The pan is on as low as possible to keep most of the nutrients.

I then added the okra with:

nutritional yeast (lots!)

tbsp curry

a little sea salt

chopped up cayenne pepper from the garden

I wanted to make a very refreshing salad/garnish to go with this since it's so hot and this is absolutely perfect.

"Refreshing Corn Salad"

fresh chopped parsley

fresh corn off the cob (this is super sweet raw and so delicious)

tiny onions chopped

lime squeezed on top

a little pepper cracked on the top to finish it off

A little info on:

Ghee

It is used in indian food, and is actually "clarified" butter. I am a vegan and not really for dairy, but this is a great oil for cooking and has a wonderful flavor. It is actually lactose free and contains no hydrogenated oils or trans fats. It helps start the secretion of stomach acids to improve digestion and it is rich with antioxidants and acts as an aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals from other foods, feeding all layers of body tissue and strengthening the immune system. It also keeps its chemical composition at high temperatures unlike other oils or butters and has anti viral properties that is said to reduce the risk of cancer.

Nutritional Yeast

It is loaded with B vitamins, including B12, folic acid, essential fatty acids, and 52% protein with important amino acids. This is great for vegans and vegetarians because it gives you a lot of the vitamins, specifically B12 that you may be missing, plus it tastes cheesy and yummy!

lightning scar

"We can choose to see our experiences as a help or a hindrance. Instead of wearing your battlescars wide open for all to see, and to emotionally bleed from, try wearing them as badges of honour. They are there to show you how strong, capable and resilient you are."

this is just funny...

http://www.naturalnews.com/029098_orthorexia_mental_disorder.html

apparently i have an eating disorder/ am mentally unstable.