musings on being Seasonally Raw

Why eat seasonally? Eating seasonally means enjoying the ripest, freshest food at the height of it’s natural harvest time. Seasonal foods taste much better, and are more nutritious. As the natural world fluctuates with seasonal changes, so our nutrient and energy requirements also fluctuate through the seasons. Eating local, seasonal foods attunes us to the energy of the particular climate and season of the place we are living in.

If we choose a high-raw lifestyle we need to pay particular attention to the kinds of foods we are eating and the way we choose to prepare them in order to maintain climatic and digestive balance throughout the year, especially during the cooler months. Why?
Well, it's easy to follow a high-raw lifestyle in Spring and Summer when Raw Vegan Foods (seasonal fruit/vegetables/wild foods) are abundant.

But what about Autumn & Winter?

I ask myself 'Why do people eat more cooked foods in winter?' What do we get from cooking our food? And can we achieve that same quality using methods of food preparation that preserve the enzymatic and nutritional integrity of our food? Where does nourishment come from? If we are not preparing our foods with fire in the traditional way, how can we use and generate the element of fire to keep our inner warmth glowing throughout the cooler months?
If we are choosing to maintain a high raw lifestyle during the autumn and winter months, then we need to pay particular attention to the raw foods we choose if we want the experience to be enjoyable! I don’t believe in struggling through and feeling deprived just so that we can fulfil the ideal of ‘being raw.’

Why is it an ‘ideal?’
Choosing to maintain a raw lifestyle is a personal choice. If it feels good, then go for it, and if it doesn’t, then don’t! Most of us choosing to transition towards a high (or all) raw lifestyle have experienced how eating this way liberates so much energy and latent potential with our beings that there really is no turning back.

So being ‘raw’ in autumn and winter requires an intelligent, considered & creative approach! The more i delve into this subject, the more i realise how deep one can go. There are no 'right or wrong' answers here. I am not against cooking food. I would not turn down a plate of baked winter vegetables or a steaming bowl of slow-cooked vegetable soup. In fact, it is likely that during the winter i will include cooked veggies with one meal daily. But i am curious, i want to understand how to align myself with the energy of autumn and winter whilst maintaining a mostly seasonal, local, living foods approach to nutrition.

I have been brainstorming ideas for recipes using pumpkins, apples, pears, warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg, kale, carrots, garlic, etc. So i expect we'll be demo-ing creative versions of old favourites such as apple pie/ pumpkin soup etc. for the winter warmers workshop next Sunday. If you can't make it to the workshop, I'll be blogging some of the recipes afterwards.

& in the kitchen the dehydrator has been humming non-stop and the sweet scent of cinnamon fills the air in preparation for the Festival of Life in London this Saturday. I'll be there with a few yummy things.....probably granola and brownies. Come and say hello :) and have a nibble!

raw food good mood!! :)

I'm loving the challenge of this new workshop. To be honest, winter is the hardest time of the year for me in general, and particularly when it comes to sticking to the raw lifestyle i know and love the rest of the year. I have been doing some soul searching.....asking myself questions such as
'is it necessary to stay raw in winter?'
'what is the best diet for me in winter?'
'do i want to stay raw/ high raw this winter?'
'if i am going to include more cooked food, what cooked food will i include? What cooked foods will i avoid?
Whilst asking myself these questions, and reflecting on my experience of previous winters on raw/ high-raw/ semi-raw, I had a revelation.
In the one winter when i stayed pretty much 100% raw, i really felt the best out of all my winters since starting out on my raw food journey. Raw Food= Good Mood!
Yet there has only been one winter out of four when i really stuck to high raw consistently. So then i got to thinking about why it is so difficult to stay raw in winter. I remember how difficult it was, particularly the first couple of winters, trying to stay healthy while all around me people were indulging in all kinds of festive treats laden with sugar, wheat and dairy........I'm grateful for the experience tho', because it led me to experiment endlessly in the kitchen, and i've come up with many a delicious dish that i feel good about eating, and doesn't bring me down from my raw food good mood! :)
You see, i started eating Raw Foods exclusively in the autumn of 2004 for spiritual reasons, which really means i felt attracted to the raw food path so that i could feel closer to nature and the divinity in all things....which is another way of saying that i wanted to feel alive, that my life had meaning and purpose, that i was connected to the web of life that courses through all things.......
Yes I am passionate in the pursuit of health, well-being, healing & spiritual connection, &&& I also believe that food can be fun, delicious, and comforting, if that's what makes you feel good!!
So for the next couple of weeks it is my challenge to create recipes that fulfil that need for comfort, taste & fun. Recipes that 'hit the spot'.....the 'spot' that becomes harder to reach with the usual raw fare as winter draws nearer!!
I'd love to open this up for discussion. Tell me of your experiences with raw/high-raw/semi-raw in winter. We have so much to learn from each other!
With love & warmth, Shell xxx

p.s. to everyone waiting for the amazing cracker recipe: it will be in your inbox in the next couple of days :)

New Workshop!! Warming up to Raw Foods :)

As the days become shorter and temperatures begin to drop, some of us find it less easy to maintain a raw foods lifestyle, even though we would prefer to. Our 'usual' raw favourites feel less appealing and nothing seems to 'hit the spot'. This one-day workshop explores creative ways to incorporate living foods into a healthy and balanced diet that will sustain and nourish you through this time of seasonal transition. Inspired by the vibrancy of locally available produce and their knowledge of the energetics of foods we will show you how to prepare deeply nourishing foods that are not only hearty in flavor but warming and comforting too.

You'll:

discover options for hearty & healthy live breakfasts perfect for chilly mornings

learn how to whizz up warming and satisfying live soups

learn methods for transforming seasonal roots and greens into easily digestible, filling and comforting winter salads.

gain the confidence to make your own versions of comforting autumnal desserts such as Cinnamon Spiced Apple Pie and Pear and Pecan tart.

learn to balance the elements & flavours that make a perfect curry sauce, and gain the confidence to use warming spices with flair and creativity

explore ways to 'warm up' foods without destroying their nutritional and enzymatic integrity.

learn the subtle alchemical art of making Elixir Teas and Chai Milks.

Early birds pay £50....come & play!

www.therawkitchen.co.uk

Random Delicious Post!

Hello Everybody! :) A bit of a random post. Lots of delicious happenings over here & i wanted to share a bit of it with YOU!
I recently made a wedding cake for 90 people. It was a chocolate cake, with a gooey chocolate layer in the middle, covered in a white chocolate & macadamia marzipan and squidgey sweet blueberries. A BIG project....3 tiers and over 7kg of cake.....!!!

The most recent Bright'n'Raw Potluck was held at Manna last Thursday. This was the busiest & best pot luck ever..looks like we need a bigger venue already!! I took a bowl of cucumber noodles in black olive sesame cream laced with homegrown purslane shoots and homegrown tomatoes.

Amazing crackers!! I have hit on a winner recipe, it doesn't matter how many i make, they seem to disappear at lightning speed round here.....If you email me (shell(at)therawkitchen.co.uk) to sign up for The Raw Kitchen mailouts, I will send you the recipe :)

Look out for goodies from The Raw Kitchen @ Manna. Last week it was Carrot cake and Spicy Ginger cookies.....

Linus, from The Raw Chocolate Company, not only makes the worlds BEST 'snappable' raw chocolate bars, but he's a whizz at raw ice-cream too. Pictured here: Choccy Doo, Spirulina Mint Choc Chip, and Mint Choc Crunch......

New Pizza Recipe!! I made this up for an extra special Girly Potluck a couple of weeks ago. Recipe coming in a following post, cuz i'm tired and sleepy now. It's basically spinach, mushroom, walnut pizza with sage cheese, draped in delicate red onion rings and sprinkled with zappy fresh chilli hits. Utterly delicious, and tomato free too! :)

Taste the love! Shine your light! Byeeeeee :)

Oh, and don't forget to spread the word about our next workshop, Raw Creativity, on Saturday 20th September @ Manna. Anyone who signs up and mentions this blog will get a free goodie pack on the day!

& & I have just started blogging about the Liver Cleansing journey i am on....find updates @ http://www.shellsrawblog.blogspot.com/

Join us for our next Workshop: September 20th: With Shell & Lara

Raw Foods : The Basic Skills Part 1 : Raw Creativity

Prepare to be inspired! We are looking forward to demonstrating how quick and easy is it to make all our favourite dishes, using basic raw ingredients (fruit/ veggies/ nuts/ seeds/ some superfoods) and basic kitchen equipment (blender/food processor/peeler): no cooking involved! All recipes will be raw, vegan, dairy, wheat, gluten and sugar free :)

Best Ever Hummus/ Creamy Vegetable Curry/ Courgetti Pesto/ Very Berry Cheesecake/ Apple Pie/ Macaroons/ Gorgeous Goji Fudge....and more!

Once you have learned the basics, you can let your raw creativity loose and enjoy a nutrient dense, tasty, sustaining and varied raw/ high raw lifestyle every day!

As well as demonstrating our favourite recipes, we will talk about our own journeys and combined experience with the raw foods lifestyle over 8 years.

Arrive hungry, we will eat everything we make :)

At only £67, this workshop is excellent value and hopefully easily affordable and accessible to everyone. If you would love to come, but cannot manage this price please get in touch, and we will see what we can arrange. Places are limited; to secure yours now by credit/debit card, click on the 'Buy Now' button in the right-hand margin of this blog.