One of my favorite cooked dishes was Russian borsch. It was my favorite soup to make for Denis and when we became vegetarians I stopped using beef to make it. However, when we became raw, I had a hard time finding a recipe for borsch that I liked. Finally, I invented my own and liked how it came out. The almond milk gives it a “sour cream” feeling to it. I have actually made this soup with golden beets as well. So I hope you enjoy it as well!
1/2 cup of raw almonds & water (or 1 cup of raw almond milk)
1 medium size tomato
2 medium size beet
2 carrots
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
Garlic and onion to taste
Salt to taste
Olive Oil
Chopped dill
Blend the almonds and water to make almond milk. Strain the milk in a nut bag or if you want to keep the pulp, don’t strain. Poor the milk back into the blender and add one beet, one carrot, and the tomato. Add some salt, garlic, onion, and olive oil and blend until smooth. Put aside in a bowl.
Shred the other carrot and beet and add to the soup base. I use my food processor with a shredding blade to save time. Add cabbage and dill.
Pour in serving bowls and add some olive oil on the top.
Whenever I don’t feel like making a complicated dish for dinner or I have run out of greens, I make this hummus I learned at this year’s Raw Spirit Fest in D.C. I also add some cut veggies, usually left over veggies, to make a “Mediterranean” dinner or plate that comes out amazing with very little effort.
Using the food processor, combine the seeds and nuts; add tahini, olive oil, salt, garlic, cumin, lemon or line juice and begin mixing. After most of the nuts are grind, begin adding some water until you reach the desired consistency. I personally like it very smooth and liquid, but you can decide how much water to add. Add the sun dried black olives and continue to mix in the food processor until smooth.
Cut other vegetables such as broccoli, celery, carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, etc, and serve as a meal. It takes a few minutes and everyone loves the hummus.
We went to the global premiere of “The Age of Stupid” on Monday September 21st and as usual, I walked out angry, frustrated, and depressed. Anytime I watch a movie about the environment, I cry and feel hopeless. Mostly because I feel that no one cares and no one is doing enough to conserve the very little resources we have left. It usually takes me days to recover. As we drove home, I decided I was going to be more positive and thought of what else I could do, not just in my lifestyle, but promoting what I’m passionate about. I talk about raw food more than anything else, but I don’t share my feelings and knowledge about the environment. So I’ve come up with these three lists of tips on how to help conserve and be “greener.”
For Beginners
Reusable bottles, bags, and natural soaps
So you already recycle and have changed your light bulbs. Well that’s not enough! Here are 5 tips for beginners.
Reusable bottles
Stop buying bottle water please! It will save you money and help conserve by not making more plastic bottles that will eventually land in our ocean. Get a reusable bottle and a filter and voila! You have bottled water!
Plastic bags
Ok so you probably bought the reusable bags but are forgetting to carry them. I keep at least three bags in my car, one at my office, and two in my purse. I now collect a tote or reusable bag from every place I travel. I actually no longer gift wrap presents but put them in a nice reusable bag, that way the person will get two gifts!
Soaps
Yeah I bet you didn’t know about this. Most soaps contaminate the water supply. There are environmentally friendly soaps that are very reasonable in price, for example, Dr. Bronner’s soap is great because it last for a very long time and it comes in gallon size containers. They also carry a laundry and cleaning Dr. Bronner’s soap called Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds.
Packaged Food
It creates tons of garbage! So if you can’t cook or don’t have time, look for recycled packaging specially plastic number 1, 2, and 3. However, I strongly recommend starting to fade out microwaveable foods.
Re-Use
Instead of immediately throwing things away, donate or swap with other people. Freecycle.org is a great way to re-use; it’s a way to give away the stuff you no longer want without having to find a place to take it. It’s free and a lot of people can benefit from your “garbage.”
Advanced “Greening”
So you already know more than the average person, here are some advance tips that will prove how committed you are to saving the planet.
Compost
My Compost Bucket
Great way to create less trash and make fertilizer for your plants. If you live in an apartment, there are methods to compost in small places. Once we began composting, we reduced our trash to 1 bag a month for 4 people!
Replacing your current thermostat for one that can be programmed for multiple temperature settings throughout the day and week can help save a lot of money and energy thus saving the earth. I recently replaced mine for a three bedroom house and my electric bill went down 40%! Mind you I’m in Florida and summer just ended.
Anytime you travel, there is a carbon footprint. Your car and house also have carbon footprints. To offset these, you can sign up for an inexpensive service that will plant trees.
There are two ways to do this. One by collecting water every time you wash your dishes and re-use the water for plants. Two if you have a backyard and can collect rain water, set up buckets outside and use that water for plants and lawn.
Extra Credit
Here are some more tips to earn extra credit in the “greening” path.
Mail
MailStopper - Formerly GreenDimes
I used to recycle all my junk mail until I found Green Dimes. It’s the best $20 bucks I’ve spent ever! I no longer get anyunwanted mail.
Plant more trees
Even if you live in an apartment, there are local projects and even national places where you can plant trees or donate as little as $1 for each tree planted.
Drive less
Yes, you may think you already do this but in fact, you may be driving the same amount. Count how many miles you drive a week and reduce them by carpooling, taking public transportation, etc. When I bought my Prius, I also started riding the train to work and carpooling. It becomes a habit very quickly and part of your life.
Buy local food/organic
Support your local organic farmers; it saves the earth because they are using organic farming methods and you are not supporting produce that travels across country using fossil fuels.
Laundry
Replacing the soap used for laundry, the dryer sheets for dryer balls, using a low temperature, and air drying helps tons not to mention will save you money.
I wrote this post a day after I saw the movie but was unable to post it because I didn’t have access to Internet at home. As one of my decisions to do more for the environment, we downsize our living space and moved to an area that reflects our beliefs and lifestyle.
We’ve been accumulating papers for over 5 years to one day shred it all away. I first bought a shredder and it broke trying a handful of papers. I then bought an outdoor chimenea to burn all the papers, but that wasn’t very environmentalist of me and wind up not burning anything. As the years passed by, the papers accumulated to a tall trash can stored in our home.
So finally the time came to move to a smaller place and give up the garage that stored it all. I was looking for a service to pay to shred all my important data and found that BSO, Broward Sheriff Office, was having a FREE shredding event every month on the second Saturday of the month.
We took 7 full boxes of receipts, credit card statements that were at least three years old! I had cd’s and old expired credit cards too… you name it, they took it! They shred everything in front of you in a truck… it was awesome!
I’ve managed to accumulate a whole box now, so I’m taking it tomorrow.
If you are a South Florida/Broward resident, you should take advantage of this free event. For more information, see the BSO site.
Kimchi is one of my favorite dishes ever! I think I can eat it almost everyday. Here is my way of making raw vegan kimchi.
1 Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage
Real Salt (first to salt the cabbage and then to salt the whole recipe)
5 to 7 cloves of garlic
Peeled Ginger to taste (I use about 1 inch square of a ginger root)
1 red pepper
1 jalapeño pepper or cayenne pepper (not powder)
1 yellow onion
1/4 cup Bariani Olive oil
Chili flakes and pepper flakes to taste
10 Scallions julienned or cut in long strips (lots of scallions is what makes this recipe)
Wash the cabbage and separate the leaves. Let the water drip off the cabbage and get a container ready to place the cabbage for the salting part of the recipe and another container to press down the cabbage. Line up some leaves on the container put salt all over. Add another layer of leaves on top and add more salt and repeat until you use all the leaves and salt every layer. Use the other container to press down the cabbage. Let sit for 8 hours or overnight until all the cabbage is soaked in the salty water. You can let it sit more time to ferment more, but it won’t probably be raw at that point. You can also choose to let it sit less time, but I find that 8 hours is just perfect. Taste the cabbage and if it’s too salty for your taste, rinse it, but if it’s fine, just dumped the residual water.
Cabbage and salt in layers
To make the paste, I like to use my juicer to mince all the ingredients for the red paste. However, you can use a vegetable chopper or a food processor for this part. So mince or chop or process the garlic, ginger, red pepper, onion, and some of the red pepper flakes or jalapeño pepper or cayenne pepper. When I put this thru my juicer using the mince blades, there is also some juice that comes out which will make the paste a bit more liquidly and that’s why I don’t have to add water to this recipe. If you use a food processor or a chopper you may have to add a few spoons of water and the olive oil. Mix this paste and taste it for flavor. Depending on the saltiness of the cabbage and of the paste, you may want to make sure they will balance each other.
Peppers and Garlic for Kimchi
Using the same washed container, spread some of the paste at the bottom of the dish and take some of the scallions and spread them over the paste… you are going to layer the cabbage and paste like a lasagna. Take some cabbage and cover the first layer of the paste, and then add some more paste and scallions over the cabbage and keep layering in that order. Once you used all the cabbage and paste, cover the container and refrigerate for a few hours (4 to 6 hours). If you have cabbage or paste left over, just add it to the sides or try to fill in every space in the container.
I get about 6 to 8 servings out of this because I use a lot of it in different salads. I like to take a cucumber and chop it small cubes to add to the kimchi.
One of the hardest things to give up for me was Asian food such as Japanese, Thai, and Korean. So I’ve created several recipes to make up for my favorite dishes and flavors I miss. Hope you enjoy them too!
Miso Soup
Serves 2
Water
1 inch cube ginger
2 carrots
1 Tbs. brown miso paste (unpasteurized)
Garlic, olive oil, and salt to taste
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until mixed. Serve immediately and add cilantro to decorate.
Decorating tip: Add some avocado, sprouts, and pour some olive oil.
Cucumber Spicy Noodles
Serves 2
3 medium size peeled cucumbers
¼ red peppers sliced or julienned
½ romaine lettuce
½ jalapeño pepper or cayenne pepper (or powder)
2 Tbs. of Nama Shoyu or Braggs
Olive oil
A handful of cilantro
Sesame seeds (black if possible)
Using a spiral-slicer cut the cucumber to make noodles and put aside. In a bowl, mix the Nama Shoyu or Braggs (or both) with the olive oil, cayenne, and chopped cilantro. If using jalapeño peppers, mix in food processor. Cut the romaine lettuce and make a bed of lettuce in each plate. Put the noodles and cut red peppers on top of lettuce. Pour the dressing on each plate and sprinkle some sesame seeds and more olive oil.
Decorating Tip: you can also cut some fresh tomatoes and add to dish.
Computer bag, Hiking bag, and Lunch bag ready for our trip!
In the two years we’ve been vegan raw foodists we’ve travel quite often and have been able to eat what we are used to eating at home and not struggle finding food during the trip.
How do we do it? This is a very common question we get asked all the time. In the last trip we took, to DC for the RSF, I was in the plane and decided it was time to write about it. So here are my top ten tips to travel raw!
Plan Ahead
First, check the rules for traveling with foods, liquids, etc as they are constantly changing. If you travel internationally chances are it’s a bit more difficult to bring some vegetables and fruits with you are on the plane. Second, check to find the closest organic markets, local farmers markets, and raw food or vegan restaurants around the area you are staying. We love HappyCow.com because it helps us plan ahead where we will be dining once we arrive at the location. It also shows me all local markets and their contact information. Using this information, we map the places we want to go to and decide where to eat or shop for food.
Helpful tip: Write down the phone numbers and hours of operation of the places you want to visit.
Bring Your Own Food
We always carry Avocados, lettuce, and cucumbers with us for the plane ride. I also include enough fruits, nuts, and seeds for the ride. So far, we haven’t had any issues at security. We have a lunch bag that qualifies as a carry-on where we put all our food for the plan ride. Yes! You do have to run it through the x-ray but it’s better than the “glow-in-the-dark” food at the airport.
Helpful tip: carry extra bags for compost such peels, seeds, etc.
Olive Oil
We loved our olive oil and can’t live without it. So we’ve emptied and old vanilla extract bottle that is about 2 oz and washed and filled it up with Bariani’s Olive Oil to carry with us in the plane ride. Using the foods we bring and the olive oil, we make ourselves a nice meal sometimes in the plane or at the airport while connecting.
Helpful tip: Go to any food court and ask for a plate or container to use for making your food.
Salt
This is a topic that is very delicate with most people who are healthy. Salt… we like it and we need it. We use Real Salt and carry it with us everywhere. We have it in the car, at work, in my purse, everywhere. So when we fly or travel, it’s always with us.
Helpful tip: Real Salt has a small container that can be refilled.
Traveling Lunch Bag
Water, Green Powder and pH Drops
Water is possibly the most important part of traveling. Since we can’t carry liquids anymore, the first thing we do after the security check is get water. If you are lucky, some airports carry water with a high pH that will help you keep hydrated during your trip. If you are driving, I suggest taking your own water with you in a cooler. We also use a green powder and pH drops to add to the water. This helps us stay hydrated and get all the vitamins our bodies need while traveling. We even carry lemons or limes to squeeze into the water to that it stay fresh… yes that’s more complicated, but we now carry our lemon squeezer!
Helpful tip: if you carry your lemon squeezer (like we do), take it out of the bag during security check and set it on top of your jacket so that they don’t go through your lunch bag.
Dessert
We always do desserts because if you pass the cinnamon bun stand at the airport, chances are you would be tempted to have one. If a fruit serves as dessert, bring apples and bananas as they are the easiest to carry. If you don’t consider a fruit dessert, then bring something sweet for the trip. We like to make nut and dried fruit bags for the trip. Sometimes we carry raw chocolate bars, not good if you are planning to sleep in the plane. Also, we recently discover raw cookies in a package by Go Raw and they are perfect for traveling.
Tea bags
We carry two to four tea bags to drink in the plane and ask for hot water to brew the tea. We like the Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat by Traditional Medicinals the best. Why we drink tea? Most time in planes people are sick and we don’t want to run the risk of getting sick, especially if you are not getting the food your body is used to eating while traveling.
Helpful tip: ask for two cups of hot water to brew one tea bag, they usually server the water in small cups.
Utensils and napkins
We used to ask for plastic utensils at the airport and then put them in a zip lock bag to re-use. We also shared one napkin as we like to conserve and travel as green as we possibly can. We now travel with a small kitchen towel, the size of a face cloth, and keep in the lunch bag during the trip. In our last trip to San Francisco, purchase traveling re usable utensils at Café Gratitude, but you can also buy them at Bamboo Utensil Set To-Go . Ok so you don’t need to buy anything, simply get utensils at the airport and re-use them throughout the trip.
Helpful tip: Carry your salt, utensils, and napkins in the same zip lock bag inside your lunch bag, that way when is time to make your food in the plane, everything is accessible.
Arriving late
So last year we flew on Christmas day and arrived in California at close to midnight and we had run out of the food we carried with us. All there was open in San Fran were Chinese restaurants, and we didn’t think they would carry a salad! So here’s what we did, we ran to a 24-hour drug store and looked for snacks. They actually carried some vegetables rolls and fruits as well as some nuts and seeds. We bought some bananas, water, and pecans and that was our meal. Basically, don’t get depressed, there is always something raw somewhere. Don’t give up!
If everything else fails, buy at the airport
So if you had a last minute trip and didn’t get a chance to pack your lunch bag, buy a salad at the airport. Yes, the “glow-in-the-dark” salads and fruits that have been transported there by so many hands and trucks. We’ve done it once or twice when traveling overseas and brought an avocado to complement the depressing lettuce they sell you at the airports, and we are not proud of it.
Helpful tip: carry your salt and oil and make a nice little meal.
When traveling overseas, the rules may be a little different. You may have to eat all your food before you get to the other country. I also heard a tip from Sergei Boutenko on how to travel to other countries, make a powder of dehydrated vegetables and pack it in your carry on. Ask for a cup of hot water and mix in the powder, with some salt and oil and you have a nice soup. Our local raw vegan farmers market actually sells the powder of a veggie mix that can be used for traveling. Nut bars and other raw treats help hold you until you land but will most likely dehydrate you.
As we continue to travel, we learn more tips on how to continue our lifestyle and enjoy traveling to new places. The best part of traveling raw is the faces of the people sitting next to you watching you eat!
We stayed at a B&B in Mt. Shasta that has a Vita Mix and Dehydrator so we made pizza!
About 16 months ago I started to have a pain on the left side of my body under my arm close to my armpit and my ribs. At the beginning I thought it was stress or maybe that I was sleeping on the left side of my body too often.
The pain got worse and had to massage that area constantly, but it wasn’t helping. I was shopping online for Christmas gifts at my favorite organic store, and came across an organic “Brassage.” A bra that helps gets rid of toxins and aids lymphatic flow. So I bought one hoping it would help, but my pain did not go away.
We visited my friend Dave in Mt Shasta, who happens to be a massage therapist and has a spa in Mount Shasta, for our winter vacation. He asked me how I was doing and somehow I didn’t want to mention the pain because I didn’t want to worry him. So I finally spilled the beans and mentioned about my pain. He said that pain in the area of the body is related to giving too much to others and not taking care of me. I’ve heard this before in Oprah’s show when they bring in mothers who don’t have time for themselves. I was confused! “I take care of myself!” I thought. “I eat raw foods, quit my corporate job, enjoy life, what more than that can I give myself?”
After a nice massage by my dear friend in Mt. Shasta, I realized that I was in denial. I do give first to others and then whatever is left over I share with more people and never me. The pain went away for a few weeks but came back. So I gave up. I was taking care of me but was still in pain.
Another friend at home told me that it was the gallbladder. She also does massage therapy. At that point I thought, “How can I be the gallbladder?! I’m a raw Foodist! We don’t get sick!” The same weekend another friend told me that we hold anger in our gallbladder, and then she said “but you don’t look like an angry person.” To which Denis said “you just don’t know her.” We all laughed, but that got me thinking about being angry.
And that’s how I decided to do a gallbladder flush. I started that same day and did tons of research on ways to flush the gallbladder. So I had my plan! I did liquids only for four days, which means all the food I ate was liquid. On the fifth day I drank apple juice all day… and at night came the Olive Oil Cocktail & Grapefruit Martini!
As the week went by, I thought about what makes me angry. The list was longer than I expected! Many times I hold it in because I rather not cause an argument or conflict. I also found out that I get mad at myself quite often.
Everyone that heard that I was doing the flush was excited to hear my experience. I was hoping to just be able to drink the olive oil with no issues and was praying that the stones would not get stuck anywhere. So the night came and had my olive oil cocktail, I followed the rest of the instructions for the night, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning and nothing happened… I was a little pale, but no stones.
The pain went away, but came back the next time I had stress at work and was angry. Go figure! After all it seems that I’m an angry healthy person, but at least I know I am!
I received this email from a friend of mine about another friend who needs help. I thought the best I could do is share Lamoy’s story with all my friends.
If this story speaks to you, please share with others. Or use the information below to help Lamoy and her family.
“Got Kids? Feeding them Veggie? In Florida that makes you a Criminal.
Find out why and what you can do about it.”
An innocent Florida family has been convicted of child neglect and sentenced to 15 years probation for feeding their kids a raw, vegan diet. Their case is on appeal to the US Supreme Court and we can help them set the record strait and set a new standard for the health of our children in the future.
The courts themselves are on record as being in conflict with each other in this case. The criminal court ruled for 15 years probation for feeding the children a raw vegan diet while at the same time the family court ordered the children be placed on a raw food diet with soy. In the family court all the radiological reports and blood tests performed by the State of Florida on behalf of the prosecutor came back normal. The judge even said, “The state didn’t prove their case against the Anderson’s” and that’s why he placed the children on a raw food diet with soy.
We have a chance to support the Andressohn’s as they take this case to the Supreme Court and set a precedent for parent’s rights to choose their child’s diet.
If you can help fund their defense (and yours) mail a check to:
Marcia J. Silvers P.A.
2937 S.W. 27th Ave Suite 101
Miami, Florida, 33133
On behalf of the Andressohn family and all parents who wish to feed their children a healthy diet, Thank you very much for your support.
Call Lamoy and she will thank you personally at 786-447-1875.
My best friend lives in Washington DC, the city of smokers. Well, at least in my opinion DC is the city of smokers. Every where we went, there were people smoking outside! Anyways, it took 5 years, the Russian Embassy, and the Raw Spirit Fest for me to finally go visit her in DC.
The White House Organic Garden
We were excited and looking forward to the festival and visiting all the historical places in DC. We first went to the Russian Embassy, which was the main purpose of the trip, to run some errands there. After a few hours there, we went to the White House of course and took pictures like every other tourist there. I even got a picture of the organic garden! We then went to the Sewall-Belmont House and the Library of Congress. We had a lot of fun at both places. We stopped at Java Green for lunch and had some raw goodies! The raw shakes were unbelievably delicious!
The next day we headed to the Raw Spirit Fest for two days and started the morning with Kirtan by Kamaniya & Keshavacharya Das. We then saw many speakers including Dr. Brian Clement, Philip McCluskey, Viktoras Kulvinskas as well as many food demos including Lynda Carter,Rawdawg Rory, Raw Spirit Divas Christina and Kashi, and my favorite Khepra Anu of Senbeb Café in D.C. Music included Here II Here, Singing Bear, Raw Spirit RawK Stars, Brother Northstar and more.
Kirtan
We were glad this year they had green smoothies, salads, and less free chocolate. Last year in Sedona we overdose in all the free samples of chocolate! The vendors had great prices and a wide variety of products. As far as the food at the event, my favorite, and probably the best raw food I’ve had so far, was by Khepra Anu of Senbeb Café. For $12 we got a big plate of kale salad, a sandwich, and a seaweed side dish. Khepra made a spicy sauce for the sandwich that was to die for! I would move to DC just to eat at his café everyday! The food was so good I didn’t even take a picture because by the time I realized, we had inhaled every crumb in the plate! The next day after the festival we went to his café to get some more food and this time we had his lasagna with two salad dishes and it was heaven!
The last day in DC we pretty much avoided the smokers in every building and headed to Capitol Hill for a tour of the Senate and House chambers. We also visited Union Station and did a little shopping there.
Overall we enjoyed DC, the Festival, and visiting my friend. It was a nice busy quick trip. We were able to exercise, learn history, and eat healthy food all in the city of smokers.
Pan y Vinito is my nickname. When I was born, there was an Italian movie released called "Marcelino Pan Y Vino." My grandfather saw the movie and said that I looked like the baby in the movie and my middle name is Marcela. So from then on he called me "Marcelita Pan Y Vino." Years later the name because "Pan y Vinito."
The words Pan y Vino actually mean "bread and wine." We recently found out that Denis' name comes from the name of the "God of wine."
So here we are, Bread (Lina) & Wine (Denis) for a healthy life!
I believe that life is a full circle… being healthy, eco-friendly, vegan, fun, caring, loving, and happy. Living fully is all a circle of life changing actions. I also believe that one has to have a complete circle of these elements to achieve our best life ever! I believe that one can’t be a environmentalist and eat animals, one can’t be healthy and not be green, one can’t live fully and not be healthy… it’s all a complete circle. Love the time we have on earth and take care of it by living a full circle.
Enjoy this site!
This website is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information provided in Panyvinito.com is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians. Please contact your primary care physician before making changes to your diet or lifestyle.
We’ve been accumulating papers for over 5 years to one day shred it all away. I first bought a shredder and it broke trying a handful of papers. I then bought an outdoor chimenea to burn all the papers, but that wasn’t very environmentalist of me and wind up not burning anything. As the years passed by, the papers accumulated to a tall trash can stored in our home.
