Eat More Good Stuff

I have several friends who are vegetarian or vegan, one who is raw vegan and another who eats all raw food (including raw meat and fish).

The whole raw food thing intrigues me; consuming all fresh healthy organic low calorie fruit & vegetables fresh from Mother Earth… yet I like meat. And hot soup on a cold day. And pasta, who could live without pasta? And I love to cook.

With all those ands the chance of me eating a totally fresh raw diet is pretty slim. But I have tried to ad more fresh produce to my diet. Even so, I don’t like boring, so here are a few of my favs, concocted to provide fresh healthy foods while still be yummy –and pretty, too.

Spinach Salad
A plate full of fresh baby spinach
Fresh mozzarella cheese cubes
Sliced black olives (drizzle w/ olive juice for dressing)

Vegetable Salad
1 peeled and sliced cucumber
1 sliced or diced tomato
½ sliced onion

Dress with fresh garden herbs, a tablespoon of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, stir, serve, or make beforehand and chill.

Tropical Blender Smoothie (serves 2-3)
1 Banana
1 lg. can pineapple w/ juice
1 sm. can mandarin oranges

Blend on high, pour, drink.

Fruit Smoothie
1 Banana
1 cup strawberries
1 sliced apple
1 cup water

Blend on high, pour, drink.

Yummy!!!!!!!!!

Eggshells and Fishheads

I have a canning jar on my kitchen counter to put eggs shells in. Though I origionally put the seal on the jar, I changed my mind and decided on a paper towel, hoping that with some air flow the shells would dry up -as opposed to mold.

The reason I am saving egg shells is to plant them with my tomatoes. Tomatoes need calcium -and egg shells have that. I also read that planting a fish head with the shells will do wonders for the plants. I am not quite sure where I will get 24 fish heads from as I don't fsh (though I have always had a desire to learn to fly fish. It looks SO relaxing). I have a neighbor who is an avid fisherman, so am hoping he;ll be kind enough to pass some on to me -I assume fish gut would offer the same nutrition (???).

Last year we grew 18 tomatoes plants and used them to make sauce, salsa and other red treats. This year we're planting 24 plants, and hope for an even larger harvest w/ the help of egg shells and fish heads.