it's beginning to look a lot like winter!

Good morning!

We have some cold weather and some snow! yay! I love the seasons. I hope you are staying warm and having fun.

First of all, I want to thank those that came over this past Sunday to help us paint - Matt & I TOTALLY appreciate the help and we made pretty quick work of painting the upstairs. I promise to have pictures up but if you are in the area, please feel free to stop by if you see lights on at the house. The colors are bright and fun and we still have just a bit more to do upstairs then it's on to continue the downstairs... Thank you - thank you - thank you! You helped make a daunting task very fun and fast!

We're still planning on having the potluck at the house on Dec 14th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at 18 Worcester Village Rd. Someone has asked me if we can have them at 5:30 during the winter months and so I'm putting that out there. I personally work until 6 which is why I have 6:30 on the schedule. If any of you want to hold the potluck at your house, we can certainly make it at a time that works for you. Please send me an email and tell me your thoughts. For now, we'll keep the time at 6:30 until we hear back from the majority and we can ask on Thursday the 14th to those that come. Please bring a dish to share: fruit is great particularly for the kids. Or a dessert! Or a salad with a raw dressing. Whatever floats your boat. Please also bring your dishes and utensils with which to eat. That would make the clean up very easy for whoever hosts...

I'm teaching Alissa's Level 1 class is Friday the 8th of December from 3-8 pm. We have a couple sign ups and if you are interested, please call me at 229-4496. 

Hey, if any of you know, can you tell me when she's having her follow-up episode on the Tyra Banks show? She was on that show a little while ago doing a raw food challenge with 2 women - they had 2 other "diet experts" on the show who also were doing their own diets each with 2 participants. There's supposed to be a follow-up show and I am totally not in the loop of that show. I did see that first show though - the best line of the show was when Alissa said that raw food wouldn't make it to the doctor's offices because they make too much money from the prescription drug industry. (One of the diet experts is a medical doctor.) I was surprised to hear that on a mainstream show. If I find out when the follow-up is, I'll let you know if you are interested. As I've mentioned in classes and workshops, Alissa touts herself as a "mainstream" raw fooder, which may seem like an oxymoron but that's the direction & audience she gravitates towards... I enjoy her approach to raw food and I think her book is super for beginners. Plus, I am constantly using her recipes because they are quick, easy and very tasty... I give her lots of credit for reaching any and all who want to eat this way. To me, raw food makes a lot of sense but I also realize that new habits need to be created and for some that seems scary at first... (takes some people out of their comfort zones in the beginning sometimes.) But that's why I'm here: trying to disspell the myths and help form the new EASY habits. ;-)

On Dec 13th from 6-7 at Hunger Mountain Coop is another raw food workshop. This recipe will be the yule log (a.k.a. fruit cake.) I had it to sample at last month's workshop and it was a big, big hit so come and learn how to make this EASY and delicious treat. One person's remark was that it tasted like a gift, it was so delicious. Nice. And what a coinky-dink that the holidays are right around the corner! The cost of the workshop is $13 for members and $15 for non-members. Don't forget to sign up at the coop!

I forgot to mention that there was an article mentioning my raw food classes as gift ideas which appeared in the Burlington Free Press on Thanksgiving. Here is the link to that article. Susan Green wrote the article - it's called, "Tasteful gifts: Ideas to please foodies with special requests" It's quite an interesting idea: gift ideas for those who don't eat "typical" diets...

Now for the recipes. Please feel free to email me with your favorite recipes. I love that most of all. It's how we can feel connected in this way of eating...  Particularly if you made up your own recipe - that is most exciting! This time I chose some chip recipes - these require some dehydrating...

South of the border Corn Chips

found here: http://www.living-foods.com/
Bobbi Clinger

4 c. sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 t. garlic powder(opt)
1 t. chili powder(opt)
1 t. tomato powder(opt)

Chop corn in food processor w/ "s" blade until fine. Add choice of seasonings "to taste" and process til combined. On dehydrator tray, spread about 1/8" thick. Score diagonally left to right, then across right to left into triangles, or preferred shape. Dehydrate about 5 hours, or to desired texture. These are super, and helpful for those with a previous "chip" tooth!

Sweet 'n Crunchy Zucchini Chips 

Recipe from the Living Nutrition Magazine: http://www.livingnutrition.com/
by David Klein

1. Slice Zucchini into 1/4 inch "chips"

2. Dry the chips in a food dehydrator. (105 degrees recommended)

3. Eat the chips plain, dip into avocado or guacamole, or add to cold raw soups or salads.

Take good care,
Linda