Raw Vegan Lunch served by Felic

So much has happened this week. I'm not exaggerating or joking, I'm very serious.

I was so sad that Ice Cream Week had ended, I had to do something to cheer me up. Well. I wasn't actually that sad.

I tried 2 of Meredith's recipes from The Raw Seed! They are both on her blog. One was the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (who said Ice Cream Week actually ended?) and a Cheesecake. I was communicated to by an unknown voice that was saying, "Felicity, you have to make a cheesecake." Of course, I always listen to the voice.

The ice cream was eaten before I managed to locate the camera, but I did manage to photograph the Cheesecake!

It was the first time I had ever made a Cheesecake, let alone tasted one, and I was so proud of my attempt! The photos are terrible, because I was so eager to eat the thing, the rule of thirds went right out the window...

I followed Meredith's recipe for the actual Cheesecake mixture, but decided to 'freestyle' the base. I added chocolate, and since we had no almonds, I used brazil nuts, cashews, and walnuts. Mmmm... It was so goooood!

My mum's friend came over and enjoyed a slice. She said, "Usually when you eat cheesecake the it leaves a fatty texture in your mouth, but this one was perfect, because I could enjoy all the flavors." High praise, indeed.

That Cheesecake was also amazingly healthy. Because the cashews were fermented with rejuvelac, it was easy to digest, and full of B12! I've always been under the impression that you can only get your B12 (which is vital to life, apparently), from meat. Hmm. No. I read on my friend Chantal's blog, Eat Dance Live, that it is actually in Fermented Foods (and a lot of others that are common in the Raw Vegan diet), such as Rejuvelac, Kombucha and Kefir, and also sea vegetables, which I have regularly. Shame on the doctors for telling us we need to take supplements! Read what Chantal said here. (I think it's really important that Raw Vegans, Vegans, and Vegetarians read it! Actually, everyone should read it.)

The other day I was at one of the only places that sells Raw Vegan products, and I was majorly inspired by a few of the products. I saw them, and was thinking, "Hey, I should buy them", but then I thought, "Back the eftpos transaction truck up, Felicity. You have all the flippin' ingredients at home, get off your ass and make the stuff yourself!" So I did. I 'invented' some Broccoli Bites.

My mum has a habit of sneaking broccoli into my Green Smoothies! I hate broccoli in Green Smoothies! I don't know why, but I don't like it. So this was a way better way of eating it, since my mum bought a fridge full of the stuff.

On the subject of the famous Green Smoothie, I thought I should share a recent experience. I decided it was time I should start taking them to school, as I usually bring fairly normal looking stuff.

When we were sorting through an old cupboard, I found a mug that would be just perfect, and it even had an inspirational quote on it. I figured it was just right.

I recall as I was pouring it into my 'coffee mug' and snapping on the lid, my mum saying, "Now do be careful, Felicity. The lid is very difficult to get off, and you wouldn't want to spill it on Josh." Josh is one of my best friends who I usually sit with at school. "Yeah, yeah," I said, halfway out the door.

I get to school, and want to show Josh my Green Smoothie. I start to tug at the lid.

And what do you know. It spills all over Josh. Great going, Felicity.

I found another mug. It's more safe, and I tested it at home.

Me enjoying a Green Smoothie at school. Photo courtesy of Josh, taken at a safe distance.

Moving on. (Shuffles papers).

Me and my mum decided to try out a new vegetarian restaurant that we discovered, that serves some raw food. The food was divine, an amazing salad, a fresh juice, and a superfood smoothie 'cookies and cream'. Afterward, we were browsing through the gift shop when we stumbled upon an excalibur dehydrator for sale! It wasn't cheap. But we really wanted it. So then my mum managed to accumulate enough money for us to go back the next day and buy it! The next issue was getting it home, because we don't actually own a car... So we had to take this HUGE box home, on the bus. What a sight. I also pulled a muscle in my back (not that I actually have any muscles), but it was so worth it, because now we have the most amazing dehydrator in the world!

Can you remember I posted here that I prepared a 100% Raw Vegan Lunch for some of my mum's non-raw-vegan friends? They were so impressed and inspired (I know, crazy right?!) that they invited me over to their place to prepare another lunch, this time for some of their friends, and they said that they would pay the cost for all the ingredients as well. Coming to the lunch was a teenager who also had health issues and Bella (the non-raw-vegan friend of my mum) said that she wanted me to come along and show how easy it was to be a raw-vegan blah blah blah.

So I whipped up a menu. It was pretty basic, because I'd never done anything like this before, and wanted to stick to what I knew. (Because even that goes wrong occasionally).

Starter ~

Strawberry Sorbet

Main ~

Mexican Flax Crackers, Kale Chips, Noritos, served with Sour Cream.

Dessert ~

Cacao Cashew Ice Cream, Chocolate Cake.

I even managed to get the day off school! Here are some pictures I took.

Mexican Flax Crackers (with Avocado, Spring Onion, and Red Bell Pepper on top)

Kale Chips, Noritos and Sour Cream, and Cake.

The table.

And that was before the lady that brews Kombucha turned up! Mmm... I was like an alcoholic, "I'll have another glass of kombucha, thanks". I love the stuff, it's insane. Everyone has been fermenting things recently, and we have wanted to as well. This lady gave us some kefir grain, and a kombucha scoby!

The food was RAD (Raw And Delicious), and I got a day off school, a free lunch, and a container of goji berries. Not bad.

Thankfully school this week was really relaxed (thanks to everyone taking practice exams), so they were fine about me taking the day off for my learning.

So without all the pesky other students about, me and Josh decided to take some photos. Josh hates photos, so of course we had to act really weird in them.

Me and Josh, pretending we are from the Victorian Era.

I also had a sleepover at my other best friend Priyanka's house on Friday night. Sleepovers are difficult, they involve a bit of smooth talking.

I decided I would bring a selection of fruit. And of course, before going I made the typical phone call to 'remind' Priyanka that I would not be being a normal human. You know what I mean.

Unfortunately you do have to remind people. Take my grandma for example. One time (a long time ago, so you have to assume her memory got worse) I was at her house with a friend, and we were all eating soup. The soup had meat in it, and my friend was a vegetarian.

"I can't have the soup, sorry, I'm a vegetarian," said my friend, as politely as you can to someone whose food you're rejecting.

"You could just pick the meat out," says my lovely grandma, completely oblivious to the fact that that was not the point.

But back to the sleepover! It was so cool though... Sometimes it's just fun to sit around, watch movies, paint our nails, take photos, do our makeup, examine clothing, talk about people, plan for what we want to buy 'when we get the money', and just 'be girls'.

Me.

My plan for next week is to road-test the dehydrator! Mmm... I want to make Tacos! Ice Cream Wafers! Cookies! Noritos! Corn Chips! Kale Chips! Everything and anything.

I am so tired now, after a whole week of crazy rushing around, planning, creating, fermenting, talking, visiting, delivering, photographing, writing, studying, watching, laughing, crying, eating, and sleeping (or lack of). But I have a day off life tomorrow. And I plan on using it to finish doing nothing. Goodbye. :)