Yummy for Your Tummy! Raw Chocolate Pudding and Green Smoothie

A friend of mine recently went to a raw food seminar at her chiropractor's office, and, being the good friend that she is, she got an extra copy of the handout for me! I was excited because I had actually been wanting to know how to make a good "green smoothie", and voila! Right before my eyes was a recipe, and I didn't even have to take time to go search for one!

Five years ago I never would have been excited about green food in any form! I was honestly scared of avocados, though I had never tasted one! I ate my salads like a good girl, but they were mostly Iceberg lettuce, carrots, and Ranch dressing! Looking back on these last few years, we have come a long way....

Five years ago to date, Tyler and I were engaged and looking forward to our wedding day - September 25. Somehow during our 3 1/2 month engagement, we found ourselves in the midst of a 3-month no meats/no sweets fast! That's altogether a story for another time, but the outcome was amazing for us. Tyler, who grew up on a beef farm, and I, who grew up in the South where everything is meaty or sweet, discovered to our amazement that one could live without the two - and actually enjoy doing so!

We have been on a slow learning curve these past few years changing one area of our lifestyle after another. I will sum it up to say, as I once told a friend of mine, that we try to eat healthily at the Dunstan household, but we're not purists! I do draw some lines - I resolve to never eat Micky D's again or others of the like - but mostly we live by rough guidelines in the health and wellness arenas. We are, though, on an upswing on the health scale and are trying to add more raw foods into our diet. Thus, the recipes below have become my friends! If you so desire to partake - enjoy - and feel free to pass along any other keepers! (Note: Why raw? Raw foods are the most nutritious as eating food destroys the beneficial enzymes that aid digestion, and it lessens the food's nutritional value.)

Being the non-purist that I am, I'll start with the chocolate pudding first, since most people (myself included) are more interested in the sweets than the greens! I was intrigued when I saw pudding on the raw food list, and when I saw that avocado was the main ingredient, I was downright skeptical! I gave it a shot anyway! Who wouldn't to have a truly healthy snack to share with the family? To my surprise it turned out great! My husband even like it. So there you go - the proof is in the pudding! :)

Chocolate (or Carob) Pudding Recipe
Feel free double or triple the recipe, but it's really rich, so you don't need much per serving.
   In blender, puree the following until smooth:
* 1 medium avocado
* a few squirts of raw agave nectar (find at Costco/Whole Foods)
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond)
* 1 heaping spoonful of cocoa (organic if you can, or 1/4-1/2 cup raw carob powder)
* 1/4 cup cold water
* a few dashes of cinnamon
* dash sea salt
   Serve as is or with banana or other fruit. For pie, make raw pie crust (I don't know yet - ask Google how!); fill and chill. Tyler and I thought about getting some vanilla wafers at Whole Foods and making little stuffed cookies sometime (but that might negate the fact that this is raw pudding!)

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie Recipe

This is an alkalizing, nutrient-rich drink that even my 3-year old likes! It doesn't taste green at all as the apple takes over. Feel free to double this recipe.

* 12 oz. water
* several cubes of ice
* 1/2 of a ripe avocado
* couple handfuls of spinach or mixed greens 
* palmful of cilantro (don't worry - the flavor doesn't stand out at all)
* a few dashes of sea salt
* a few dashes of cinnamon
* a few squirts of agave nectar
* 1 apple (or 1 banana)
* 1/4-1/2 cucumber (if you want - I haven't included one yet)


Lastly, I really liked the suggestions they made for daily increasing your intake of raw food:
1) Eat only fresh fruit for breakfast
2) Drink 5 ounces of green smoothie before or with lunch
3) Eat a salad with supper