Experimenting with Color

Mostly I’m learning you don’t mix pencil with colored pencil, but I liked how the drawings themselves turned out.

Mermaid and Babe

I love this one–what a tender scene!

Re-do of the Tink-like Fae

Okay, so she didn’t turn out so great in the 15-20 minutes I spent on her–so I gave her another block of time. I think she looks much better.

And then that mooncard...

deserves a place of its own.

Colored Pencil Practice

Here’s sun card I did based on a picture I saw. It’s actually quite small–under 2 1/2 inches.

The Tink-like Fae

This drawing was a quickie–15 or 20 minutes at the most. I wondered where I was at. Definitely needs some work, but at least it’s getting closer. Again, this was without any photo reference. The legs need work on weight and positioning. But the proportion is good, and had I used a reference, and then taken time for detail, I think it would have turned out nice. I ordered some books on fairy drawing from amazon. They should be fun, too.

More Sunday Doodles

This one is a funny picture. I did the moonface a few days ago, when I got the colored pencils. I thought I’d use the extra space to draw an eye, so I did. But then I thought I might as well practice the rest of the face. It turned out nice I thought. I was doing it all freehand from my head. If I’d known I could do a decent face that way, I’d have started on a blank page. Oh well. At least now I know. The real test will be learning to do BOTH eyes. And not let that asymmetry get me again.

Sunday Doodles

I had some meetings to attend, so I brought my drawing pad along. I figure the main thing standing between the skills I have now and the artist I’d like to be is practice. So here we have some results. First, I found a neat site–fairychildren.com and it had some pictures I could download and color. First, I decided to do a freehand drawing based on a picture I found there. If you click on it, you’ll see a bigger photo.

And then here is a picture with the smaller version I took my ideas from.

Neat New Tool

I love the library. I found some great books–I’ll list my favorites later. The coolest thing I’ve found so far is this blending pencil.

The lead is clear and blends the colors together nicely. So far I’m learning colored pencil is alot about coloring evenly layer after layer. I get impatient, so the blender has been really nice. Though, I am having fun learning how to shade better, and I LOVE the color. It’s so fun.

My Foray into Colored Pencil

I was at a friend’s house a while back and noticed a drawing she’d done in colored pencil. “You can do colored pencil?” I asked in amazement–colored pencil always seemed so mysterious to me. She told me it was easy. I’ve been wanting to try it ever since. So, the other night, with my trusty 40% off coupon, I picked up a set of 48 for under $40. I LOVE THEM!!

Aren’t they just so pretty? I stayed up and watched Smallville with the husband and sharpened the whole set. My 5 year old was very impressed with that– “You sharpened ALL of them?” He’s just stared kindergarten and entered the tedious world of pencil sharpening. “Yup, all by hand, too.” He was very impressed. Now, off to the library for more books so I know what the heck to do with these pretty pencils.

Joshua

Josh just got his school pictures taken, and I was in the mood to try out the skills I’ve learned from the new book. Here he is:

Well, not bad for a first time portrait of a real person I know. I need to work on symmetry still. That seems to be the story of my life. =)

An Art Journal

In my journey of discovery of being an artist, I want to record the process as it occurs. At this point, I have now sculpted for about 3 years, and I want to improve my artisitic abilities. Drawing seems the most typical form of art, and it’s always been what I saw as a weakness–though really, it was my only previous indication of any artistic talent at all. But I’ve never liked my drawings because they never looked as I intended. Also, it’s all about illusion. I suppose that’s why I took to sculpting so readily–actual 3-D work. It was great! But now, I feel more like a real artist, and in my mind, and artist can draw. So here I go, off to learn this elusive art as well as keep you posted on what I'm up to sculpturally as well.

Cookie Recipes

Peanut Butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups oats - blend to powder (rolled oats like oatmeal oats)
1 cup dates
Add - touches of maple syrup, pinch of sea salt (optional) and enough water to make doughy
Blend everything in food processor using s blade
Shape into round, flat cookies and dehydrate to your liking. Good at 110 for 1 hour.

Variations:

Oatmeal Raisin
2 cups groung raisins
2 cups oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
The rest is the same as above recipe

Apricot

2 cups oats
1 cup dates
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dried apricots
The rest is the same as above recipe.

Extra note: I didn't have apricots when I first tried this one and used Crasins (sp?) dried cranberries. It was so delicious! Sweet and tangy. Guess you could substitue any dried fruit here.

About Ancient Grains

"ANCIENT GRAINS FOR MODERN HEALTH
--Quinoa, Spelt, and Kamut"
Source: The World's Healthiest Foods; www.whfoods.com; George
Mateljan Foundation

QUINOA... is usually thought of as a grain, but is actually the seed
of a plant related to beets, chard and spinach. These amino acid-rich
seeds are not only very nutritious, but also very delicious. Cooked
quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet slightly crunchy. They have a
delicate, somewhat nutty flavor. The most popular type is a
transparent yellow color. It expands during the cooking process to
several times its original size. Store quinoa in an airtight
container. It keeps 3-6 months in the refrigerator.

quinoaseeds.jpgquinoaplant.jpg (8895 bytes) Chenopodium quinoa

Health Benefits of Quinoa... Quinoa is a good source of manganese,
magnesium, iron, tryptophan, copper and phosphorous. It helps persons
with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis. It is good for
cardiovascular health, provides antioxidant protection and helps
prevent gallstones. Research reported at the American Institute for
Cancer Research shows that whole grains, such as quinoa, contain many
powerful pytonutrients (one type, plant lignan, protects against
cancer and heart disease).

Tips for Preparing Quinoa... It is a good idea to thoroughly wash the
seeds in a fine-meshed strainer using cold water. Gently rub the
seeds together with your hands. To cook, add one part grain to two
parts liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer and
cover. One cup of quinoa cooked this way usually takes fifteen
minutes to prepare. After cooked, the grains become translucent and
the white germ partially detaches itself, appearing like a
white-spiraled tail. Quinoa has a low gluten content, so it is one of
the least allergenic "grains" but its flour needs to be combined with
wheat to make leavened baked goods.

Quinoa Quick Serving Ideas...
--Combine cooked chilled quinoa with pinto beans, pumpkin seeds,
scallions and coriander.
Season to taste and enjoy this south-of-the border inspired salad.
--Add nuts and fruits to cooked quinoa and serve as a breakfast porridge.
--Sprouted quinoa can be used in salads and sandwiches just like
alfalfa sprouts.
--Add quinoa to your favorite vegetable soups.


SPELT... is an ancient grain with a deep nutlike flavor that has
recently received renewed recognition. It is a distant cousin to
wheat, and while it can be used in many of the same ways as wheat
(bread and pasta making) it does not seem to cause sensitivities in
most people who are intolerant of wheat. In addition to spelt flour,
spelt is also available in its hulled, whole grain form (often
referred to as spelt berries), which can be prepared and enjoyed like
rice.

spelt seed image

Spelt's Heritage... is thought to extend back 7,000 years. It played
an important role in ancient civilizations, such as Greece and Rome,
serving as a staple grain. Spelt was so well regarded that it even
took on symbolic importance as it was used as a gift to the pagan gods
of agriculture to encourage harvest and fertility.

Health Benefits of Spelt... Spelt is a good source of Vitamin B2
(riboflavin), manganese, tryptophan, Vitamin B1 (thiamin), Vitamin B3
(niacin), and copper. This combination provides the same terrific
benefits as are listed above for Quinoa.

nutrition value of spelt

Store spelt grains in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark
place. Spelt flour should be kept in the refrigerator to best
preserve its nutritional value. As with all grains, before cooking
spelt berries, rinse them thoroughly under running water and remove
any dirt or debris. After rinsing, soak spelt in water for eight
hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and then add three parts water to
each one part spelt berries. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat
and simmer for about one hour.

Spelt Quick Serving Ideas...
--Use spelt bread for your next hearty sandwich. Spelt's robust
flavor really enhances old favorites like grilled cheese.
--Serve cooked spelt berries as a side dish substitute for rice or
potatoes.
--Add some spelt flour to your favorite bread, muffin or waffle recipe.


KAMUT...
http://www.kamut.com/english/index.htm
Kamut is an ancient relative of durum wheat, twice the size of common
wheat with 20-40% more protein, higher in lipids, amino acids,
vitamins and minerals. Although it is thousands of years old, it is a
new addition to North American grain productions. Its origins are
intriguing. Following WWII, a US airman claimed to have taken a
handful of this grain from a stone box in a tomb near Dashare, Egypt.
Thirty-six kernels of the grain were given to a friend who mailed
them to his father, a Montana wheat farmer who harvested a small crop.
Another Montana farmer, T. Mack Quinn, spent the next decade
propagating it. Research revealed that wheats of this type originated
in the fertile crescent area which runs from Egypt to the
Tigris-Euphrates valley. Kamut is an ancient Egyptian word for wheat.
The root meaning of Kamut is "Soul of the Earth."

Health Benefits of Kamut... Kamut has a higher nutritional value
than the common wheats. The most striking superiority is found in the
protein level of this grain. It is also significantly higher in total
lipids. Since lipids are higher in energy than carbohydrates and
proteins, Kamut can be described as a high-energy grain. It has
higher levels of sixteen out of the eighteen amino acids usually found
in wheat. The vast majority of nutrition in this grain is in the form
of complex carbohydrates. There is 30 percent more vitamin E in Kamut
than common wheats. Kamut contains a high amount of selenium which is
needed to build many of the enzymes and proteins responsible for
cellular metabolism. Most Kamut products have a very low glycemic
index which means that glucose is liberated very slowly during
digestion and supplies energy during a long period of time. Low
glycemic foods are very important for diabetics, dieters and athletes
who look for foods that do not stimulate insulin and fat-storage.

Kamut Serving Ideas...
Kamut grains are a delicious, sweet alternative for all products that
now use common wheat.

Recipe Corner

Spinach Casserole

3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup cottage cheese
3 cups spinach or greens of choice, chopped and cleaned
2 cups Kamut grain, cooked
1 small onion, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Blend cheese and eggs together. Add chopped greens and Kamut grain to
the cheese and egg mixture. Mix in onions. Stir until well coated.
Pack tightly in macadamia oiled 13X9 baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees
covered for 30 minutes; remove cover and continue baking 10 minutes or
until top is crunchy.

To cook the Kamut grain:

Soaking overnight. Place 1 cup of dry Kamut kernels in 1 cup of water
and let soak overnight. (This will reduce cooking time.) Add soaked
grain to 1 ½ cups water and
1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30
minutes until tender. Most of the water will be absorbed.

If Kamut grain is not soaked overnight, then place1 cup of dry Kamut
kernels and 1 teaspoon salt in 3 cups water, bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer for 40 minutes, until tender.

Approx. 8 servings

Videos

http://www.rawfoodchef.com/html/videos.html

Another Good Site for Videos.

More from the web on Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil Notes

"99 to 2004 THE COCONUT OIL MIRACLE by Bruce Fife

2005 COCONUT CURES by Bruce Fife

www.coconutresearchcenter.org <http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/>

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com <http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/>

www.living-foods.com <http://www.living-foods.com/>

Notes on Coconut Oil

from Dorothy Kohagen

Bruce Fife, a certified nutritionist and Naturopathic Doctor, president of
the Coconut Research Center has written two books and completed extensive
research on the benefits of organic, cold-pressed coconut oil. To his
benefit, he has no interest in any company selling coconut oil and a portion
of his proceeds from the sale of his books are donated to Save the Children
Campaign.

In just the last decade many researchers agree with Bruce Fife's claims that
Coconut Oil is the healthiest oil on earth and one of the most remarkable
health foods available. This is an ancient health food that the world had
almost forgotten about, but thanks to Dr. Fife, its benefits have been
rediscovered.

Research began in the 1950's in the United States with great results.
However, the Vegetable oil (Soy Industry) in the 1980's spent billions of
dollars bad-mouthing Coconut Oil, deceiving Americans and swaying the food
industry. Nearly 80% of all vegetable oils are made from soybeans, with 75%
of these oils being hydrogenated. The American Soybean Association
convinced consumers that Coconut Oil was the "oil from Hell." By 1990 the
Soy Industry had won their campaign. (Fife, 1999) Up until the 1980's many
US food companies used Coconut Oil. The food industry knew that coconut oil
does not go rancid and foods stayed fresh longer when this oil was used in
their production.

Coconut meat and Coconut oil have been a major source of food and medicine
for thousands of years by millions of people in tropical areas (Asia,
Pacific Islands, Africa, and Central America). These people have
traditionally had better health than people in North America and Europe with
less heart disease, cancer, digestive complaints or prostate problems. When
these same people adopt Western ways of eating, their health begins to
deteriorate and health problems begin to be present. In Western cultures
where Coconut Oil is not used, heart disease is the number one killer. Sir
Lanka, a country that uses the most Coconut Oil, has the lowest rates of
heart disease in the world.

Coconut Oil with its medium-chain fatty acids produces energy, not fat!

In the processing of Cold Pressed Coconut Oil no chemicals or high heat
treatments are used. This oil contains no trans fatty acids and has the
longest shelf life of any plant oil due to its anti-oxidant properties. It
is better than Olive Oil (other than in salad dressings) for cooking.
Coconut Oil can be solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on the
temperature of your home. It does not need to be refrigerated, but should
be stored in a dark place or in a dark jar.

Some additional benefits of Coconut Oil include:

* Strengthens and boosts the immune system

* May aid in weight loss; it's lower in calories than other oils and
boosts metabolism

* Conditions the skin and scalp (no dandruff) and may help thicken hair

* May help fight bldder and kidney infections

* May help Crohn's disease, leaky gut syndrome, colitis and digestive
problems

* May prevent gum disease, dental cavities. A study of Pacific
Islanders who never brushed their teeth, never flossed, didn't use
mouthwash, and never saw dentists, showed they had exquisite dental health.
(Probably didn't eat white sugar either)

* Pacific Islanders use Coconut oil for ear infections, to prevent flu
and colds

* May help prevent enlarged prostate, herpes, parasites, mold and fungi

* May prevent epilepsy in children and adults

* Prevents heart problems, chronic fatigue, liver disease and food
allergies

* May shrink ovarian cysts

* May help prevent an under-active thyroid (which is almost an
epidemic!) due to lack of iodine, selenium and too many pollutants,
pesticides, and mercury. (Peanuts and soybeans {and fluoride} block iodine
and are tough on the thyroid as they contain anti-thyroid chemicals and
cause weight gain. Vegetable oils, especially soybean and corn, are
anti-thyroid in nature.)

* Coconut Oil has lauric acid, with proven antiviral and antibacterial
properties. Use cocoanut oil in place of butter in baking and cooking.

* Coconut Oil helps improve mineral absorption, helps the gallbladder
digest fats.

* Coconut Oil can be used to kill viruses (which antibiotics can't
touch)

* May help with diabetes (which is unheard of in Pacific Island
cultures). It's vegetable oils that contribute to diabetes. Diabetics have
no fear with Coconut Oil.

There are many different kinds of coconut oil and many different
manufacturing processes. It's best to use Organic, Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil
and well as eat fresh coconut meat and milk. Some countries cook it and use
as porridge for breakfast. Calorie intake is lower in Coconut Oil, so get
an Oil change!

Not all saturated fats are unhealthy. Those found in mother's milk and
coconut oil are medium- chain fatty acids that have remarkable health
benefits. Coconut Oil contains fats that are called mono-laurin that are
good for health. Coconut Oil is considered by the FDA to be a safe, natural
food and is on the FDA's exclusive GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list.
Lauric Acid is also found in coconut oil and has great anti-viral
properties.

Coconut Oil should be a major component of baby formula as it provides many
of the same nutrients as human breast milk. Put it in your baby's bottles
and in their cereal too.

The boost in energy from Coconut Oil is not like that of caffeine; it's
subtle and lasts longer. Metabolism is elevated for at least 24 hours.

Fife claims that Vegetable oils depress thyroid activity and metabolism.
Soybeans contain anti-thyroid chemicals and cause weight gain. We are now a
population characterized by lean pigs and obese people!

If your sick, you can use 4 to 8 Tablespoons a day or every 6 hours ingest
Coconut Oil or consume fresh baby coconut meat, up to 7 oz a day, or shred
the coconut meat or drink 10 oz. coconut milk.

There is no need to refrigerate coconut oil. It can be used in warm milk,
tea, and coffee, hot chocolate, in warm vegetable juice or room temperature
orange juice. (It is solid when cold.) Coconut Oil has protein, folic
acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc and
other trace minerals, as well as a range of B vitamins, vitamins C and E.

Keep in mind that Western doctors, after graduating from medical school, are
for the most part, educated by the pharmaceutical industry, their literature
and seminars, which are funded by these companies and their HUGE profits.

For more information on benefits and use of Coconut Oil refer to:

The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife (2004)

Coconut Cures by Bruce Fife (2005)

www.coconutresearchcenter.org <http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/> ;

www.tropicaltraditions.com <http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/> ;

www.living-foods.com <http://www.living-foods.com/>

www.mercola.com <http://www.mercola.com/> (then do a search for coconut
oil)

The Fungus Link, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 by Doug Kaufman

* * * * * * *

The following information was copied from www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

CoconutInModernMedicine

Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many
conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one
form or another may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these
are summarized below:

* Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
* Functions as a protective antioxidant.
* Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote
premature aging and degenerative disease.
* Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.

* Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from
oxidation.
* Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
* Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia
(prostate enlargement).
* Reduces epileptic seizures.
* Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
* Dissolves kidney stones.
* Helps prevent liver disease.
* Is lower in calories than all other fats.
* Supports thyroid function.
* Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
* Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being
stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
* Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
* Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to
ward of infection.
* Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
* Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
* Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
* Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
* Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
* Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation
form the sun.
* Helps control dandruff.
* Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking
temperature like other vegetable oils do.
* Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
* Is completely non-toxic to humans.

CoconutOil

While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its fiber and
nutritional content, it's the oil that makes it a truly remarkable food and
medicine. Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high
saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in coconut oil is a
unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health
giving properties. It is now gaining long overdue recognition as a
nutritious health food.

Coconut oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on earth." That's
quite a remarkable statement. What makes coconut oil so good? What makes it
different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats?

The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of
molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty
acids. The first you are probably familiar with is based on saturation. You
have saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Another
system of classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon
chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon
atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. In this system you have short-chain
fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty
acids (LCFA). Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty
acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).

The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated
or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain
fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are
LCFA. The size of the fatty acid is extremely important. Why? Because our
bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on
its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly
different from those of LCFA more commonly found in our foods. The saturated
fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium-chain fatty acids. Both
the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants
(including most all vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.

MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on
cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower
the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to
the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial.
There are only a very few good dietary sources of MCFA. By far the best
sources are from coconut and palm kernel oils.

Copyright C 2004 Coconut Research Center

This website is for educational purposes only. The information supplied here
comes from a variety of sources and authors and not every statement made has
been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease.

More on Coconut Oil and Recipes

2.

Coconuts and Candida

I have been using the coconut oil from the wilderness family, and they have
some good info on their site that I thought was informative. I recently
purchased some really good coconut oil from the Orem Herb Shop called Nutiva
for 30.00. That was three dollars more than the wilderness family oil that I
found at Real Foods in Orem, but it is a bigger jar! :-)

Real Foods carries the Wilderness family product line, so they have coconut
vinegar and coconut spread and other fun coconut products.

Below is are rather lengthy combinations of posts that I wrote to LDSRaw on
the same subject. ;) It has some good recipes using coconuts (carob cups are
a favorite). BTW I found that honey agrivated my candida for a while. But
once I cleaned out the candida and parisites, I could eat it again. I will
post the coconut notes in a separate post. LOL! Sry for the book!

I did a google on Candida + Coconuts and came up with these:

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm

http://users.mrbean.net.au/~wlast/candida.html

http://www.coconut-connections.com/candida.htm

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/coconut_oil.html



I ate a coconut a day (sometimes 2 depending on what my body wanted) and
still do.
I also did skin brushing to help my liver detox, and used enemas to flush
out my colon. ( I still do the skin brushing before my shower in the
morning) At this time I was VERY poisoned with yeast. I couldn't eat food
without having an allergic reaction. At first it was sugar, then it was
ANYTHING I ate. My face would swell, my lips, I had hives as well as
depression and panic attacks. THE DAY I went raw I went into detox. I made
soups with my vitamix so my body could even absorb nutrients. I also
ingested coconuts everyday as well as coconut butter. I would use it as
lotion, and also ate it right out of the jar with a spoon. I craved it!!!
Its funny, my first coconut I absolutely hated, but then I started to crave
them! LOL!

Also, I have found that my diet has simplified since then. I drink lots of
green drinks that have coconut water, meat and or coconut butter with them
daily. When I want a treat I'll make something like a desert, but its rare.
I mainly focus on eating plenty of greens (1-2 bunches of deep green
leafies) as well as a coconut a day. Coconuts and greens are my mainstay,
and I have been free of candida problems ever since. The coconut butter you
can eat with a spoon! I think it tastes good... just let it melt in your
mouth. MMMmmm. If that is unappealing then you can warm it up by running
warm water over the jar until you have a little melted oil in the jar and
blending into your smoothies... just don't add ice to your smoothies and
keep them room temp or you will be eating little coconut butter beads with
your smoothie! ;)
Keeping your coconut butter on the warmer runs the risk of cooking it and
destroying the delicate enzymes that are in the oil. You could keep it in a
dark cool place and it will stay soft enough to work with.
Some things that I found helped... eat less nuts, honey, and dehydrated
foods. Eat plenty of fruit, leafy greens and coconuts! So nice! I love my
food and my food loves me!!!!
At the bottom of my post there are some websites and recipes. I'm also
posting some notes in our files from a luncheon/lecture that I attended
about coconut oil and olive leaf. I'm studying olive leaf now because of the
great information that I got from the gal who spoke. Her contact info is on
the notes, if you want to call her. Olive leaf also has anti fungal
properties and is useful for combating candida and other problems. I have an
Olive tree in my front yard in Vegas!!!!! This whole time and I never knew!
LOL!

Good Reads:
Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko
COCONUT CURES by Bruce Fife
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/ explore this site!! read the blogs,
get on the newsletter, read the articles, check out their recommended
reading. Good site and great products! This is the oil that I use.

My Happy Drink

1 coconut, water and meat
1 orange
Blend until mixed.
2-3 cups (2-3 large handfuls) of ORGANIC (yes there is a difference
especially with spinach) spinach
Put in blender in this order and blend until smooth. If spinach goes in
first it gets frothy, I dunno why.
While you are blending, be running warm water over coconut butter jar. When
your smoothie gets all blended and is bright green, put blender on low and
slowly add melted coconut butter... about 1-2 tablespoons worth. You can
omit the coconut oil and add ice instead if you want it to be cold.
Drink. Smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have felt no hope with my battle with candida. I struggled with that
dragon since I was a child and have felt the frustration of looking every
where for an answer, trying every suggestion from allopathic to homeopathic
and having nothing work. THIS WORKS! Trust the food. Trust your inner voice
that tells you to eat something that sounds like a strange combination (no,
not the one that wants chocolate dipped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).
. One of my strange promptings is now one of my favorite blends. I call it
my happy drink! It's that good. I put it just below the Good Books to read.

I healed my sytemic candida with raw coconut butter and young
coconuts in my diet.Or I should say coconuts healed ME! Thank you Lord for
making the
coconut!

At the time I was eating about 50-60% of my diet raw foods (nothing
fancy...lots of salads, especially spinach, olives that are soaked to get
the salt out, dressings made of olive oil and lemon, young thai coconuts,
smoothies with coconut in it, fruit and veggies of choice, lots of raw
greens and
fruit juices... my favorite is apple, lemon, kale, or apple, lemon,
and a ton of ginger.. and sometimes a raw pie made with carob. I had a
severe dependance on chocolate and still struggle with it from time to
time, and raw carob has been a life saver.

You can make a TON of stuff with young coconut or with raw coconut butter!
Pies, candy, fudge, cake frosting, whip cream, smoothies, cakes,
soups,noodles for pad thai, sauces, coconut keifer, yogurt... many recipes
for these are in our recipe files and also can be found online.Iposted some
below my post.
When I first started using coconuts I ate at least one young thai
coconut a day, usually in a smoothie, and then I learned how to make
noodles
and deserts with them, so I definately increased the amount that I used
daily.
Then I started using raw coconut butter every day, I used it as a
lotion and I would eat a tablespoon of it in the morning. The raw coconut
butter is spendy compaired to the less exspensive cooked version that you
can purchase
at the health food store, but it's worth every penny! I looks
different, and
tastes much better, and I believe I recieved more benefits from the
raw than the cooked.

-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Here are some web sites on the benefits of eating raw coconut butter
and young thai coconuts

Our recipe file:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LDSRaw/files/Recipes/
http://www.coconut-connections.com/diabetes.htm
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/coconut.htm
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/coconutbenefits.html
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/youngcoconuts.html

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/coconutwater.html

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/coconutscansave.html

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/candida.htm

Making keifer and cheese from the Body Ecology Diet

http://www.bodyecologydiet.com/pages_new/recipes/coconutkefir.html

http://www.bodyecologydiet.com/pages_new/yck4.html

http://www.bodyecologydiet.com/pages_new/yck.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My favorite coconut recipes

Coconut water
Open coconut, insert straw. Drink
Use a spoon and scoop out meat. Eat.
Do this while submerged in a hot bath. Heaven.

Orange juice:
One young coconut, water and meat
One orange
Blend until completely mixed, no chunks are left... drink!
(variations: add strawberries and a banana)

Young Coconut Pad Thai with Almond Chile Sauce
from the book Raw

Tamarind Juice:
2 Tamarind Pods (can be found in the Mexican spices section.. I got mine at
Whole Foods. I've seen them at Reams too!)
Filtered Water as Needed

Pad Thai
2 Tablespoons Tamarind Juice
1 ½ T. Maple Syrup
1 ½ T. Nama Shoyu
1 ½ t. Minced garlic
1 ¼ t. minced Serrano Chile
1 T. Extra virgin olive oil
¼ t. Celtic Sea Salt
1 c. julienned zucchini
1 c. finely shredded red cabbage
1 c. julienned carrot
½ c. julienned red onion
1 c. juienned, skin-on Granny Smith Apple
½ c, julienned red bell pepper
3 c. julienned young Thai coconut meat
1 Serrano Chile, thinly sliced
2 T. fresh cilantro leaves
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Almond Chile Sauce
½ c. raw almond butter
1 T. minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic

1 Thai Dragon Chile (I used thai chiles that I bought at 99 Ranch
Market in Chinatown)
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T. maple syrup
1 T. nama shoyu
¼ c. filtered water if need to thin
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Don’t mix with Chile sauce (read instructions on what to do with these)
4 teaspoons nama shoyu
2 t. cold pressed sesame oil
¼ c. spicy Cashews

Instructions:

To make the tamarind Juice; Split open the tamarind pods and discard
the pods. Place the pulp-covered seeds in filtered water to cover and
let soak for 1 hour. Drain and, using your fingers, remove the pulp that
surround the seeds; discard the seeds. Place the pulp in a small bowl and
whisk
in just enough filtered water to create a smooth, medium bodied mixture
Measure out 2 tablespoons; reserve the remainder for another use.

To make the pad Thai: In a high speed blender combine the Tamarind
juice, maple syrup, shoyu, garlic, minced Serrano Chile, olive oil, and
salt and process until smooth. Place the zucchini, cabbage, carrot, onion,
apple, bell pepper, coconut meat, sliced Serrano Chile, and cilantro in a
bowl.
Add the tamarind puree and toss to coat. Season the mixture to taste with
salt and pepper.

To make the Almond Chile Sauce:
In the high-speed blender, combine the almond butter, ginger,
garlic, Thai Chile, lemon juice, maple syrup, and shoyu and processs until
smooth. Adding the water to thin if necessary. The sauce should have the
consistency of melted ice cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Assembly- Arrange some of the Pad Thai mixture in the center of each plate.
Spoon one fourth of the Almond Chile Sauce, 1 teaspoon of the shoyu
and ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil around the pad Thai. Sprinkle with the
cashews.

Serves 4

Coconut Cream Pie

Julia Holt

Crust:
1 c. nuts
1 c. dates ( I have recently been replacing the dates with Agave Nectar or
maple syrup. For some reason I have been noticing that dates bother me. I
also saw a new product called Yacon Root Syrup that looks interesting.)
2 T. carob

Press into pie pan

Filling:
½ C. dates
Meat of 4 coconuts
1 C. dry coconut

Blend and fill Crust
layer of sliced strawberries

Whipped Chocolate Frosting

Julia Holt

In vitamix blend:

meat of 1 coconut

3 T. macadamia/ cashew butter

3 T raw carob

3 dates or agave nectar to taste

makes a cup of frosting

Ideas:
could add flavorings with essential oils
use as a whipped frosting for cakes, pies, cookies, etc... frozen and
blended for chocolate ice cream

Carob Cups (tastes like chocolate candy)

1/2 C. Warm coconut oil

3 T Raw Almond Butter

3-5 T Raw Carob Powder

3-5 T Agave Syrup, or maple syrup, or honey

1 T Vanilla

dash sea salt

( for chocolate mint flavoring use a few drops of peppermint essential oil)

Optional: Orange, peppermint, or other flavoring of your choice
(almond extract gives it a cherry taste)

Mix all together with a hand mixer (less messy than a cuisinart)- I use my
vitamix

Pour into small cupcake papers & freeze several hours

Var: Put fresh blueberries or other fruit in center of paper before pouring
carob mixture over.

German Chocolate Cake- Julia Holt

I made this one up after being frustrated about our german chocolate
cake birthday cakes... what to do? This came to me in a dream! I love it!

Crust:

1 cup Cripsy Pecans (soaked, and dried until crispy)

1 cup Almonds (soaked and dried)

1/2-1 c. your choice of sweetener (raisins, prunes, figs, dates, agave) I
like figs sometimes, and sometimes I like dates...:) Add these until
you get to the rolling ball stage.

1/4-1/2 c. Raw Carob

Topping:

1 cup Crispy Pecans

2-3 T. agave nectar

Juice of 1-2 lemons ( adjust to make these three ingredients have the
tartness of lemonade)

Meat of 1-2 coconuts

1/2 c. choppped Pecans

1 c. Shredded Coconut

Procedure:

For the crust:
In your processor, blend the nuts first until a fine meal, add your choice
of sweetener and the carob until it rolls into a ball. The longer you let it
spin, the smoother the crust will get. So if you want it chunkier, take it
out sooner, or if you want it finer, let it spin for a minute.

For the topping:

In your processor, blend the nuts into a fine meal, add the honey
until combined, add the lemon and watch the texture change to a cream.
Pause and
taste for tartness. This should taste like lemonaide, adjust to your
tastes with more honey or more lemon.

Process in the coconut meat until it resembles a cream. (Opt. At
this point
you could add a teaspoon of vanilla, or rum flavoring)

Take out of the processor and fold in the chopped pecans and the
shredded coconut.

Arrange the crust into a cake shape, and top with the "frosting".

You could decorate with some "icing" (see coconut cream in the
desert recipe
file) and some strawberries. Enjoy.:) Love, Julia

Sergei's Young Coconut Dream Cake

Crust:

- 1 cup raw unsoaked walnuts

- 1/2 cup of your favorite pitted dates

- 1/4 cup young coconut water

- 4 table spoons of raw carob

1. Blend the walnuts and dates in a food processor till the mixture
is
smooth.

2. Mix in the 4 Tbs of carob and the coconut water.

3. Spread one layer of crust out on a plate.

4. Place sliced fruits on top of first layer.

5. Place second layer of crust on top.

Icing:

- 1 cup young coconut meat

- water, enough to blend into thick topping

- 1 tablespoon honey

1. Blend all the ingredients in a vita-mixer.

2. Spread icing on cake.

3. Decorate with fruit slices and nuts.

* I have left Sergei's recipe intact. However, if you are a
honey-free vegan, just leave the honey out of the icing and use agave
nectar (its
better for helping with candida anyways). Plain coconut cream is
sweet all by itself, or if you blend in a few dates, that will make it
sweeter.

Coconut Oil tips

There are a few really good brands of EXCELLENT, raw coconut oils out there. The brand that I like quite well and can be bought at Good Earth, is called Tropical Traditions. There is also another great brand that I get through the co-op I am part of. (You can find the info about the co-op on the "Health" page of my website at www.livingmom.net.) It is made by a company called "Wilderness Family." I think Real Foods in Orem might sell this brand, if you don't want to buy it in bulk, which is what I do. And just so you know, I LOVE the one that is called "Traditional and Fermented." It has a VERY strong coconutty smell and taste. It is one of the BEST brands I have found yet.

Just make sure when you are ordering any coconut oil that it is "expeller pressed" not refined. You can even call the company, either of the ones I have mentioned because I have called them both, and they are very willing and kind about answering any questions you might be having about how they process it.

Cranberry Salad

2 cups cranberries, rinsed
2 oranges (plus the grated rind of one)
1 diced, unpeeled apple (I used sweet red)
9-10 chopped, pitted dates
3-4 diced celery (can put in processor)
1" fresh ginger, peeled
¼ cup chopped pecans (walnuts,etc.)

Chop cranberries and oranges in food processor. Put in bowl. Chop
dates and ginger in food processor. Add to berries and fold in
apples and celery. Just before serving, add the nuts.

The ginger adds a nice bite to the dish, and the pecans just really
finish it off. Nice colorful dish!

Happy Eating,
Lorna

Cauliflower Hummus from Goneraw.com

* Cauliflower HUMMUS

* 1 cauliflower peeled and chopped
* 1 cup raw tahini
* ½ cup fresh lemon juice
* 4 cloves garlic, peeled
* 1 cup olive oil
* 2 tsp sea salt
* ½ T ground cumin

In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until thick and smooth.
Serve with raw crackers, zucchini slices, celery or carrot sticks. Makes a
great party tray along with olives, avocado slices and
<http://goneraw.com/recipes/show/10> raw crackers.