See These Ice Cubes, See These (raw) Ice Creams?

Ok, so I'm not Snoop Dogg, nor have I ever claimed to be, but I can drop some things if they're hot (ie, coffee, a potato, a skillet, even sunglasses, if they've been sitting in my car too long).  When it does get hot enough in my car, it makes me think that it's time to make something cold, like...Cinnamon Cashew Ice Cream!  No ice cream maker needed.

If you've never tried a RAW ice cream before, because you've turned your nose up to it or because Cold Stone is right around the corner, let me tell you...you are missing out!  This completely raw and vegan is so rich, creamy, sweet and sure to satisfy your summer cravings.  Why?  It's cashew based.  Trust me, I am not posting this for health reasons, although I could.  You'll see!

Ice Cream Base:
1 c. cashews (raw, not roasted and salted)
1 1/2 c. water or raw almond milk (or an even mix of both)
1/3 c. raw agave
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 c. raisins (This gives the ice cream a rich, buttery flavor)
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1 Tbsp. raw coconut oil

Directions:

1. Take all the above ingredients and blend in blender for a couple of min. or until smooth.
2. Now, you have a perfectly good vanilla ice cream base. At this point stir in: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon & your choice of the following (you may add up to a 1/4 cup total): carob chips, dk chocolate chips, raw nuts, raisins, fresh or dehydrated fruit.
3. Add the mixture to a glass pan/bowl (or ice cube trays) and freeze up to 2 hrs. in freezer, checking periodically until firm yet creamy enough to eat.  Makes 4 servings, but if you're like me, it's only 1 :)

All base ingredients are added to blender

After all base ingredients are blened

Pour into glass dish after the extras have been added, then place in freezer.

 The end product!

Finally- A Healthy Fritter!

For those of you that love the good old-fashioned Middle Eastern Falafel (like me), I've got a great, healthy alternative to this naughty deep fried fritter.  This recipe requires a food dehydrator, but if you don't have one, you can set your oven at the lowest temp. (usually 175 degrees) and keep the oven door cracked open a bit and bake 1 hr. each side (this is not considered RAW, however, if you take the oven route).

Falafels taste great with tahini sauce, which is simply a sesame seed based dip.  Below, you'll find my extremely satisfying and healthy version of falafel and tahini sauce.  You won't miss the deep fryer!

FALAFEL:

2 portobello mushroom caps - cubed
2 medium carrots - peeled and sliced
1/2 small onion - diced
1 garlic clove - sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Mix together the mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Spread on Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115F for 1 hour. After dehydration, pulse the mixture in a food processor to achieve small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
In a food processor, grind the nuts and sunflower seeds to a crumbly texture. Add the ground nuts, cilantro, cumin and lemon juice to the mushroom-vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper. Form into spheres, and roll each one in a mix of ground flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Dehydrate on a screen-lined tray for 2 hours before serving.  Makes about a dozen.

TAHINI SAUCE:

1 cup raw sesame tahini
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all the ingredients until smooth.

A Fit and Delicious Summer Dessert: sRAWberry Cheesecake

Since July is finally here, I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite summer treats!  It's a twist on a strawberry cheesecake, but it is 100% raw and vegan (there is NO cream cheese in this & NO CREAM CHEESE = HAPPY TUMMY).  The end result?  A sweet, creamy and tart pie that tastes almost like a strawberry shortcake.  It's that good!  Plus, it's packed with protein, fiber, and vitamin C!  Try it out and tell me what you think... 

Mila’s stRAWberry Cheesecake

Ingredients for the crust:

1 c. almonds or dehydrated almond pulp

1 c. pecans or walnuts

¼ c. ground flaxseeds

½ tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for the “cheese” filling:

3 c. cashews

1 c. dates or figs, soaked for 10 min. in water

½ c. fresh lemon juice

¼ c. almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp sea salt

Ingredients for the topping:

2 c.  strawberries

1 c. pitted dates or figs, soaked for 10 min. in water

¼ c. almond milk

Directions:

For crust:  Place all nuts in processor and pulse til finely chopped.  Add dates, flaxseeds, salt, and vanilla and process til mixture forms a ball.  Turn out onto a 8” pie pan and press mixture into a crust.

For filling:  Drain dates and place into processor.  Add cashews , lemon juice, milk, vanilla and sea salt.  Process til completely smooth and creamy, adding 1 tsp. water at a time, if necessary, to thin mixture to desired consistency.  Pour into crust.

For topping:  Place strawberries, dates, and milk in processor and blend til smooth.  Pour over filling.

Freeze cheesecake for 2 hours until firm.  Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it.

Hey, I got a little "Secret" to accelerate your weight loss...

It's called Changing Your Mind!  Want to know how?  First you need to understand the Law of Attraction (LOA).  For those of you whom have read or seen The Secret by Rhonda Byrne will already know what I am referring to, but if you have not read the book, here's a short breakdown...

LOA simply states that we create our own realities.  As much as we attract the things we want, unfortunately, we also attract the things we don't want.  For the sake of this blog I am going to address solely how we can apply LOA to losing weight.
Like most people wanting to shed several pounds, it is so easy to get into the mindset that we just don't look they way we want or we can't eat this or that or it's going to take X amount of months to achieve that certain goal.  You can seriously achieve your weight loss goals much quicker if you start THINKING THIN.  Here's how...
Eat, act and live as if you are already thin and fit.  Seriously!  How would you picture a thin and fit person eating?  A little bit slower, savoring each bite?  How would they look and act on a daily basis?  What is their lifestyle like; do they workout regularly? Walk with a little more pep?  Live as if you already are.  Keep a positive focus, daily, on how you think about your life, what you think is possible for yourself and keep these good thoughts and the actions you take on the forefront of your mind.  It will change your habits, keep you inspired, but don't allow yourself to regress.

Look, if you focus your energy on losing 40 pounds, you will continually attract back having to lose 40 pounds.  Delete that from your thoughts.  It is why "diets" just don't work.  The typical "diets" that most people go on are self-sabotaging.  Why?  Because we focus on deprivation.  By LOA, you attract thoughts or images of foods that you can NOT eat.  Turn this around!  Instead, imagine all the amazing and fulfilling foods that you CAN indulge in.  For instance, I can eat all the creamy avocados, juicy mangoes, sweet agave nectar, etc. that I can stomach because this bountiful earth has created them for me! 
By the Law of Attraction, we can obtain our weight loss goals easier because we are attracting these positive changes into our lives.  What we put out into the universe with our energy we will attract back like a magnet.  The mind is really that powerful!