4th of July Nom-Noms

Who said you can't eat healthy during the holidays? We sure did! Here in the south, we had quite a bit of heavy rain on the 4th, so it started out as a bit of a downer. At least for me. However, we quickly changed that with some patriotic food that we got the whole family in on, and in the end, the rain took a break long enough for many neighbors to shoot off fireworks. It was a beautiful day/night!  Here is what we did:

I took THIS potato salad recipe, and instead of using regular potatoes, I found some gourmet potatoes at Costco: red white and BLUE potatoes! Have you ever heard of blue potatoes? I hadn't, but they tasted just like regular potatoes and the kids thought it was the "best potato salad ever"! I scrubbed and cut them into smaller pieces, drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and roasted in the oven until I could easily pierce through with a fork. Let cool and follow the rest of the recipe. Delicious!

 For this one, I bought a (better-for-you) ready made pie crust from Whole Foods (you can totally make your own whole wheat pie crust), and line the bottom of a pie pan. Pit cherries and mix with raw honey or raw agave nectar. Let sit for 20 minutes. Mix a couple of cups of blueberries with agave. Take a piece of cardstock and fold so that it points to 12 & 9. Fill that triangle with blueberries and the rest with cherries. Gently pull out cardstock. Cut pie dough in stripes for your "flag" and use small star cookie cutters to make stars for your blueberries. Sprinkle with raw sugar granules. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown

 This is self-explanatory, right? The kids loved this one in particular. Happy 4th!

 P.S. After all the rain we had, my garden exploded!

Raw Apple Pie

 So, I've tried my hand at raw desserts before, and I have been pretty unsuccessful. However, my last 2 raw desserts have been completely wonderful! This particular pie is soooo easy, and so much faster then traditional apple pie. Give it a go, and let me know how you like it! I highly recommend making it the night before because the apples soften and it's more like traditional pie texture, but you certainly don't have to do that. It's still quite flavorful. 

Raw Apple Pie
2 c raw almonds
1 t sea salt
1 c pitted dates
With a food processor or a high-powered blender pulse the almonds and sea salt together until almonds are about the size of Grape-Nuts. Add dates and pulse until it forms a dough. I had to add some water until the "dough" would fit together when I squeezed a handful of it. But even if it's a little crumbly, that's fine, it still tastes fun with the crumbles. :) Press dough on bottom and sides of a deep dish pie pan to form the crust.

5 organic apples (We used Fuji, which was fine, but I bet honeycrisp would be delightful! If using honeycrisp, only do 2)
1 c dried fruit (I used 1/4 c goji berries and 3/4 c raisins, but do whatever strikes your fancy...or whatever you have on hand, in my case!)
2 T cinnamon
1 orange, peeled
1/2 c dates
water, as needed
Slice the apple very thin (or run through a food processor-I hate to use mine often cause it takes up so much space in the dishwasher). Toss apples, dried fruit and cinnamon in a large bowl until everything is coated well.
Add the orange and dates in high-powered blender, adding water if needed to make it the consistency of a smooth syrup. Pour over the fruit and mix well. Spoon filling into crust and serve immediately or cover and place in fridge until ready to serve. Stores well for a few days, and just gets softer and tastier. :)

Raw Cranberry Sauce

Raw Cranberry Sauce

½ c freshly squeezed orange juice
1 orange
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 c Medjool dates, approximately 8–10, pitted
2 c fresh cranberries
Add ingredients to high powered blender in order listed and secure lid. Turn on lowest speed for 10 seconds, and then increase to mid speed for 35 seconds. Chill and serve. Super easy. Different texture but very flavorful.