Rawmazing Update and Questions Answered
Butternut Squash Medley from the upcoming, “Rawmazing Holiday Recipes”
Just a quick Friday update to let you know what is happening around Rawmazing. I have been crazy busy in the kitchen, working on the Holiday E-Book! And I have to tell you, I think I have out-done myself. Every recipe in the book could be served to non-raw people and they would never know it was raw, and healthy! I am making sure you know how many days ahead you have to start a recipe (ie. if soaking is needed) and many of the recipes are convertable. Meaning that they can be served either completely raw or with the addition of other very healthy ingredients, can turn into a semi-raw recipe that is a little more hearty for people who are used to cooked food.
Frequently Asked Raw Questions
I thought I would take a minute to answer some raw food questions that seem to come up repeatedly. Also, I would like fill you in on a few things that will make navigating the site easier, and clear up a few things about subscribing.
1. Is there a substitution for fresh young coconut. I wish I could say, yes…just rehydrate dried coconut. But it just doesn’t work. Dried coconut comes from mature coconuts. The flesh is hard and tough. Young coconut has a soft, easily blend-able flesh. Coconut is a great way to lighten up a nut heavy dessert. I have tried soaking dried coconut and putting it in the high-speed blender but I just was not happy with the results. You can try to find canned coconut flesh at Asian markets. It has the same consistency and works. You might be challenged to find one that is not sweetened. They often carry frozen coconut flesh, too.
2. Can I make this if I don’t have a dehydrator? This has to be the most frequently asked question on this site. Yes, you can make all of the recipes on the site in an oven set on a very low temperature. But, they won’t be raw. On the other hand, they will be much healthier than recipes laden with cream, butter, sugar, etc. So, you need to make the decision. And you will have to do the experimenting as I am presenting the raw version.
3. Where can I find __________ (you fill in the blank). You might not have seen it but there is a super handy search box on the right side of the site, right under the subscription form. You can put in a word or an ingredient and the recipes and posts will come up. Searching archives is also a good way to quickly go through the site.
4. What is the difference between RSS subscriptions and Aweber subscriptions? The RSS is a feed. If you subscribe through the RSS feed, you will only get notifications when a new blog post is up. If you subscribe through Aweber, you will get emails directly from me. I am trying to keep them limited as to not overwhelm your inboxes. I plan on expanding the emails in the new year to take on more of a newsletter form. The Aweber form is the green form on the right with the veggies.
I would love to hear from you in the comment section…what are your raw food questions?
Now…back to the kitchen!!
James L. Bosley wrote on November 21, 2010
Eureka !! My local Walmart of all places is now stocking young coconuts! Mellisa’s brand….@ $1.98 each….WHAT ?? I can’t afford NOT to buy them !! Check your local Mega Store.
Sarah Mendenhall wrote on November 21, 2010
I eat probably 70% raw right now and the rest of what I eat is whole foods. I don’t consume dairy or meat. I am having trouble staying thin! I ate junk before I went mostly raw and I was about 10 pounds lighter, I am staying away from nut butters and avocados for awhile. Any other suggestions?
Susan wrote on November 22, 2010
Sara, I wish I could tell you exactly what you need…but honestly, everyone is so different that I wouldn’t even presume to know what you need to do as far as diet goes. I can’t counsel you on diet loss, as this is not a weight loss site and I am not trained in that. What I can suggest is that you write down everything you are eating. Also, see if there is something that you might be having allergic reactions to (gluten?). I can only tell you that for me, exercise is imperative. For me, just walking doesn’t cut it. Weight lifting is something that you could look into but I would suggest finding someone who is trained in this area.
Madeleine wrote on November 20, 2010
Susan – I buy a case of 9 young Thai coconuts at a time and although I always mean to, never quite use them all up quickly enough. So now I open them all at once, and keep the young flesh with its water and freeze it in one coconut size containers. It seems to be fine when I defrost it for cakes or icings etc and is absolutely fine for smoothies and drinks.
Lois wrote on November 20, 2010
I love your website Susan. The first time I was on it…I loved it! You always have great information, great recipes, easy to find information. You are so creative and that fact that you will try anything, I think is fantastic. Great work! Thank you for sharing.
Lois
Dot D. wrote on November 20, 2010
You can also find young coconut meat *that has already been cut from the shell* in WholeFoods Supermarkets. If they have them, then I’m sure Trader Joes and others would also. Takes the guesswork out of extracting it yourself!
Thanks for this lovely recipe to add to my Thanksgiving dinner table.
Marsha wrote on November 20, 2010
Can we edit our messages? I sure messed up my message (above) but can’t edit it. boohoo
Marsha wrote on November 20, 2010
Can tahini be replaced in a recipe? Does it depend on the recipe? I saw a pear ‘cake’ recipe the other day (not totally raw) and it called for tahini. I had to make it with except and wondered what I could substitute it with.
Elle (thewaybyelle.blogspot.com) wrote on November 20, 2010
Thanks for answering the questions! I’m still fairly new at raw foods, so I’m grateful to learn from experts!
I had always wondered about the coconuts. I live in the Midwest in a small town, so finding a lot of ingredients can be very, very challenging.
Susan wrote on November 20, 2010
Many of the thing that we use can be found online (check out the Rawmazing Store!) You can find them at much lower prices so it makes up for the shipping costs. Even though I can buy raw cacao butter and cacao powder at my coop, I still mail order simply because I can get it for at least 30% less.
I am also going to try a little experiment with coconut flesh soon. I think it will freeze well so if you can order a case, you will be able to keep it longer.