I was featured in Sunday's Los Angeles Times newspaper here in LA, in their Holiday Guide. Here are a couple recipes and hopefully some ideas you will find useful and inspiring for keeping it fresh whole food, raw food, vegan, and healthy recipes during your holidays! Enjoy xoxo
What's your favorite #RawFood pasta recipe? We made this delicious Ravioli in Ani's Raw Food Certification Course Level 1 this weekend in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA with summer squash pasta, cashew herb cheese, cherry tomato ravioli, and fresh Italian herbs. All ingredients from the Saturday morning Farmers' Market up the street....local, seasonal, fresh,nutritious, and super delicious. Wheat-free and gluten-free pasta filled with vegan nut cheeze. 100% good for you and the planet. Great way to detox while feasting.
I love that I have this opportunity to wake up on the coast at Rancho Palos Verdes here in Southern California. Today I am stretching and breathing on the edge, enjoying abundance, and remembering that we don't need to worry about running out of air to breathe or that the sun will run out of sunshine to shine upon us. I'm feeling deep gratitude and joy. What brings you joy today?
Today is what I call "Fitness Friday" because it's when I like to post an activity we can all enjoy over the weekend that will help us keep active and get outside. Something as simple as an urban hike, aka walk (LOL), is a fun way to discover a new neighborhood with friends and/or your canine companion. As you may know, Kanga and I love to urban hike. We found an industrial area in West LA at the end of the afternoon that was bathed in golden sunlight. The lighting was magical. I guess that's why it's called 'Magic Hour' or 'Golden Hour', which is the one hour before the sun sets. (We took this photo without a filter!) I guess you can say our Happy Hour is Magic Hour! What will you do to get outside this weekend?
A berry delicious and nutritious green salad made with kale, baby bok choy, Chinese greens, corn, onion, yellow squash, eggplant, raspberries, blueberries, and pomegranate marinated in a splash of olive oil, with a pink of pink sea salt. This is a simply beautiful way to pump up antioxidants to help slow the 'rusting' of my cells. Packed full of beautifying foods for feasting while detoxing, this raw vegan salad will keep your skin clear and glowing with beauty from the inside out. What's your secret for combating the signs of aging?
I'm offering my final 2013 series of Ani's Raw Food Certification Courses in September in Santa Monica, CA. Level 1: September 20, 21, 22. Friday 3pm to 6pm. Saturday 8am to 4pm. Sunday 10am to 2pm. Level 2: September 27.28.29. Friday 3pm to 6pm. Saturday 8am to 4pm. Sunday 10am to 2pm. Level 3, Teacher Training: September 29, 30, October 1st. Sunday 4pm to 6pm. Monday 10am to 4pm. Tuesday 10am to 2pm. My inspiration for creating these courses is to help people learn how simple, quick, and easy raw food preparation can be! It's all about delicious and nutritious recipes made using a handful of easy to find ingredients. Complexity is added with sauces and plating. To support a healthy diet and lifestyle, we need to know how to make our own food, quickly! In my courses, I also discuss lifestyle topics including fitness, natural beauty, organic and eco-green living, healthy detox, weight loss, and much more. And for those interested in launching their own business, writing a book, and or creating a show, I talk about business strategy, entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, and keys to building your brand. I hope you can join me in September for one or all 3 of my courses! It's a really fun course, and a great way to detox feasting on the best raw food ever!! For more information, please visit my course page.
When the weather's nice out, all I want to do is play outside. I love hiking, biking, walking, swimming, and most of all...dancing! Yesterday, my ladies and I spend our Sunday Funday a Beverly Hills rooftop pool party where my friend and DJ Eric Sharp was spinning the best beats ever here in Los Angeles, CA. Swimming and dancing are both great ways to soak up sunshine while burning calories. Dancing burns about 350 or more calories an hour and aides in weight loss because it takes about 3500 calories to loose a pound. I'm targeting to loose about 3 pounds in the next couple weeks. So, dancing is a fun way to workout and get in some accidental cardio. For the next 3 months, I'm avoiding wheat and gluten, refined sugar, starches, and alcohol. Enjoying nuts and seeds in moderation, lots of vegetables, and some fruits. Focusing on upping my protein with sea vegetables, buckwheat, spirulina, and legumes. I'll keep you posted on how this makes me feel and how it changes my body. Hoping to get leaner and stronger for my Powerlifting Competition in November. Let's all keep active this summer, while remembering to eat clean too. xo
I whipped up some Superfood Cacao Avocado Tartlets for a dinner party tonight. They are made with avocado for creaminess, and sweetened with superfoods: lucuma, carob, stevia since I'm watching my sugars (no syrups and need low-glycemic). Added in spirulina, which is why the pudding's a bit green. The crust is made with raisins, cacao, pink sea salt, and cashews. Topped with goji berries and vanilla sauce. Delicious way to detox in the summertime with whole, unprocessed, local, seasonal, nutritious, rawfood goodness!
Energy Truffles are a great way to power a long hike, bike ride, and even a car ride. These truffles travel easily, and are packed full of delicious organic goodness. I took this batch on a 4-hour hike in the Santa Monica Mountains this past weekend with my personal trainer. Each time our energy would get low, we'd pop one of these truffles to boost our endurance and stamina. They are made with omega-3 rich walnuts, antioxidant filled cranberry and raisins, and superfood cacao and maca. Flavored with a hint of vanilla, and rolled in coconut. Delicious!
I whipped up this Protein Pudding at my client's home by using what he had on hand in his fridge and cabinets. Since he had no vanilla extract and no cacao powder, I used his flavored vegan protein powders instead. He did have half of a banana, 2 avocados, coconut water, and stevia powder. So, I made this Protein Pudding by blending together sweet banana, creamy avocado, chocolate and also vanilla protein powders, electrolyte coconut water, and non-caloric stevia powder. And it was delicious! Though I've personally stopped using all protein powders (instead I'm using only whole foods), this gluten-free, vegan pudding is an easy way to up your protein intake today. Happy Meatless Monday!