As April winds down, I hope that everyone has had a good dose of sunshine, showers, and satisfying vegan food! Earth Day always surprises me in April with a renewed sense of possibilities. Maybe it is the budding of new flowers or the the change in seasons and shedding of our heavy winter coats, but Earth Day always makes me feel like I have a fresh start and a new chance to improve myself. This year, my fresh start includes eating more raw foods, at least two raw meals a day, lots and lots of flowers, and a daily fitness routine. There is nothing like spring to remind us that summer is just around the corner and since I love to eat, I know that eating raw foods will allow me to eat all I want and still lose weight and get in shape for summer. I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast when the weather is cold outside but now that it is warming up, eating fruit for breakfast isn't only easy, the seasonal goodies in my kitchen are just begging me to do so. Recently, I read this article on eating fruit for breakfast and it has encouraged me to reach for those berries and bananas instead of bread and butter first thing in the a.m. Everyone is different and some people swear that they need something more solid for breakfast but for me fruit is the best way to go. Something light, fresh, and hydrating like a fruit salad, smoothie, or raw fruit cake always gives me more energy and makes me feel less bloated and more hydrated ALL day long. This morning I had this yummy fruit plate that took mere minutes to prepare.
I encourage everyone to try to eat more fruit for breakfast and feel the refreshing and invigorating benefits of a raw and color filled wake up call. Then for lunch or dinner I aim for salad. If I have fruit for breakfast and then a salad for lunch, it better be one tasty salad to make me feel satisfied. So, I aim to only post salads that are incredible and beyond my wildest dreams. A good way to start sinless salad satisfaction is to master a few good dressings. Therefore, I give you my Goddess Dressings. A series of kitchen experiments gone right and made until they are blog-worthy, yum-worthy, and main dish salad-worthy. This first dressing is my Herbed Goddess Dressing that is insanely fresh. Not just fresh but blow your mind, infuse your cells, and rock your mood fresh that'll leave you happy and blissfull all day. Worthy of a goddess. Since I believe all happy, healthy women are goddesses then I gladly name this dressing after the girls and gals that will enjoy and thrive on this delish dish.
Herbed Goddess Dressing
Place cashews, water, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in blender and blend until smooth. Add the herbs, tamari, and honey and blend again until smooth. Will keep refrigerated for about a week. If you would like your dressing smoother, add a touch more water. If you would like to make a dip, add 1/2 cup more cashew and refrigerate for an hour. Oh the joy of effortless dressings that are fresh and not store bought!! Yum!
Right now I live across the bridge from an Indian reservation and I have started to do volunteer work with the tribe to help the community. Recently, I have been doing volunteer hours at the library and one day I happened upon a book of local, edible plant life. I hit the trails behind my house, book in hand, and was amazed at how much vegetation is edible. I had started to notice these pretty little yellow blooms in lots of the shrubs along the trails and in my yard. Turns out they are Oregon grapes and the blossoms are edible! More than edible, they taste like orange nectar!!
A perfect and tasty way to celebrate Earth Day is to eat local. Can you possibly get more local than right in your own backyard? Heck, no! I gathered a bunch of these little flowers and added them to a salad of local and organic veggies.
This salad includes tender greens, persian cucumber, golden beets, carrots, avocado, tomato, and Oregon grape blossoms. It was so good and tastes as refreshing as it looks. Herbs will infuse loads of flavor and freshness to whatever you put them in. This dressing is the perfect choice for any salad and I hope you enjoy it! I had my salad alongside a glass of my citrus infused water. I just sliced orange, lemon, and lime and put them in water. Chill for an hour and you will have a homemade vitamin water/hint water!
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