Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!

I will return to blogging after the new year. For now I will be focusing soley on spending time with my family and enjoying the holiday season! I hope you are doing the same, as family is the most important thing we have.

See you around soon!

Christmas Blessings,

Christy

A Raw Recipe For You!

 (I hope this picture doesn't offend. I thought it was funny!)

Hey Everyone! Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? Have you put up your tree? I hope so! Now it's time to light the fire and curl up with a good Christmas show and a nice cup o'nog! Here is a simple recipe to get ya motivated.......... Raw Nog:

Ingredients:

3 cups raw almond milk

5 large soft pitted dates

2  ripe bananas

1 vanilla bean

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup raw macadamia nuts

Pre-make your almond milk. Place all the ingredients in the blender and enjoy! So simple!

May I suggest the movie Elf? I love that movie! Also, if you still need to do some shopping then by all means head over to my shop, Bluegrass Market, and take advantage of the FREE shipping that is offered until Dec. 25. If you don't see what you are looking for there then browse the thousands of stores offered by Etsy. Handmade is the way to go!

Hope you all are enjoying the Holidays! Be back soon with another recipe for you to enjoy!

Blessings,
CHristy

PS. Justin, this recipe is for you! I will make it for you when you get home for Christmas!:)

An Apple a Day, Keeps The Dr. Away!

Here are ten reasons to eat apples:

1. The apple's pulp contains pectin, a soluble form of fiber. Pectin soothes and coats the lining of the intestinal tract when one has diarrhea, in addition to adding bulk to the stool.

2. Apple pectin is effective against several types of bacteria known to cause diarrhea such as salmonella, staphylococcus, and e. coli.

3. Due to its high fiber content, it is effective at relieving constipation.

4. The high fiber/pectin helps to reduce blood cholesterol.

5. Apples contain flavonoids which are antioxidants that help prevent cell damage that leads to the narrowing of the arteries, which in turn leads to heart disease.

6. Pectin binds to certain cancer causing compounds in the colon, speeding their elimination from the body.

7. The flavonoids in the apples help prevent cell damage that cause many cancers.

8. Studies have shown apple pectin to reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

9. European studies show apple pectin to eliminate lead, mercury, and other toxic heavy metals from the body.

10. Apple's leaves contain an antibiotic called phloretin that is effective in wound healing.

Now, go eat an apple!

* one little note of caution: apple seeds contain a powerful poison called cyanide. So please, don't eat the seeds!

Hope you're having a beautiful Fall!

Christy

Today is the last day of the Indian Summer we have been having. I will be spending it outside with my children. I love the Fall with the changing leaves and crisp cool air. It is always such a welcome relief from the heat of the summer. The next three months are filled with the best holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

There will be no worrying about diets and body issues today. Just having a great day with my family is all that's important.

I hope you have a great day with your family too!

Blessings,

Christy

Day 1-Success

Well, Day 1 went better than expected. I weighed in at 133.5 (I'm 5'5"). I started the day with two big glasses of water. I had about 24 oz green juice at 11:00 then worked out at the gym. I did have a salad this evening, so no juice fast for me this time. :( I do feel lighter and will have some herbal tea soon. I will probably make the tea with nettles and dandelion and maybe some chamomile. Yum!

As far as organizing goes, well, not so much today. I did stay up late last night getting my kitchen organized and super clean so I will work on something else tonight.

This isn't easy, especially when you have other responsibilities. Being a mom can be demanding but we need to love ourselves and take care of ourselves so that we have something to give to our family. Our children want parents that are happy and healthy. That's always my goal.

Blessings,
Christy

Getting With The Program........

Okay. I"m not happy. Don't get me wrong. I 'm grateful for all that I have. A great husband, amazing children, a nice home with a fantastic view............What I'm talking about is my ass. I don't like it. It's Too big or better yet it's not in the shape I would like it to be. Why? I ask myself.

I'm realistic about this butt thing. I mean, I'm 38, have FIVE kids, and have limited time to myself.  I eat 80% raw, sometimes more. It's what I eat the other percentage of time that's getting me. Lots of sugar, too many calories, and not enough cardio lately.

I would like to lose about 7 pounds and get the backside a little tighter  (okay, a lot tighter). I also want to feel lighter and more energetic. I need some accountability though. So that's where you Mr. blog comes in. I am officially (starting tomorrow) gettin with the program! I need to detoxify, clean up my food choices and move my  bee-hind a whole lot more. Maybe even start running again (definitely some kick-your-ass spin classes). I have to do this. I will do this. I'M DOING IT!!!

I am going to weigh in at the gym tomorrow and post it here along with my food intake. I may start with a 3 day juice fast to get me going strong. I'm considering a picture too, although the idea kind of freaks me out. That probably means I should really do it. Face your fears, right?

Another thing that I wanted to mention was the ElixirCraft Mastery Course by Daniel Vitalis that I recently completed. I learned so much from the course. It was fantastic and highly recommended! But the thing that has really stuck in my mind is what he said about having a clean organized area for food prep, only having things that you like ( that mean somthing to you) and how making food and elixirs is his art. I want it to be my art. I need so bad to get rid of stuff. My home is making me a nervous wreck right now. We just downsized homes and I see that we have too much. Too much of everything. I know this is holding me back in my healthiness also. I used to be a neat freak, close to obssessive but lately with our move and homeschool and the stuff, well, I'm almost paralyzed. It's totally over-whelming. Does anyone know what I'm saying?

This all ties together with my wanting to get back on track. I'm waayyyy off track. I'm an emotional eater, so all this stress lately has led me to make poor food choices and it just snowballs, ya know? Well, the snowball has hit a wall. I'm truly ready to make some much needed changes. While I'm detoxing my body, I'm detoxing my home too. I really believe your environment is crucial to your success for being on a path to health.  This isn't going to be easy, but I'm going to do it.

I'll be back tomorrow for my first day report.

Blessings,
Christy

Have a Hug and a Smile!

We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth. -Virginia Satir


I was submitting a couple of articles today for rawmom.com and therawdivas.com. I send them to an awesome lady named Aran. I've never met her in person but we correspond through cyberspace. Aran is in charge of getting all the articles sorted out for Tera. She is the kind of person that always seems kind, caring and positive. All of her emails include her signature *hug*.

Today, after she received my articles she asked how I was doing. Well, you know how sometimes you say "I'm  fine" even when your not?  We don't like to burden people with our problems do we? I felt compelled to email  her back and tell her about my week of sick kids and no sleep. She emailed me right back with some warm words and many *hugs*. I know it's only in an email, but I really felt it. I needed it. Thank you Aran!

I thought about how important it is to give and receive hugs. We are definitely a hug deficient world, aren't we? There is a video on youtube that came out a few years ago about a guy named Juan Mann who made a sign that said FREE HUGS. He stood out on a busy street and was ready to give FREE HUGS to all that consented. It is painful to watch at first because so many people just pass him by. Finally, a little old lady stops and he gets down on his knees and they hug. It makes you smile. It's what the world needs, Less fighting and more hugging.


Now go hug someone!

*HUGS*
Christy

Enjoy the FREE HUG video!

There are hundreds of paths up a mountain,

all leading in the same direction,

so it doesn't matter which path you take.

The only one wasting time is the one

who runs around and around the mountain,

telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

-Hindu Teaching

MONKEY MIKE's Raw Food Kitchen

The Raw Moms have done it again! They have come out with a fantastic Un-Cookbook for kids. The amazing Tera Warner graciously sent me a copy and my children and I have been pouring over it all weekend.

If you have kids (I have 5!), you need this book! I'm telling you, your kids will absolutely love it. It's full of colorful pictures and step by step directions that are easy for just about any kid to follow. If you've been having a hard time getting your children to eat a lot of raw foods, this is perfect. Or if you need something to make raw food more exciting, this is the answer. I mean, I'm not even a kid and it got me excited!

The recipes are simple and they don't require 20 ingredients each(my pet peeve). They're nutritious (of course!) and fun!

You can get it here. What are you waiting for? Get to Un-Cooking with those Kids!


Smiles and Hugs!

Christy

Contaminated Drinking Water in Schools- My Rant...

I just finished reading a shocking article about the state of the water in our public schools. You can read it here. There are many schools here in our country that are violating EPA standards. The most being in California, followed by Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut, and others. Apparently, there are high levels of lead, copper, pesticides, and other ugly toxins. Our children are drinking this stuff. And it's okay? Really? That's the message the government sends when it says that to fix the problem, it would be too expensive.

Tell me, how does the government have cash for clunkers and billions for bank bailouts but it's too expensive to ensure that our children have safe drinking water?

I'm lucky to live in area where the water is safe and I homeschool but it infuriates me that others don't have the same. If your children are in public school then please check with the state and find out about the safety of the water. High levels of lead and other toxins can lead to learning disabilities, illness, fatigue, and who knows what else.

This is even more shocking to me since I've been listening to Daniel Vitalis and his information on water. Look for him on YOUTUBE.He has some great information about the benefits of spring water and the downfalls of tap and bottled water. After learning this information, I went on http://www.findaspring.com/ and found that there is a spring only 1 hour from my home. You can go on there too and see if you can find a spring close to you. It is continually updated. My family and I are going to venture out to the spring this weekend to bottle our own spring water. I'm pretty excited about that. I'm going to video our adventure, so stay tuned.

I'm doing Daniel's ElixirCraft Mastery Course which I will tell you all about as soon as I complete it. I've done the first part which is about.....you guessed it, WATER!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Christy

I just received an email regarding a new film coming t0 DVD soon. It's called Numen, The Nature of Plants. I have been interested in herbal healing for almost ten years now. But, my interest completely intensified after to listening to the Raw Mom Summit. I listened to Susun Weed and was just taken in by her. There was something in her voice when she spoke of herbs that really got to me and I have been obssessed ever since. I'm reading and studying everything I can get my hands on about herbal healing and aromatherapy. I'm even making my own natural healing products now. Seriously, did I mention that I am obssessed?

Well, receiving this email yesterday with a link to see a 15 minute preview was exciting. I hope you'll watch it. I will be getting this as soon as it comes out! I really want that insight into the nature of plants. It's fascinating. I always have used herbal remedies with my family when they get sick and I have to say it has worked 99.9% of the time. Plants really do heal. They are part of the Grand Design. They care for us and we should care for them too.

As you know, the name of my blog is Liquid Sunshine. I named it that because, well, what is liquid sunshine? It chlorophyl, right? And chlorophyl is made during photosynthesis when the plants draw in the sun's energy. I drink green smoothies everyday and I know that I am drinking that green energy from the sun. Liquid Sunshine.

I hope you will check out the preview for Numen.

Have a Sunshiney Day!

Christy

On Board With The Raw Divas!

It's official! I am excited to announce that I will be on the one and only Raw Diva team. I will be contributing to their blog on a weekly basis. My focus will be on living green and herbal education.

I really appreciate Tera Warner and the amazing work she does for women. She has built a fantastic community through rawmom.com, therawdivas.com, and greensmoothiequeen.com. If you are just getting started on the raw food diet, or need support, you'll find everything you need to keep you on the right track. Tera is taking it to the next level by adding even more information on a daily basis to keep you inspired. Being a Raw Diva or a Raw Mom is more than just your diet, it's how you live every aspect of your life. It's about living holistically and with balance.

I hope you will check in daily for a little pick-me-up. If there is any herb you want to learn about, any green ideas that interest you, or any natural recipe you're wanting to get your hands on, just drop me a comment and I'll try my best to get that on the Raw Diva blog. I will continue to blog regularly at Liquid Sunshine, too.Unless it changes, my day will be Wednesday over at the Divas. So, I hope to see you there!

Ode to Clove(eugenia caryophyllata)

Oh Clove, I owe many thanks to you.
You've been around since the Han Dynasty.
You've been used to treat numerous ailments.
Respiratory, digestion and skin problems you've healed.
But for me, my sweet, warm Clove, you have given me respite from tooth and gum pain.
One q-tip and 1 drop of 100% your oil (pure clove essential oil)
Applied ever so gently to the gum area.
Ahhhh, what relief.
Anesthetic and antiseptic properties come from the eugenol which you contain.
It's no surprise you come from the same family as tea tree, myrtle, and eucalyptus.
Even dentist recognize your effectiveness.
I would never give you to anyone under two or over 65
And I would never ingest you.
But I will keep you close little Clove. So close.
My gums and teeth love you.
I love you.

Stepping out.....

Today was a wonderful day! I attended an amazing health and wellness meetup in my area for the first time. I was asked to bring some raw food and tell a little bit about it. I have to admit I was a little nervous but after I arrived and met the group I was so grateful that I was there. What a great bunch of people. Everyone was so nice and really wanted to better their health. I loved their openess to raw foods. The food was a hit (thank-goodness)! I was just really happy how it all turned out and all of my hard work was truly worth it.

I am already planning another little talk and demo with a really cool guy named Elsy. He is an acupuncturist and yoga teacher at a local Dr. office. I met him today at the meetup. I have to say that the lady who plans these meetups, Terry Breadon, is just a fantastic person. She is so knowledgeable and passionate about yoga and living a healthy lifestyle. I know that I will learn so much from her. Oh, and she brought me the biggest zucchinis I have ever seen in my life. I'll be eating those tomorrow!

I can't wait to see where my journey takes me. Life is good. :)

Recharged by Mother Nature

I just returned from vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with the family. It was so nice to be at the beach and relax. Just putting your feet in the sand and hearing and smelling the ocean was amazing. It's important to take a break, forget our worries and get back to nature. Spending time with our loved ones with no expectations really helps deepen our realtionships. I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to go away together this summer. I feel renewed and eager to move forward and try new things. I hope everyone, if possible, takes some time this year to just be with family and enjoy and love each other. Connect with nature and family, it's a powerful stress reliever.

Namaste,

Christy

Pondering What Truly Matters.......

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recipe: Shiny Smile Polish Powder

This is a dry powder tooth polish made with herbs to freshen your breath.

Ingredients:

* 1 0z green clay
* 3/8 oz fine sea salt
* 3/8 oz orris-root powder
* 3/4 oz dried mint
* 1/4 tsp clove powder

How to make:

Grind the mint into a powder. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir throroughly to blend. Add more mint or clove if desired. Spoon the scented powder into a shaker.

How to Use:

Moisten toothbrush and shake enough powder to cover the bristles. Brush teeth in the usual way and rinse well. Will keep for 6 months but keep water out of the mixture.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you tried it!

Have a great day!

Christy

Raw Mom Summit

This past week has been inspiring to say the least! I had the opportunity to listen to several amazing speakers online at the Raw Mom Summit. The ladies over at RawMom.com did a phenomenal job with the guest line up and interviews. (Standing ovation for Tera Warner and Shannon Leone!)



I LOVED the interview with Gabriel Cousens. I mean, when he talks you listen! I will have the chance to meet him and attend all of the classes he's teaching at the World Peace Yoga conference in October. I can't wait. More information to come about that soon!



Susun Weed was so interesting too. She is an herbalist, author, and much more. You can find information about her at SUSUNWEED.com. Since listening to her, my husband and I have been enjoying herbal infusions everyday. I never knew how easy they are to prepare and so good for you!



Byron Katie- WOW! I'm now reading her book Loving What Is. She discovered a process called The Work. It is an amazing way to solve problems and to see things as they truly are. Check out TheWork.com for free information and worksheets.



There were many raw mom speakers, each adding something fantastic to the summit. Different views and opinions but so much useful information.



This is just a teeny-tiny bit of the Summit there was sooo much more! You can purchase these over at rawmomsummit.com and listen to them at your leisure. I was so pleased with the Summit and it has really motivated me as a mom and raw foodist to keep going in this positive direction and it also opened me up to new things.



So if YOU need some good, healthy motivation (who doesn't?) then check it out!



Namaste,

Christy

Prescription for the Soul

I just picked up the book 365 Prescriptions for the Soul by Bernie S. Siegel. I love the little tidbits of inspirations it provides. It is definitely medicine for the soul. Every once in a while I will post one of his prescriptions that touches me. So stay tuned..................

HEALTHMASTER

If you thought a high powered blender was too expensive and out of your reach, have I got a treat for you! If you don't know if you already know this but Montel Williams, who has Multiple Sclerosis, is an advocate of eating a lot of raw foods and make fresh fruit and veggie juices. He is able to keep his symptoms under control through his diet. Pretty amazing, right?

I saw this on an infomercial one day and was really intriqued. I think after I saw the chunk of steel made into powder and the $200 price tag, I was sold! It is basically a less expensive version of the vitamix or blendtech. The only thing it doesn't do is grind grain.

I received it about a month ago and I LOVE IT!!!! It's 2hp motor is so powerful and yet not too loud. It's so simple to work. It is digital but only a few buttons. It has a 70 ounce carafe.

I would say the only negative is that with the lid on, it won't fit under my cabinets. So I store it with lid off. No big deal!

Seriously, if you can't afford a vitamix or blendtech then by all means try the HealthMaster. If you have any questions about it fell free to ask.

Have a great day!

Rawvolution Review

I am finally getting to the review of "The Box" from Rawvolution. I'm having trouble getting my pictures to load to blogger. But here goes anyway.......

The Box arrived on time just as stated. This picture shows how the food looks right out of the box. I actually had to go to the menu to figure out what some of it was.

The first thing I tried was the Seaweed Salad. In all fairness, I have to say that I am not a fan of sea vegetables. So obviously I didn't care for this one. The veggie cakes have dulse in them and they tasted OK but I would have really like them without the dulse. The cauliflower mashed "potatoes" are not for me. I've made them myself and didn't like them then either. You can't like everything!

The soups were delicious, especially the Cucumber Dill. The desserts were yummy too. I loved the pineapple heart dessert. I have made it my self since then and it turned out great.

The tostada and the greek pizza were my favorites. The onion bread and seed cheese are amazing! The lasagna taste good but looked nothing like the picture in the cookbook Rawvolution.

Overall I thought the food was pretty good. The price a little high especially when you add on shipping ($40!). I will order again in the future but I will make sure the menu doesn't include sea veggies!

Good job to the folks at Rawvolution!

Have a nice day!

Christy

Return from Hiatus........

Time flies even when your not having much fun. I've been in the process of moving and getting my other home ready to sell. I pray for a quick sell but I'm also realistic. This economy has hit us hard. I just haven't had time to post or even work on my website.

On a more positive note, I'm back and ready to rock and roll with everything. I ordered "The Box" from Rawvolution owned by Matt Amsden. It should arrive on Wednesday and I will do a full review of everything. Can't wait! I love his cookbook Rawvolution. Definitely one of my favorites. I have his famous onion bread in the dehydrator as we speak and I am making the strawberry pie tonight. If you don't have this book, you need to get it. NOW. What are you waiting for?

Spreading The Word

A group of ladies from my church met at my home last night to learn about healthy eating. Another lady prepared some information to share and went before me. We had a lot of the same information in regards to what we should leave out of our diet but we differed on what and how our food should be prepared. Cooked vs. Raw. I love that I could share what I have learned on my raw food journey and have them taste some of the foods that I eat. Some, as you can imagine were not as open to the whole idea but some genuinely were interested and are asking how do they make the change. Very exciting for me. A few left saying that they were definitely going to add green smoothies to their diet and some were going to be more aware of the foods they eat in general. All positive.
Everyone brought something healthy to share. I ended up sharing my food that I prepared for myself for the week also. They tried raw coconut fudge, raw lemon-coconut bars, "refried bean" collard wraps, raw onion bread, and green smoothies. I think they were pleasantly surprised.
I'll have to do this again sometime. It was a nice night.

Great Book.....

OK! This is one of the best books I've read about adding greens to your diet. The author, Victoria Boutenko, has done some excellent research on this subject. She shows you how easy it really can be to add greens by making green smoothies. This is something I do everyday and I love it! My children love the taste. Even my 22 month old baby loves it. The benefits are amazing! You add so may more essential nutrients, vitamins and amino acids to your body. They are extremely healing and energizing. If you haven't tried one yet, what are you waiting for?

Here is my favorite green smoothie recipe:

4 kale leaves

1 handful of spinach

half of a pineapple

1 banana

1 squirt of raw agave nectar

2 cups filtered water

Add the ingredients to your blender. Blend well. Enjoy!

Nice To Meet You!

Hi everybody in blogland! I want to introduce myself and get this blog rolling. My name is Christy and I love my sweet hubby and our 5 children (ages 22 months-17 years!). I can't live without yoga and RAW FOOD is my passion! It is my mission in life to get the word out that good health is available to all. You've just got to have the right information and a community of like-minded supportive people.

This blog will mostly pertain to raw food, healthy parenting, and living YOUR best life! So I hope you will join me on this journey. I would love to hear from you so leave a comment or drop me an email!

Your friend in health and happiness,
Christy