They’re still in progress. I’m waiting to get the Foreword back from a dear friend of my dad’s. Then “Eternal River, Vol. III” will go through another full edit before being sent off to Heidi Thomas, a writer and professional editor I met at Women Writing the West many years ago. She really knows her stuff!

We’ve been stalled out on my album because I lost my voice. I was having to record the vocals three words at a time. Sound Engineer Dan Worley was infinitely patient nursing me through it, but I can hear the strain in my voice. I just didn’t have it.

Now I’m starting to get my voice back. I have more breath control and I’m stretching out my range. It’s so good to be able to sing again! I suspect my shortness of breath was from all the meat, cheese, and oil I was consuming. I’ve now completed my fifth month of eating vegan, and because of Raw Chef Christina, I’m especially enjoying making raw foods. I put on the CD of my songs instrumentation and background vocals and sing along while I prepare the food.

I have to admit that it’s still a big adjustment. I am groping my way while learning what of the many whole, plant-based foods work best for my lifestyle and metabolism. I’m stuffing my brain with facts about nutrition. Today I learned that raw unhulled sesame seeds have a lot of calcium, and that the hulls are edible.

Most of my friends and relatives are not interested in making such a drastic change in their lifestyles, but I’m hoping they’ll see the value of adding a green drink or a raw-something several times a week. Phyto and micro nutrients, Baby!

Some of my friends are getting into green drinks now. Maria Zornes Baker says Dan’s Prime Time Lime drink is wonderful…even without gin. Her husband Hal says they have a green drink just about every day. As a cyclist, he’s finding he has more energy. I love knowing that my friends are getting healthier because they’re better nourished.

Here are more of my favorite new recipes:

Good Morning Green Smoothie

This is a variation of Raw Chef Christina’s Green Smoothie recipe. She always says she provides the basics and the theory and then you go make it your own.

Use organic produce to avoid concentrating pesticides and toxins

1 green apple (Granny Smith is good)
1 peeled orange (naval is good)
1 peeled banana
1 1/2 – 2 C water
5 leaves of kale (without stems) (winds up being about 3 fist fulls)
1 rounded teaspoon of chia seeds
1 rounded teaspoon of hemp seeds
1 rounded teaspoon of flax seeds

Place all ingredients into a powerful blender or Vita-Mix and blend till smooth

The hemp, chia and flax seeds add good nutrition, and the flax helps make the drink smooth, but if you don’t have them, don’t let that keep you from making it. Just skip that part. Chef Christina says kale has a value of 1000 on the nutrient density scale. The next most dense foods are the purple ones (such as blueberries) at a value of 160. Quite a difference! So get that kale blended and into you with those lovely, flavorful fruits. It tastes more like an entertainment drink than like something that’s really good for you.

Perfect Purple Stuff
originated by Raw Chef Christina who wanted something substantial to start the day off right for her policeman husband
modified by Carolyn Wing Greenlee

3 red apples, diced
1 1/2 cup soaked raw almonds
1/4 cup raw pecans or soaked walnuts
1 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1.2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Place all the ingredients except the berries in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse until the mixture is as creamy as desired.
Stir the fresh or frozen blueberries or blend for a few seconds to keep them whole.

Stores in covered glass container in the ‘fridge for up to 3 days.

Mexican Paté

1 C soaked raw almonds
1/2 C raw pecans
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 C soaked sun dried tomatoes, deiced
1/2 C seeded chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon chili powder

In bowl of food processor, process nuts and lemon juice together until fairly smooth

Add remaining ingredients and process until blended together. The mixture will turn a nice reddish color. You may want some flecks of sun dried tomatoes to add to the visual interest and provide a little flavored zip here and there.

Dan’s Banana-Blueberry Shake

3/4 to 1 C almond milk
1 banana
10-12 fresh or frozen blueberries

Place all ingredients in blender.
Blend on High till smooth. If you like, keep blending on High till it’s warm.

This is so good (not too sweet) that you’ll find it hard to believe it’s good for you. Blueberries have anti-oxidants. Bananas have potassium. Almonds are alkalizing. All (if you make your own milk with raw almonds) are unprocessed, raw, and pulsing with energy.

There are commercial almond milks. I’ve used unsweetened Pacific in the past, but I much prefer making fresh almond milk. If you have a source of good organic almonds (preferably raw, but very hard to get), the recipe below explains how to make it.

Almond Milk

Soak organic almonds from 12-24 hrs
If the almonds are truly raw, they will start to sprout, a tiny, white tip will begin to push through the brown coat at one end.
Drain brown liquid (that’s the enzyme-inhibitor in the nuts).

Place 1 C of soaked almonds in blender.
Add 3 C of water.
Blend on High for 30 seconds or until almonds are reduced to tiny bits.
Pour contents of blender into nut bag with a bowl underneath.
Squeeze bag till all milk is expelled.
Store almond milk in refrigerator up to 3 days.
Pulp can be frozen for use in other recipes.

Salud! To your health!