Thanksgiving Sluggishness?

Is sluggishness even a word? It makes me sluggish just trying to say it.

So, let's admit it: Most of us, even those of us with the best diets, let loose and eat a little differently on Thanksgiving. Either by eating foods we wouldn't normally eat, or by eating larger quantities than we're used to (or both). I vowed not to eat so much that I had to roll myself from room to room, but my sister-in-law made eggnog cream puffs and my brother brought pecan pie laced with chocolate chips and my mom made pumpkin cheesecakes with ginger snap crusts - so put me in food jail, I tasted them all. Truthfully, I just barely over ate. If I were in the overeating olympics, I would have only taken the bronze, or gotten an honorable mention or participant ribbon. Still, by nighttime I was feeling yucky so I went and ran on my mom's
treadmill (but not before I ate more pie - you know, for energy). Much better. The next morning all the cousins wanted to play on this bouncy mini-tramp my mom has in her exercise room, so my niece brought it downstairs and she unknowingly, yet strategically, placed it in the walk-way between the kitchen and living room so that every time we passed, we instinctively jumped on it a couple times. Later that day, after a lot of movie watching and singing around the piano, my mom and I joined the nieces and nephews in the exercise room and we rotated around the different machines for another "post-Thanksgiving" workout. Thus forms a new amendment to my eating philosophy: On holidays, eat what you want. As long as you're willing to pay for it.

My "Help-your-Thanksgiving-digestion-along" juice:

I made this today and it was YUMMY! Even the kids loved it.

3 apples (Any combination. I used 1 Red Delicious, 1 Granny Smith, and 1 Braeburn)
1-2 C cranberries (I freeze mine. Use the larger amount for an extra cranberry-y flavor)
1 - 1" piece ginger (I use probably triple this, but it might send you into convulsions, so start small)

Run through a good quality juicer and drink right away. If you don't have a juicer, you can blend in a blender and strain the pulp out. This will serve two.

Happy Digesting and Thanksgiving!

Always love,
Raw Melissa

Good News

I met some more amazing people last week. Two gorgeous women, specifically named Trina and Melissa. (Yes, Melissa. I know, it's strange to meet another person with my same name considering it's so uncommon. He he!). Trina's from Texas and was just visiting, but she told me she reads my blog regularly and was so excited when I wrote the post about Eduardo encouraging me to continue writing. She expected that I'd actually do what I said I'd do and kept going back to the site to see if I'd updated. Her answer: Not as soon as she thought. She also said that she wished I had more cooking shows on my site because she, "knows how to make the chocolate banana shake already!" (Okay, so I added the, "already" but I'm pretty sure that was her point). I know many of you agree with Trina, so I thought I'd tell you a little about what I've got going on so you can, not only get the "Good News" of future Raw Melissa goings on, but can also get an idea of why I've been updating so infrequently.

First, the Good News or, "Why I Haven't Been Writing":

I started my Raw Melissa business as a personal chef exactly two years ago. Six months later, I started selling my desserts wholesale to stores and the general public, so I've only been going for about eighteen months but have seen, and continue to see, more success than I could have possibly imagined! Because of this, I am working8-14 hours a day and am pretty exhausted when I end my day. A lot of my time is filled with reading emails from amazing people like you, and a big part is filled with creating great tasting and beautiful food. I am also doing a lot of the administrative work of the business, and oh, I forgot, I also try to have a life outside of my business!! People often ask me to tell them about my biggest challenge as a business owner. I always smile and say, "Success!" So, there are my reasons for writing less than I used to.

Next, the Good News or, "Why I Might Write More or Less Now":

I am currently working with an amazing web designer and an equally amazing programmer, to create a whole new website. YOU are gonna LOVE it! I guarantee! We have so many amazing things in the works that when we finally launch, you might have to watch yourself so when your significant other joins you for dinner, he/she doesn't find you still in your pajamas because you were online all day. :) I'm also working with a talented videographer/director and we plan to shoot several new food shows in the next month that will also be available for viewing on the new site. And the best news of all, (for me, mostly) is that I've just hired a personal assistant who is the most amazing assistant a person could have. The first day she worked for me, I emailed her a list of things to do, expecting it to be done by the end of the week. Four hours later I got a detailed and eloquently written work report in my email box. She had already finished. So, I am officially in love with her and will now have much more time to work on the content for the site and to (hopefully) raise my blogging rates to a level that will satisfy all, even Eduardo and Trina! (Just teasing, you know I love you both!).

For Eduardo

The other day, a man named Eduardo and his beautiful friend, Marcela, came into my store. I was struck by their upbeat energy and smiles. We started talking and Eduardo said, "I've heard that you make great food!" I gave them some samples of vanilla macaroons and chocolate truffle pie and they agreed that it's delicious. Thank you!

Eduardo told me about his mom who taught him to enjoy healthy food. He said that when she went to college in Mexico City several years ago, she was a vegetarian and practiced yoga.

It made me think of the reasons why people choose to come to a place of health. I come into contact with hundreds of people who have arrived on this path, and the two most common reasons why they're here, are that they were either taught this way by their parents or that they became unhealthy and were compelled to search for a way to feel better. I became a "health nut" because my mother and my maternal grandmother taught me to take care of my body by eating well... and now look how it's evolved!

What brought you to a place of heath? Or, is that why you're here reading this blog?

Before Eduardo and Marcela left, Eduardo said, "You haven't written on your blog!" I said, "I know, you're right! I've had such a busy summer, but I need to update it. How about if I update my blog just for you? That way I'll actually do it and that will get me started writing regularly again?!" I sent them off with some spoons full of chocolate truffle pie and made a goal to get writing right away. So here you go Eduardo! Thanks for the motivatinal kick in the...knee!

Goji Berries

Listen to my podcast on Goji Berries! (Look to your left. See the player? Click play. Enjoy!)

Wow! Who knew how amazing these little berries are! I've started eating them everyday.

Here is more info for you to check out after you listen to the podcast:

Read more about goji berries here.

Order goji berry plants and other goji products with a 25% discount for "Eating Well with Raw Melissa" listeners at Timpanogos Nursery.

To order goji berries from The Food Garden, our raw food store, for 25% off, email: order@rawmelissa.com, or call us at 801-310-4175


Goji Berry Jam

Soak 1/3 C of dried goji berries in just enough water to cover them, for about 30 minutes or until they are plump and soft. Strain this and add 1 tsp. of lemon juice, one tsp. of agave and a very small pinch of salt. Smash this all together with a mortar and pestle, or chop up with a knife. Spread it on manna bread or flax seed crackers with almond butter for a super yummy treat. You an also put this mixture in smoothies or pour it over raw ice cream.

Sage's Cafe and the Vertical Diner

A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting Ian Brandt, the owner of Sage's Cafe and the Vertical Diner. We first met on the phone and had a great conversation about the business of vegan and raw vegan food. We talked about some of the techniques we use in our raw food preparation and about some of the challenges presented when creating raw food on a commercial level.

Sage's is a vegan cafe that has been voted the best vegetarian restaurant in Utah for about four years in a row now. They have delicious appetizers like Carrot Butter Crostini: thin slices of toasted 7-grain bread served with their famous creamed macadamia carrot butter, and entrees such as Mushroom Stroganoff, a dish made from a "creamy and savory sauce with oyster and portabella mushrooms, served with fresh semolina papparadelle pasta and garlic bread." I've eaten there several times now and the food, combined with the amazingly happy and upbeat staff, make Sage's one of my favorite places to eat.

The Vertical Diner is a new restaurant and I had never eaten there before, so I drove there to meet Ian in person. I brought him some of my Vanilla Macaroons and Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Pie and he offered me a plate of nachos and a plate of real (vegan) french fries and a burrito. It was extraordinary food! It was so wonderful to eat some of that food that brings back the memories of those late college nights at the diner! BUT - it's good for you and conscious too.

Check out the websites for both and go eat there - maybe I'll see you!

Grand Opening

The grand opening of The Food Garden was an extraordinary success! We had many enthusiastic people who were thrilled that we had opened such a store. We heard every positive comment you could think of, from, "We've been waiting so long for a store like this! Thank you!" to "Wow! Your prices are great!" to "This raw ice cream tastes amazing!"

the food garden, just before we opened our doors for the first time!

We sold out of all our raw hummus and we hardly had a drop left of the Raw Melissa Hawaiian, Chocolate Almond, and Vanilla Ice Creams. I really like the vanilla, but people went crazy for the Hawaiian ice cream which is full of fresh pineapple, coconut and macadamia nuts, and of course, the Chocolate Almond went fast too!

Because of the success of The Food Garden, Julia, Agi, and I have just been asked by a major health food store to create a raw food cafe within their existing cafe. Watch for it to come soon, (you'll know, as they regularly advertise to over 130,000 homes) and meanwhile, stop by The Food Garden for an amazing raw food entree, side-dish, or gourmet dessert, and all of your other raw food diet needs!! Those of you outside of Utah, please feel free to email order@rawmelissa.com to order products from The Food Garden. We will soon have a list of available products up on the web. I'll let ya know!

me feeding customers samples :)

Julia, Me, and Agi

THE FOOD GARDEN!

Business has been absolutely wonderful! Raw Melissa products continue to pop-up in more and more health food stores, and this week, a WONDERFUL coffee shop right in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City called Nobrow Coffee and Tea started carrying the Raw Melissa products because its vegan customers wanted a vegan pastry to go with their coffee and tea!

Now for the big news: I have teamed up with two other wonderful women, who are also raw food business owners, to open up a raw vegan store and cafe called The Food Garden! Agi, of Agi's Raw Foods, and I both needed a larger commercial kitchen for our growing businesses so we decided to get together and find one that would suit our needs, together. We found a third business owner, Julia, of Julia's SunSprouts, and we were set to continue expansion. The kicker is that the kitchen we found also has a store-front so without intending to, we won ourselves not only a great kitchen, but a terrific little place we can sell our amazing products out of. It's been a lot of hard work. We've done painting and ordering and cleaning and moving, but this Saturday from 9am-5pm, we are having our Grand Opening and if you're in Utah, we invite you to come by. We'll be giving out TONS of free samples of some of the best raw food on the planet Agi, happily painting! >
and the company is sure to be wonderful, as lots of raw-foodists, and those who just like a healthy treat now and then, will come together to celebrate this long-awaited opening.

The Food Garden 698 E. 300 S. Provo, Utah




P.S. I just added the MOST delicious Raw Ice Creams to my line of desserts. Savor some samples at The Food Garden on Saturday!



Me, demonstrating a painting technique called, "Barefoot Rolling.">