Lunch

Lunch at Bellagio overlooking Lake Como was simple and fabulous, except for the ending......decadent. A perfect salad, a vegetable soup and wine. Wine is a must at lunch and dinner and water too! I love how no salad dressing is offered, olive oil and balsamic is placed on the table, for me that's perfect. The fish that is in the picture was my husband's....it was from the lake. I am not an ice cream person, however in Italy gelato is a must. Of course we ordered one for dessert with a capuccino. I had two spoonfuls....it was out of this world. Ciao!!

Eating in Italy

This was tonights dinner. There's a great market near the hotel and we took salads out. Also bought some fruits. I have been very good at eating lots of salads and eating lots of fruits. I had some bread a few times and my skin told me to stop it....I was itching. Earlier we sat out in a cafe and had some red wine and olives and a few other items. When purchasing take away meals, you have to pay for the utensils, salt (it is sea salt..how wonderful), little packs of olive oil and lemon juice, etc. I think this is a great way to keep waste down. If we had this implemented in the USA, I believe people would only take what they need, because they would have to pay for it. Of course we are paying for it, it's factored into the price. It felt good being conscious of what I truly needed, not just grabbing a handful of stuff. Dinner was delicious!

Indulging!

We are on our way to Italy for our honeymoon. I will be indulging in some amazing cuisine. I have never been to Italy and I understand the food is the best. I will keep it vegetarian. Of course I will drink a lot of good, bottled water. Eat tons of fruits and veggies. We are driving through the lake regions.....so beautiful. So exciting.

CIAO BELLA!!

Green Gazpacho

Absolutely delicious dinner this was.

3 roma tomatoes
1 cucumber
2 celery stalks
large handful of spinach
about 1/4 cup of mixed herbs, I used: basil, oregano & parsley
2 scallions
1/2 lemon juice
salt, pepper to your liking
blend till nice and smooth
serve with fresh dill sprinkled on top

a side of cut up avocado made it complete

Dilly Dally Kale Chips

Sorry, I do not remember whose raw blog I got this recipe from. It is delicious. I made two trays of it and it never made it into a bowl. Kept going to the dehydrator and picked at it till it was gone.

Wash and devein a bunch of kale leaves.
Tear into palm size pieces.
Put in bowl of salted (1 tsp.) cold water.
Take kale in hands and squeeze for 30 seconds to bruise.
Drain water, do not rinse.

In separate bowl mix the following:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or agave
1-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Mix above with kale and sprinkle with dried dill.
Place in dehydrator until crispy.
See if yours makes it into a bowl.

Tonic Oxygen Bar

When in Boulder, Colorado you must get yourself over to Tonic Oxygen Bar on 10th Street. What a fabulous little shop. Three of us sat on cushy, comfortable sofa chairs breathing in our individual oxygen session, my choice was "Three Wise Men". For me it was extra special since the essential oils used in the recipes are my favorite: pure, therapeutic blends. With it I had a cup of Straight-Up Cacao (raw hot chocolate).....yummmm! There's also Maca Cacao and Kava Cacao. Although a bit outdated, here is a good description of the oxygen bar.

On another note, I am so thrilled to know that Oprah who I respect and admire very much is doing a 21 day vegetarian cleanse. Being that she has been on a deep spiritual journey, I thought what a great time to include this cleanse.

Inspirations

Sharing some inspirational sites:

Pear Magazine is filled with a colossal of information. Jinjee's daily "Raw Inspiration" arriving in my email is always uplifting...... sign up for it. The subscription to the online Pear Magazine has been an incredible read. Loving it!
Raw Mom is a blog written by 8 raw food moms, sharing their adventures, lifestyle and motherly tips.
Juice Feasting hosts of the 92 day juice feasting program, for extraordinary health. Their motto, "cleanse, rebuild, rehydrate, alkalize". I do plan on doing this program at some time. Having done mini juice feasts, I know this will be a transformational experience.