Halloween Candy

Speaking of the bittersweetness of Fall, sugar season is coming! It is estimated that in the U.S., we spend $1 billion dollars on Halloween candy! We buy 20 million pounds of candy corn alone! Every year, teenagers eat 93 pounds of refined sugar on average. (Thanks to Dr. Mercola for these statistics.) Wow! We are moving into the next 6 months where Standard American media bombard our senses, but thank goodness for the Power of Choice. It all begins with SUGAR, SUGAR, SUGAR for Halloween, then overeating at Thanksgiving, overeating and sugar for Christmas, Guilt and new resolutions for the New Year, sugar for Valentine's Day and Easter and then panic when bikini season returns with the sun. Wow, that sounded incredibly pessimistic!!

How about a change of focus and perspective...

Halloween - a time of abundant creativity, laughter and pumpkin carving parties!
Thanksgiving - a time for connecting with family and friends to give up Thanks in deep Gratitude (and cool,late morning football!)
New Year's - a time of both introspection and Joyous celebration to invoke our highest potential!
Valentine's Day - a special celebration of true LOVE in our lives!
and Easter - well, that depends on your belief system, but nonetheless, a great reason to gather with the ones you love!

We don't get Trick-or-Treaters at home since we are a bit out of town, but my massage practice is located downtown (check out www.RollingMirrorMassage.com) and we get tons of adorable little ones during the day. Last year, I just couldn't make myself hand out candy even though I love being able to give to all those cute little cowboys and bright eyed angels! This year, I decided to hand out some other fun stuff instead! I was able to find fun Halloween pencils, spider/skull rings and colorful puffy stickers. Hopefully I won't become known as "that lady" that you never want to go to her house because she hands out pennies! I thought this bowl of Halloween treats looked pretty fun! What are you going to do for Trick-or-Treaters this year? Any fun ideas to share?

Raw Protein Powder

We have been enjoying glorious 80 degree Indian summer days! They are so deeply savored here because we know they won't be back for a long time! The forecast is calling for...Fall in Montana...highs in the 50's and 60's and rain showers. Time for firewood-getting and all those little things I need to do, but have been putting off for a rainy day! It is a beautiful, natural slowing down that happens this time of year and the larch tree pine needles are beginning to glow in gold!

I make (and deliciously savor!) a green smoothie nearly everyday. The basis is frozen fruit, fresh greens and water. Berries are probably the best nutritionally and tastiest fruit to use and I also use lots of pears and plums that I harvest locally and freeze. For greens, my favorites are lacinato Kale and spinach. I also use lots of chard, wild lamb's quarter and even spring mix that needs to be used.

For yummy additions, I add Sun Warrior Protein powder, Spirulina">, Vitamineral Green, Carob powder,, Organic Raw Tahini (great source of calcium), stevia etc. (Oops! I did it again! I put pictures by accident instead of words, but I'm going to leave it because it makes me laugh!)

I have been doing some research on the raw protein powder and found some great info! You can order by clicking on the logo below my picture if you are interested! Here is some info by David Wolfe on Sun Warrior Protein Powder:


Gain Muscle and Lose Weight with the best-tasting protein powder ever! Sun Warrior Protein is over 85% pure protein, totally Raw, and entirely Vegan. As budding Sun Warriors we now have the opportunity to fulfill our health goals and higher life purpose with strength and wisdom. Sun Warrior Protein has an extremely high digestion efficiency rating, allowing a wealth of nutritional benefits to saturate every cell in our bodies quickly and completely. The more super-powered nutrition our bodies can absorb, the easier it is for our inner grace and wisdom to manifest as vibrant beauty. Sun Warrior Protein is assimilated by the body so cleanly that it can actually help us absorb additional vitamins and minerals from the foods and superfoods in our diet. Current studies indicate significant benefits for reducing cholesterol and promoting a slow release of sugars into the bloodstream, both of which help to establish Sun Warrior Protein as one of the most potent anti-aging foods available today. Step into the Sun, and experience the deep-rooted power of a true Sun Warrior!

Creation of Sun Warrior Protein

Sun Warrior Protein begins as raw, whole-grain brown rice, germinated to maximize the levels of bio-activity. Natural plant enzymes are introduced which digest almost all of the carbohydrates, leaving only easy-to-digest protein. Carefully monitored bio-fermentation of the organically-grown brown rice progresses steadily until the protein concentration reaches 85%. This leaves only pure amino acids in a form which the body can easily recognize and absorb. The result: an incredible 16 grams of protein in each 1 ½ Tablespoon serving of Sun Warrior Protein! A side result of this process is an incredible, silky smooth texture and phenomenal taste, a marked improvement over soy protein, pea protein, Brazil nut protein, or whey. At no time in the creation of Sun Warrior Protein does the processing temperature ever exceed 90° F. This is a completely raw product, the first of its kind.

Nutrient Availability in Sun Warrior Protein

The unique bio-fermentation technique used to create Sun Warrior Protein has astounding implications for nutrient availability. Most vegetable and rice proteins on the market use chemical processes which produce hard-to-digest, unbalanced protein. Sun Warrior Protein represents a huge advancement in taste and bio-availability, offering a massive increase in the amino acid Lysine and a tremendous boost in usable protein. This holistic bio-fermentation process leads to a concentrated protein source which is completely hypoallergenic and contains all 9 essential amino acids as well as many non-essential amino acids in a completely balanced amino acid profile.

Sun Warrior Protein has been found to have a 98.2% digestion efficiency rating, ranking far above any comparable protein source. Sun Warrior Protein actually helps the body absorb many vitamins and minerals much more readily, making it perfect for infants, children, and the elderly. In the future, the World Health Organization may decide to use Sun Warrior Protein to feed malnourished individuals precisely because it is so easy to digest and due to the negligible risk of allergic reaction. At the present time, Sun Warrior Protein is being studied for its ability to improve the absorption of vitamins and minerals by individuals challenged by degenerative diseases. Superior nutrient content and enhanced bio-availability are hallmarks of all superfoods, a title which Sun Warrior Protein rightly deserves.

Additional Nutrient Characteristics of Sun Warrior Protein

Sun Warrior Protein is high in Tocopherols and Tocotrienols, powerful antioxidants known collectively as Super Vitamin E. This is due to the unique bio-fermentation processing method which preserves the bran of the whole grain brown rice with the sprouted endosperm.

Whole grain brown rice is naturally high in many of the B Vitamins, including B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin). Both Vitamins B1 and B2 help the body create energy from the food we eat, while Vitamin B3 works synergistically with B1 and B2 to provide clean burning fuel for our cells. What happens when the best vitamins for energy production are preserved alongside one of the world’s most bio-available sources of protein? This is Sun Warrior Protein: the amino acids the body needs to enhance strength and rejuvenate the cells, combined with vitamins essential for transforming what we eat into vibrant, abundant energy.

Sun Warrior Protein is high in the minerals Iron, Potassium, and Phosphorous. These three minerals work together in the body to oxygenate tissues, support muscular health, and maintain cellular energy supplies. Sun Warrior Protein helps shuttle essential amino acids to the cells as quickly as possible, along with the minerals the body needs to focus energy and apply it effectively.

Wishing you a blissful transitioning of seasons!! XO, Kelly O

Raw Fruit Roll Ups!!

...a.k.a. fruit leather! Our Excalibur dehydrator has been very busy the past 2 weeks...dehydrated apples, dehydrated pears and now, raw fruit leather. My love has our camera, so perhaps I'll catch up on the pics later, but fruit leather is really easy to make. I had harvested a bunch of plums and apples, so I pitted the plums and tossed them in the . Oops! I did that picture by accident, but it's funny, like mad libs or something! Then, I chopped apples and added those (I used about twice as many plums as apples). Blend to a puree, slather on teflex sheets (about 1/4 inch thick) and dehydrate at 105 degrees. We have been cutting the big fruit leather sheets in quarters, rolling them up in wax paper and filling gallon freezer Ziploc bags for the freezer or fridge. We'll have lots of yummy power food for skiing and hiking! Yum!

Wilderness and Meditation....

My love and I headed to elk country for the weekend. He has begun to explore the world of bow hunting and I gleefully hunt for wild...Huckleberries!!! We awoke in the dark, starry morning to hooting owls and donned our layers of clothes we eventually stuff into our packs as the sun warms us. Driving to the trailhead, we saw a mama moose and her baby. We walked in silence on the trail as the sun barely started bringing light. Elk were bugling! Have you ever heard it?! It is such an amazing, ancient sound (like a dinosaur)! They continued calling throughout the day and I savored my time, slowing picking berries, feeling like I was in the middle of Jurassic Park (although a lot calmer than if pterodactyls were flying overhead) . It felt immensely quiet in so many ways, yet nature is also so rarely quiet...birds chirping, squirrels throwing huge pine cones out of the trees, deer snorting and of course, elk bugling. Perhaps the quietness I am aware of is inside myself as the harvest transforms into a meditation. I noticed this as I was picking with my homegirl yesterday. We happily picked at different bushes, joyous to have time in the woods to catch up on life with each other. Our conversation slowly, naturally eased into silence... individually immersed in our moving meditation. As we grew out of sight of one another, we would occasionally give a hoot and a gentle return, just to check in.
So simple and so rich!!

Apple Cider/Sauce, Dehydrated Apples (Do I sound like Bubba Gump yet?)

The thunder rolled, rain let loose last night and now it is clearing into what is expected to be a yummy 70 degree day-September is my favorite! It is a month of so much abundance (I get to harvest my friend's pear tree today), both cool and warm weather and although work is slower with less visitors in town, the streets and woods keep getting quieter and calmer...and then the locals come out to play!

Ma-in law and I harvested grandma's tree and churned the fruit into amazing apple cider using a great old school press we have in the family. The sacred Juice is soo yummy and sweet that you almost have to dilute it. Then, I use some of that cider to make applesauce from our tree (rather than using the sugar water that most recipes call for). I also chopped up apples, tossed them in lemon juice and have them dehydrating at 105 degrees in the radical Excalibur dehydrator as we speak.

So many things are calling me to Arizona this weekend, but I won't be there. My gorgeous nephew is turning 2 years old and there is a family birthday party. I usually go home 2-3x/year, but haven't been yet as I was traveling this Spring and the call to the Old Pueblo (where I grew up) and my family is strong. Also, Raw Spirit Fest is happening in Sedona, which I would love to go to, but why is it planned right during harvest season? It's probably gorgeous there right now. I send BIG LOVE to my family that will be gathering and also to all the amazing folks I have met (even it is is via computer) in this amazing raw food community!

This weekend is still going to mega-fabulous with sunshine and 70 degree days expected. I am going camping with my love, and while he is exploring the woods with his bow, I will have my trusty bucket strapped to my belt, stuffing fat huckleberries into my mouth, I mean my bucket, by the purple handful! Quite the little hunters and gatherers, aren't we?!

If you haven't read We Like It Raw lately, here is some crucial info on greenhouse gas emissions and commercial meat. That being said, I would also like to put a shout out to my uncle in Maine who works for Wolfe's Neck Farm and all other cattle farmers who work at a more sustainable level. Keep up the Love! (Wolfe's Neck Farm is a historic 626 acre farm on the Maine coast dedicated to sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and community well-being...Hallelujah!)

Back in November 2006 the UN published a study that concluded "Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars."

The calls to action that the UN attached to the 2006 study primarily focused on better factory farming methods. But no one from the UN was publicly recommending that the world eat less meat.

But that all changed this past weekend.

Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Prize winner and chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has announced that if we as a world society want to get serious about climate change, we must eat less meat.

Although eating less meat was always implied by the UN, no formal statements were ever issued. Considering that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the world authority on global warming, you can bet that this is the boldest action challenge ever issued on the topic of warming to date.

You can also bet that there are thousands of meat lobbyist around the world who are totally pissed!

Via the Guardian

People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer.

Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.

'In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,' said Pachauri. 'Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,' said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian.

Who would have ever expected that an international organization, or even a national one for that matter, would have ever taken a public stand on food and how it effects our planet?

My Love Affair with Juice...

How could I forget my love affair with Juice? It's been so long, perhaps that's been part of my funk. I have some silly resistance to my Juicer, like it's going to take forever to clean up or something. I have been opting for the green smoothie, with all of its glorious fiber and wicked easy clean up. I've been thinking about my Green Star and even got it all prepped the other morning...right before I made a green smoothie. But this morning I finally made Juice-she wasn't mad at me, she welcomed me back with the unconditional love my dogs give me, no matter how much I've ignored them. Tails wagging and everything! The most abundant produce we have growing right now is cucumbers, chard and ripe apples and this is what I made the Juice out of....yummylicious! It instantly ignited something in me and it feels and tastes awesome!! Oh, yeah, and the clean up was a piece of cake! XOXO, KO

Checking in with Rules and Regs!

Wow-Fall is definitely in the air! Our last day of August brought us snow capped mountains in Glacier Park and a chilly rain in the valley-yikes! The days have been reaching a high of 70 degrees, but not for long in between the cool mornings and evenings. More rain right now. I do hope we get our usual gorgeous Indian summer.
I have been feeling a little bit funky monkey lately, just not feeling like my uber-champion self! I don't feel like my diet and daily practices are serving me to my highest potential. I have still been eating mostly raw (green smoothies, salads, anything with cucumbers :) ), but I have also been pretty lax. After 8 months of not having any beer, wine, or alcohol at all, I enjoyed a glass of red wine on the airplane coming home from Bali and felt totally happy and content about it.
That opened rule has gradually lead to more frequent glasses of wine and beer, and even a few late night buzzed up snack sessions (since when do I eat sweet bread and graham crackers?!)
After traveling in Guatemala, my mind felt more open to food beyond raw. I simply felt grateful to have enough food to eat to be in good health. Needless to say, I was still loving eating mostly raw. Then, I had a tortilla chip, then a cracker, then a little cheese...
I do really well with rules, guidelines, goals. I love having something I am working towards to motivate my daily actions. Besides a few days of mind struggle in the beginning and mid-way through my Juice Feast, it was pretty easy for me to be on all liquids. That was the protocol, I had already made the decision for what I was going to do and it was easier to keep up than to change my new daily rituals. For me, at this time, I think I still need a general focus to be making my decisions from...
For a little while, I'm going to focus on this and see where it leads me:

• 2 quarts of green smoothie or green juice (the cukes have been great in my smoothies!)
• snack of fresh, raw fruit or veggie if desired (the local watermelon has been amazing!)
• one reasonable yummy meal (or another juice or smoothie)
• stay atleast 80% raw
• drink lots of water and tea
• no tortilla chips!

I like the idea of not trying to be 100% raw right now. It gives me a little lee-way, an ease. Although rules and discipline serve me, I'm not sure if 100% rules do. I feel totally great about eating applesauce that I have canned with love from the tree in our yard. I'm not worried about eating toasted Nori sheets. But I do need to lasso in my appetite a bit, cowgirl! My tummy has been feeling a bit bloated and uncomfortable and I just can't feel my true self as clearly this way...which has been leading me to a bit of introspection...what is it that I haven't been wanting to feel? Perhaps I'll share more on that later.
Another thing that has been interesting is my menstrual cycle. Since I had become slimmer with my cleansing, my periods became really irregular. This is common for me and I had experienced it a lot with low body fat in college from playing so much soccer. This year, I have had 2 periods that had a 2.5 month gap in between and 2 with a 1.5 month gap in between. Now that I have gained a few pounds back, I had my 1st regular period in atleast 9 months. It's definitely something to be aware of since we do want to have a baby some day, if my husband ever stops giggling nervously every time we talk about it! A friend of mine who is pregnant (what's up girl!) told me her husband did the same thing, and recommended I talk about the sexcapades during ovulation more often!
On that note, I'll bid you a farewell for the evening-hee hee! What's up with you all out there in this gloriously dynamic Universe? XOXO, Kelly O